Kaministikominahiko-skak Cree Nation (formerly John Cochrane First Nation) has been inspired by a historic court case being held in Saskatchewan.
For the first time, federal court is being held on a First Nation reserve, where members of Chacachas First Nation are seeking federal recognition for the historic wrongdoing of their founding chief.
This motivated Chief John Dorion of Kaministikominahiko-skak Cree Nation to revisit his 18-year battle of reinstatement for his nation.
When Treaty 5 was signed over 140 years ago, Chief John Cochrane was a signatory. Not long after the signing, five bands in the region were amalgamated into the Cumberland Band of Indians, including John Cochrane First Nation.
The government would amalgamate bands, so they didn’t have to pay as many chiefs, or honour as many treaties.
The promise was that they would eventually be unamalgamated, but they are still waiting. Of the five bands that joined Cumberland, some no longer exist, or some have been relocated.
“The first thing the government has to do is the honorable thing and (un)amalgamate the two bands that are remaining in the Cumberland House region,” said Chief Dorion. “We want to be recognized as treaty Indians as we are supposed to be.”
He says he was excited to learn that Chacachas First Nation is asserting their sovereignty, inherency and treaty rights.
(PHOTO: Map. Photo courtesy of Kaministikominahiko-skak Cree Nation, Facebook.)