{{Short description|Plains Cree in Saskatchewan Canada}} {{Infobox First Nation | band_name = Red Pheasant Cree Nation | band_number = 346 | endonym = {{noitalic|{{native name|cr-Cans|ᒥᑭᓯᐘᒌᕽ}}<br />{{native name|cr-Latn|mikisiwacîhk}}}} | image = Red Pheasant Cree Nation logo.png | caption = | map = | map_caption = | people = Cree | treaty = Treaty 6 | headquarters = Cando | province = Saskatchewan | main_reserve = Red Pheasant 108<ref name=reserve>{{FNINAC|FNReserves|346|Red Pheasant Cree|19 July 2021}}</ref> | reserve = | area = 253.084<ref name=reserve/> | pop_year = 2021<ref name=population>{{FNINAC|FNRegPopulation|346|Red Pheasant Cree|19 July 2021}}</ref> | on_reserve = 820 | on_other_land = 1 | off_reserve = 1,715 | total_pop = 2,536 | chief = Cody Benson<ref>{{FNINAC|FNGovernance|346|Red Pheasant Cree|2 February 2023}}</ref> | council = *Lux Benson *Jason Chakita *Mandy Cuthand *Dana Falcon *Henry Garidpy *Samuel Wuttunee *Shawn Wuttunee | tribal_council = Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs<ref>{{FNINAC|TCMain|4451|Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs|19 July 2021}}</ref> | website = [https://www.facebook.com/redpheasantcreenation/ facebook.com/redpheasantcreenation] | footnotes = }}

The '''Red Pheasant Cree Nation'''<ref>{{FNINAC|FNMain|346|Red Pheasant Cree|19 July 2021}}</ref> ({{langx|cr|ᒥᑭᓯᐘᒌᕽ, mikisiwacîhk}}) is a Plains Cree First Nations band government in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The band's sole reserve, Red Pheasant 108, is {{convert|33|km|abbr=on}} south of North Battleford.<ref name=reserve/>

== History == Chief Wuttunee's people were living along the Battle River when the Numbered Treaties were being negotiated. Wuttunee did not want to sign Treaty 6 but appointed his brother Red Pheasant to sign in his place, and the Department of Indian Affairs henceforth referred to them as the Red Pheasant Band.

In 1878, they settled on a reserve in the Eagle Hills. A day school and an Anglican church were opened there within a decade.

In 2019, Chief Wuttunee secured the return of the original treaty medal which had been stolen in 1890 off the body of a deceased Chief.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5460994/red-pheasant-cree-nation-treaty-medal/|title = Historic moment for Red Pheasant Cree Nation as medal returned 134 years later &#124; Globalnews.ca}}</ref>

In 2020, Chief Clinton Wuttunee was re-elected to the position of Chief. However, his election and that of one other band councillor were annulled amid substantiated allegations of electoral fraud, including vote buying.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/red-pheasant-cree-nation-likely-to-appeal-court-decision-impacting-2020-election-1.6408333|title = Red Pheasant Cree Nation leadership considering appeal after federal judge annuls 2020 band election &#124; CBC.ca}}</ref> This decision was appealed to the Federal Court of Appeal by Chief Wuttunee and the other band councillor on the basis that any vote buying conducted by them had not been decisive in the election. The appellate court affirmed the annulment of the election, noting the lower court's finding that "Chief Wuttunee and Councillor Nicotine had occupied leadership positions within the RPFN, and that, as such, they were supposed to lead by example. Instead of acting as “bulwarks of First Nation democracy”, however, they endeavoured to corrupt the democratic process."

== Demographics == The band has 2,536 registered members, 821 of whom live on the reserve or other band lands and 1,715 live off reserve.<ref name=population/>

==Notable people== * Alex Decoteau, Olympian; first Aboriginal police officer in Canada * Don Francks (Iron Buffalo), actor, vocalist and jazz musician * Gerald McMaster, artist, author, and curator * Robert-Falcon Ouellette, university professor, soldier, federal politician and first Chair of the All Party Indigenous Parliamentarian Caucus in Ottawa. * Poundmaker (Pîhtokahanapiwiyin), Plains Cree chief known for his role in the North-West Rebellion * Cree Summer, American actress raised on the Red Pheasant reserve * Michelle Good, author, winner of the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction in 2020 for ''Five Little Indians'' * Allen Sapp, Plains Cree Artist, OC, SOM, Grand Nephew of Chief Poundmaker, Grandson of Flying Eagle * Colten Boushie, Youth killed by local farmer, Gerald Stanley, after being confronted during attempted robbery. Gerald Stanley's Not guilty verdict sparked outrage on the reserve and changes to justice system.

== References == {{Reflist}} * Thompson, Christian. [http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/red_pheasant_first_nation.html ''Red Pheasant First Nation''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212013630/http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/red_pheasant_first_nation.html |date=2012-02-12 }}. Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. 2006.

{{Numbertreaty|treaty=6}} {{First Nations in Saskatchewan}} {{Authority control}}

Category:Cree governments Category:First Nations governments in Saskatchewan Category:Red Pheasant Cree Nation

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