Lubicon Lake Band

Cree First Nations band government

This article is about the federally recognized band government. For the traditional government, see Lubicon Lake Indian Nation.

Lubicon Lake Band
Band No. 453

People| Cree
Treaty| Treaty 8
Headquarters| Little Buffalo
Province| Alberta
Population (2019)[1]
On reserve| 107
On other land| 232
Off reserve| 376
Total population| 715
Government[1]
Chief| Billy Laboucan
Council|

* Joe Auger
* Brian Laboucan
* Jason Laboucan
* Troy Laboucan
* Timothy Sawan

Tribal Council[1]
Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council
Website
lubiconlakeband.ca

The Lubicon Lake Band is a Cree First Nations band government in northern Alberta, Canada.[1] Missed by government agents during the signing of Treaty 8 in 1899, the Lubicon community was long without federal support. Seeking to have their traditional title acknowledged through the creation of an Indian reserve, Lubicon representatives have maintained an active land claim since 1933. As oil and gas development changed the face of Alberta, development on Lubicon land became an increasingly pressing issue. Between 1979 and 1982, over 400 oil and gas wells were drilled around the community of Little Buffalo, the band's headquarters. Most prominently, the nation mounted a protest campaign during the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, blockading roads crossing its traditional territory in October of the same year.[2]

Because of a disputed election, the band was placed under third-party management from 2008 to 2013. A secret ballot was used for the first time in 2013, resulting in the election of new Chief Billy Joe Laboucan and the restoration of Government of Canada recognition.[3][4][5] In October 2018, Lubicon members approved a settlement with federal and provincial governments in a community vote. The agreement includes $121 million and 246 square kilometers of land near Little Buffalo.[2][6]

## Land agreement

[edit]

> On October 24, 2018, the Lubicon Lake Band reached a land claim agreement with the province of Alberta. Chief Billy Joe Laboucan met with Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and federal Minister of Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennett for the signing. The agreement includes a land allocation of around 246 square kilometres (95 sq mi) of Crown land in the area of Little Buffalo, northern Alberta, to the Lubicon Lake Band, and $95 million in financial compensation from the federal government. The province of Alberta is providing an additional $18 million, which will go toward the construction of a new post-secondary school for 682 residents who have long struggled with poverty and substandard housing. There will also be developments on infrastructure like housing, roads, and utility services.[7][8] This needs updating since the United Conservative Party, under the leadership of Jason Kenney, won the last provincial election[9] and has consistently tried to undermine Indigenous land protectors.[10]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "First Nation Detail". Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
2. ^ a b Clare Clancy (October 24, 2018). "Lubicon Lake Band land claim timeline". Edmonton Journal.
3. ^ Erin Steele (February 20, 2013). "Lubicon Lake Nation elects new chief and council in member-called election, receives federal recognition". Peace River Record-Gazette.
4. ^ Shari Narine (2013). "New Lubicon Chief recognized by federal government". Alberta Sweetgrass.
5. ^ Chief Billy Joe Laboucan (March 20, 2015). "Laboucan: We all have a role to play in reconciliation". Calgary Herald.
6. ^ Clare Clancy (October 24, 2018). "Lubicon Lake Band reaches historic $121-million land claim settlement with Canada, Alberta". Edmonton Journal.
7. ^ "Land claim agreement announced between Lubicon Lake Band and government of Alberta". The Star. October 24, 2018.
8. ^ "Alberta band settles long-standing land claim for $113M and swath of land". CBC. Edmonton. October 24, 2018.
9. ^ "Jason Kenney's UCP wins majority government in Alberta". CTVNews. 2019-04-16. Retrieved 2022-03-14.
10. ^ "Jason Kenney's Anti-Environmentalist Campaign Is Winning". Passage. 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2022-03-14.

* v
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First Nations in Alberta

Cultural areas: Plains, Subarctic

Ethnolinguistic groups (by language family)|

* Algic / Algonquian
* Blackfoot
* Cree
* Plains
* Woodland
* Saulteaux
* Athapascan / Dene
* Daneẕaa
* Dënesųłı̨ne
* Dene Tha'
* Tsuut'ina
* Siouan
* Nakoda

Historical polities|

* Blackfoot Confederacy
* Iron Confederacy

Numbered Treaties|

* Treaty 6 (1876)
* Treaty 7 (1877)
* Treaty 8 (1899)

Tribal councils and
band governments|

| Athabasca Tribal Council (Fort McMurray)|

* Athabasca Chipewyan
* Chipewyan Prairie
* Fort McKay
* Fort McMurray
* Mikisew Cree

|

Blackfoot Confederacy (Standoff)|

* Kainai
* Piikani
* Siksika

Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations (Enoch)|

* Alexander
* Alexis
* Beaver Lake Cree
* Cold Lake
* Enoch Cree
* Ermineskin Cree
* Frog Lake
* Whitefish Lake (Goodfish)
* Heart Lake
* Kehewin Cree
* Louis Bull
* Montana
* O'Chiese
* Paul
* Saddle Lake
* Samson Cree
* Sunchild

Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council (Atikameg)|

* Loon River Cree
* Lubicon Lake Band
* Peerless Trout
* Whitefish Lake (Atikameg)
* Woodland Cree

Lesser Slave Lake Indian Regional Council (Slave Lake)|

* Driftpile
* Kapawe'no
* Sawridge
* Sucker Creek
* Swan River

North Peace Tribal Council (High Level)|

* Beaver
* Dene Tha'
* Little Red River Cree
* Tallcree

Stoney Nakoda - Tsuut'ina Tribal Council (Tsuut'ina)|

* Stoney Nakoda
* Bearspaw
* Chiniki
* Wesley
* Tsuut'ina

Tribal Chiefs Ventures (Beaver Lake Cree)|

* Beaver Lake Cree
* Cold Lake
* Frog Lake
* Heart Lake
* Kehewin Cree

Western Cree Tribal Council (Valleyview)|

* Duncan's
* Horse Lake
* Sturgeon Lake

Yellowhead Tribal Council (Morinville)|

* Alexander
* Alexis
* O'Chiese
* Sunchild

Unaffiliated|

* Bigstone

Not federally recognized|

* Aseniwuche Winewak
* Lubicon Lake Indian Nation

Not headquartered in Alberta|

* Acho Dene Koe (NT)
* Kelly Lake (BC)
* Onion Lake (SK)
* Smith's Landing (NT)

Terminated|

* Papaschase (1891)
* Sharphead (1897)
* Michel (1958)

* List of Indian reserves in Alberta
* Métis in Alberta

* v
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* e

The Numbered Treaties: Treaty Eight

Numbered Treaties|

* Treaty 1
* Treaty 2
* Treaty 3
* Treaty 4
* Treaty 5
* Treaty 6
* Treaty 7
* Treaty 8
* Treaty 9
* Treaty 10
* Treaty 11

Saskatchewan|

* Black Lake Denesuline First Nation
* Clearwater River Dene Nation
* Fond Du Lac Denesuline First Nation

Alberta|

* Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
* Beaver First Nation
* Bigstone Cree Nation
* Chipewyan Prairie First Nation
* Dene Tha' First Nation
* Driftpile First Nation
* Duncan's First Nation
* Fort McKay First Nation
* Fort McMurray First Nation
* Horse Lake First Nation
* Kapawe'no First Nation
* Little Red River Cree Nation
* Loon River First Nation
* Lubicon Lake Band
* Mikisew Cree First Nation
* Sawridge First Nation
* Smith's Landing First Nation
* Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation
* Sucker Creek Cree First Nation
* Swan River First Nation
* Tallcree First Nation
* Whitefish Lake First Nation
* Woodland Cree First Nation

British Columbia|

* Blueberry River First Nation
* Doig River First Nation
* Fort Nelson First Nation
* Halfway River First Nation
* McLeod Lake First Nation
* Prophet River First Nation
* Saulteau First Nation
* West Moberly First Nations

Northwest Territories|

* Deninu Kųę́ First Nation
* K'atlodeeche First Nation
* Łutsël K'é Dene First Nation
* Salt River First Nation
* Yellowknives Dene First Nation

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