| Land[1] | |
|---|---|
| Reserve(s) |
|
| Land area | 304.195 km2 |
| Population (2019)[1] | |
| On reserve | 6691 |
| Off reserve | 4315 |
| Total population | 11006 |
| Government[1] | |
| Chief | Jason Whiskeyjack |
| Website | |
| [1] | |
Saddle Lake Cree Nation (Cree: ᐅᓂᐦᒋᑭᐢᑿᐱᐏᓂᕽ, onihcikiskwapiwinihk) is a Plains Cree, First Nations community, located in the Amiskwacīwiyiniwak ("Beaver Hills") region of central Alberta, Canada. The Nation is a signatory to Treaty 6, and their traditional language is Plains Cree.
Saddle Lake's governing structure is unusual in that it has two separate councils and chiefs governing their two reserves, Saddle Lake Cree Nation (proper) and the Whitefish Lake First Nation (often called "Whitefish (Goodfish) Lake First Nation" to distinguish it from a similarly named group in Manitoba). For the purposes of the Indian Act, however, Saddle Lake and Whitefish have a single shared band government, and the two reserves are considered to be one Nation.
In June 2013, the Nation reported a population of 9,934 people, of which 6,148 people lived on their own Reserve. Their reported population size makes Saddle Lake the second most populous First Nation in Alberta (after the Kainai Nation also known as the Blood people).[2] Of these 2,378 were members of the Whitefish Lake First Nation, with 1,778 of those living on-reserve,[3] and remainder are members of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation proper.