Gordon First Nation
Encyclopedia
The George Gordon First Nation is located near the village of Punnichy
Punnichy, Saskatchewan
- Notable people :Nolan Yonkman, a defenceman for the Florida Panthers, was born in Punnichy.- See also :* List of communities in Saskatchewan* Villages of Saskatchewan-External links:*******...

, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....

, in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. The First Nation has a population of 2,774 people, 1,060 of whom live on-reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...

 and 1,714 who live off-reserve. Elected Chief Glen Pratt leads the First Nation. Their territory is located on the Gordon 86
Gordon 86, Saskatchewan
Gordon 86 is an Indian reserve in Saskatchewan, located northwest of Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is one of three territories of the Gordon First Nation, as arranged by the signing of Treaty 4. The reserve has an area of...

 reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...

, as arranged by Treaty 4
Treaty 4
Treaty 4 was a treaty established between Queen Victoria and the Cree and Saulteaux First Nations. The area covered by Treaty 4 represents most of current day southern Saskatchewan, plus small portions of what are today western Manitoba and southeastern Alberta....

.

History

In 1874, Treaty 4
Treaty 4
Treaty 4 was a treaty established between Queen Victoria and the Cree and Saulteaux First Nations. The area covered by Treaty 4 represents most of current day southern Saskatchewan, plus small portions of what are today western Manitoba and southeastern Alberta....

 was established between Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....

 and the Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...

 and Saulteaux
Saulteaux
The Saulteaux are a First Nation in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Canada.-Ethnic classification:The Saulteaux are a branch of the Ojibwe nations. They are sometimes also called Anihšināpē . Saulteaux is a French term meaning "people of the rapids," referring to...

 First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...

. On September 15 of the same year, Kaneonuskatew (or, in his English name of George Gordon) was among the first of the Indigenous leaders to make the agreement, signing as Chief of the George Gordon First Nation. By 1884, half of the families belonging to the nation were farming, a development which had commenced in 1876, and would continue for many years. Although both George Gordon and his son, Moses Gordon, were originally hereditary chiefs, the people have since adopted the practice of democratically voting their chiefs and councillors into office.

From 1889 to 1996, George Gordon First Nation was the location of the longest-running residential school in Canada. Attendance there devastated many members of the nation-state as children because of various forms of abuse. The schools have been proven to have allowed abuse of the children. The federal government has paid compensation and made apologies, but much damage was done. The residential schools, founded with positive intentions, created a dark chapter in Canadian history. On the First Nation, the Gordon Recovery and Wellness Centre provides services and support to the victims of the abuse that occurred at too many schools.

Programs and services

The George Gordon First Nation boasts a modern medical clinic, an education centre, a computer centre, an arena and a day care, as well as the Gordon Retail Centre and the Buffalo Ranch Project. Programs that are offered to band members include the Residential School Recovery and Wellness Centre, Brighter Futures, and Gordon Social Development. Other community infrastructures involve band office, pre-fab plant, fire hall, teachers center, gymnasium, warehouse, water treatment plant, and machine shed.

Notable people

  • Lillian Dyck
    Lillian Dyck
    Lillian Eva Quan Dyck is a Canadian senator from Saskatchewan. She was appointed to the Senate on the recommendation of Prime Minister Paul Martin on March 24, 2005....

     (Canadian Senator from Saskatchewan)
  • Winona Wheeler (academic)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK