English River First Nation Explained

Band Name:	English River First Nation
Band Number:	400
Endonym:	Des Nëdhë́’iné
People:	Denesuline
Treaty:	Treaty 10
Headquarters:	Patuanak
Province:	Saskatchewan
Main Reserve:	La Plonge 192
Reserve:	Elak Dase 192A Knee Lake 192B Dipper Rapids 192C Wapachewunak 192D Île-à-la-Crosse 192E Primeau Lake 192F Cree Lake 192G English River 192H Barkwell Bay 192I Grasswoods 192J Haultain Lake 192K Flatstone Lake 192L Cable Bay 192M Cable Bay 192N Beauval Forks 192O Leaf Rapids 192P Slush Lake 192Q Mawdsley Lake 192R
Area:	252.703
Pop Year:	2019
On Reserve:	778
Off Reserve:	847
Chief:	Jerry Bernard
Tribal Council:	Meadow Lake Tribal Council
Footnotes:	^[1]

The English River Dene Nation is a Dene First Nation band government in Patuanak, Saskatchewan, Canada. Their reserve is in the northern section of the province. Its territories are in the boreal forest of the Canadian Shield. This First Nation is a member of the Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC).^[2]

Traditionally, English River First Nation are known in Chipewyan (Denesuline) as "People of the Great River" (Des Nëdhë́’iné), referencing Churchill River along its banks their traditional territory is located.^{[3] [4]}

Demographics

As of May 2012 the total membership of English River Dene First Nation was 1,451 with 774 members living on-reserve and 677 members living off-reserve.^[5]

Territory

The English River Dene Nation based in Patuanak has territory at fifteen sites.

• Cree Lake 192G on the south west side of Cree lake is 1607.40 hectares
• Cable Bay 192M on Cree Lake is 538.30 hectares
• Barkwell Bay 192I at the northern end of Cree Lake is 2344 hectares ^{[6] [7]} One of the two sites at the south end may include the old Cree Lake settlement.
• Wapachewunak 192D is 1967 hectares. with 482 residents (Canada Census 2011).^[8] It adjoins the northern hamlet of Patuanak
• La Plonge 192 is 9487.2ha 55.2094°N -107.5897°W. The La Plonge settlement where the Beauval Residential School was located is across the river from the northern village of Beauval and had 115 residents in 2011.^[9]
• Dipper Rapids 192C is 831.3ha 55.9519°N -107.3709°W and home of the Dipper Lake settlement where the Churchill River enters Dipper Lake ^[10]
• Elak Dase 192A is 1390.90 hectares on the east side of Knee Lake is home of the Knee Lake settlement^[10] at the mouth of the Haultain River.
• English River 192H located on an island in Porter Lake is 42.90 hectares.
• Beauval Forks 192O is 1.40 hectares.
• Flatstone Lake 192L is 230.50 hectares.
• Haultain Lake 192K is 201.20 hectares.
• Grasswoods 192J is 54.4 hectares.
• Île-à-la-Crosse 192E is 5 miles east of Ile a la Crosse at the mouth of the Beaver River ^[10] on the shore of Lac Île-à-la-Crosse and is 6 hectares.
• Knee Lake 192B (north west shore of Knee Lake) is 487.20 hectares.
• Primeau Lake 192F home of the Primeau Lake settlement ^[10] is 1690 hectares.

Notable members

• Sage Paul, fashion designer^[11]

See also

• Denesuline language
• Denesuline

Notes and References

1. Web site: First Nation Detail. September 10, 2019. Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Government of Canada.
2. Web site: Meadow Lake Tribal Council . March 23, 2012 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120323161832/http://mltc.sasktelwebhosting.com/erfn.htm.
3. Des Nedhe Group, "Who we are". For generations, the local Dene people have used the word Des Nedhe to describe the “great river” that flows next to them – known today as the Churchill River in northern Saskatchewan. https://desnedhe.com/about/#board
4. English River First Nation Website, As ‘people of the river’ we are known for our bold and collaborative spirit and our self-sufficient and humble nature. https://erfn.net/
5. Web site: AANDC (Registered Population). Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Government of Canada.
6. Web site: Natural Resources Canada-Canadian Geographical Names (Query by Geographical Name). January 7, 2015.
7. Web site: AANDC Reserves/Settlements/Villages. Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Government of Canada.
8. Web site: Canada Census 2011 (Wapachewunak 192D (Indian reserve)). 8 February 2012 . October 14, 2012.
9. Web site: Canada Census 2011 . 8 February 2012 . October 19, 2012 .
10. Book: Marchildon. Gregory P.. Robinson. Sid. Canoeing the Churchill: A Practical Guide to the Historic Voyageur Highway. 2002. University of Regina Press. 978-0-88977-148-2. 157.
11. News: Laing . Sarah . A platform where Indigenous artists can shine . 12 November 2023 . The Globe and Mail . 26 October 2022.