GeoCities Account
 http://www.geocities.com/buntep2002/
pw brandon
https://www.angelfire.com/trek/puknet
usual
alias: netpuk

---

 http://shareware.lycos.com/tucows/adnload/194455_74549.shtml
 Arachnophilia
Freeware big

---

 http://shareware.lycos.com/tucows/adnload/194521_74616.shtml

CoffeeCup Free HTML

---

Sign up to Angelfire
Then under Tool Centre go to
More Tools then
Downloadable tools
Then Advanced editors for Arachnophilia
Beginner Editors for Coffe Cup

---

ONLINE MAGAZINE
Editing ~ Layout and design ~ Art ~ Research ~ Reporting

It is important that students develop the tools to deal effectively with the opportunities and challenges which they   encounter, both now, as young people, and in the future as adults. Our society is characterised by rapid technological development, ... Changes in the nature of work, the growing interdependence of world communities, global environmental issues and social, political and economic conditions will continue to pose challenges and offer
opportunities throughout the twenty-first century.

---

SCRIPT: Newcomers and Natives

---

https://www.angelfire.com/ak/canadianhistory/document.html
PHOTOS OF FAMOUS CANADIANS

WEBSPAWNER SIMPLE WEB PAGE CREATOR
http://www.webspawner.com/

WPC HOMEPAGE EDITOR
http://home.naxs.com/sparker/

http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/8009/

MAC WEB PAGE EDITOR DOWNLOADS
http://download.cnet.com/downloads/0,10151,0-10235-106-0-1-0,00.html?tag=dir
http://download.cnet.com/downloads/0-10005.html?tag=st.dl.10092.subnav.10005

---

http://collection.nlc-bnc.ca/100/201/300/first_perspective/2001/01-22/drum2.html
Young hero saves life in Pukatawagan house fire

         By Melissa Cooper
         The Drum

         Mathias Colomb (Pukatawagan) First Nation was nearly hit by tragedy last month, but thanks
         to the heroism of one young individual, a small child was saved from a fiery death.

         "I just consider myself to have been in the right place at the right time," said 17 year-old hero
         Roderick Colomb, who has training in advanced community safety programs. "The cool thing
         about it was escaping death."

         The incident occurred while Colomb was asleep in a reserve home.

         The teenager was awakened by the sound of his cousin’s seven-year-old son, Bradley, crying.
         Colomb quickly removed his jacket from his face to see what was the matter, but he instead
         found the house full of thick black smoke and was startled to find that he couldn’t breathe.

         Remembering the procedures in his training, Colomb remained calm and started crawling
         towards the door in search of the crying boy.

         "I was pretty shocked—it just happened so fast. I woke up to Bradley crying and I got up
         from the couch right away, but I couldn’t see anything and I got kind of freaked out," said
         Colomb. "I knew I couldn’t give up and just went and looked for him. I was just feeling around
         while I was crawling and finally got a hold of his leg and dragged him with me."

         He found the boy near the stairwell and kept the child low through the smoke, which he says
         was about a foot off the floor. He says all he saw was a dim light glaring through the thick
         smoke and made his way to a kitchen window. Once there he quickly opened it and lowered
         the boy as far as his arms could stretch to the ground, let go and then jumped out himself.

         There weren’t any operational smoke detectors to alarm those sleeping inside during the fire,
         but all four occupants of the house made it out safe—thanks to Colomb.

         Local members of the community fire department were able to put out the fire shortly
         afterwards, but were unable to find the exact cause of the fire. The community’s fire safety
         officer, Leonard Daniels, speculates that an electrical problem started the fire somewhere in
         the basement of the home, which was owned by John Bighetty.

         "We did some water spraying and that water ended up freezing, so we were unable to do a
         proper investigation," Daniels said. "We won’t be able to identify the cause of the fire until the
         spring time, but I assume that it was accidental."

         The house will not be rebuilt, Daniels said, because the fire damage is too great.

         However, Bighetty will be fortunate enough to get a new residence sometime in 2001; for now
         he’s staying at a temporary residence in Pukatawagan.

         Daniels said Colomb’s actions ultimately helped to kick-off the community’s fire safety
         program, stirring up public interest in the process.

         "We’ve had numerous calls after what happened," said Daniels, a 12-year firefighting veteran
         and former fire safety officer for the Keewatin Tribal Council in Thompson. "The fire safety
         program that Roderick had been through trained him in all aspects of home safety—to
         recognize any dangers in the home and also how to respond to a fire.

         "He did a great job—I really do appreciate that young fellow’s act of bravery."

         Every now and then Colomb has helped the local community firefighters out at their post.

         "Whenever he’s around he gives us a hand and we give him directions," said Daniels. "He’s
         very surprised about peoples response to this because we’ve been getting all kinds of letters
         and calls from all sorts of associations thanking him for his act of bravery."

         The Fire Commissioner’s Office in Brandon will be honouring Colomb, along with the Manitoba
         Fire Chiefs, who will be presenting him with a plaque; the Heroism Fund Organization in
         Minneapolis, Minnesota has also called to congratulate him.

         Ultimately, Colomb said he will take pride in the life he has saved.

---

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/1996/DB96-14.HTM
Decision

        Ottawa, 16 January 1996
        Decision CRTC 96-14
        Missinnippi River Native Communications Inc.
        Pukatawagan, Manitoba - 951989300
        New native radio programming undertaking
        Following a Public Hearing in the National Capital Region held on 7 November 1995, the Commission approves the
        application for a broadcasting licence for an English-and Native-language FM radio programming undertaking at
        Pukatawagan, on the frequency
        98.3 MHz, channel 252LP, with an effective radiated power of 34.8 watts.
        Consistent with Public Notice CRTC 1990-89 dated 20 September 1990 entitled "Native Broadcasting Policy" and
        subject to the requirements of this decision, the Commission will issue a licence for a Type A FM native radio
        undertaking. This licence will expire on 31 August 1999, and will be subject to the conditions specified in the licence to
        be issued.
        The licence term granted herein, while less than the maximum of seven years permitted under the Broadcasting Act,
        will enable the Commission to consider the renewal of this licence in accordance with the Commission's regional plan
        for native radio undertakings across Canada and to better distribute the workload within the Commission.
        The Commission notes that the applicant will broadcast 77 hours per week of local programming, of which 25 hours will
        be in native languages and 59 hours in English.
        The applicant is reminded of the requirements for Canadian musical selections set out in the Radio Regulations, 1986.
        The applicant is a not-for-profit organization incorporated under the Manitoba Corporations Act. Noting that this
        not-for-profit corporation will be supported in part by government loans or grants, the Commission reminds the applicant
        that it must retain full control over all management and programming decisions at all times.
        The Department of Industry has advised that the undertaking will operate at an effective radiated power of 34.8 watts
        rather than 50 watts as indicated in CRTC Notice of Public Hearing 1995-13 dated 8 September 1995.
        This authority will only be effective and the licence will only be issued at such time as construction of the undertaking
        is completed and it is prepared to commence operation. If the construction is not completed within twelve months of
        the date of this decision or, where the applicant applies to the Commission within this period and satisfies the
        Commission that it cannot complete construction and commence operation before the expiry of this period and that an
        extension of time is in the public interest, within such further period of time as is approved in writing by the
        Commission, the licence will not be issued. The applicant is required to advise the Commission (before the expiry of
        the twelve-month period or any extension thereof) in writing, once it has completed construction and is prepared to
        commence operation.
        The Department of Industry has advised the Commission that this application is conditionally technically acceptable,
        and that a Broadcasting Certificate will only be issued once it has been determined that the proposed technical
        parameters will not create any unacceptable interference with aeronautical NAV/COM services.
        In accordance with subsection 22(1) of the Broadcasting Act, the Commission will only issue the licence and the
        authority will only be granted at such time as written notification is received from the Department of Industry that its
        technical requirements have been met, and that a Broadcasting Certificate will be issued.
        Allan J. Darling
        Secretary General

                              Mary is a self-taught Cree artist from the Mathias Colomb First
                              Nation, Pukatawagan, Manitoba. She has been creating art
                              since she was seven years old. Mary specializes in beadwork.
                              "Art is important to me. It's part of me, and it's who I am. My
                              art is based on nature. Art is a guidance to discover the inner
                              being of who I am."

 

                        The Churchill River

             Views of the Historic Trails Canoe Club

                       Written by: Marcel de Laforest

             Founding member of the Historic Trails Canoe Club

             To begin, I will give a brief history of
             the HISTORIC TRAILS CANOE CLUB so that
             you will be able to appreciate our
             involvement with northern Saskatchewan
             in general, and the Churchill River in
             particular.

             It was in the winter of 1955-56 that
             four of us young fellows began looking
             at maps of northern Saskatchewan and
             marveled at the amount of water shown.
             We concluded that we just HAD to go and
             see this for ourselves. So we read all
             we could find on the art of canoeing
             and, in the spring of 1956 we bought
             canoes and began practicing what we had
             read. The four of us took short trips in
             1956 and 1957. But, it wasn't until 1961
             that we began canoeing in earnest with a
             six-day trip down the Montreal River to
             La Ronge. In September of 1962 we put
             our canoes into the waters of the
             Churchill River for the first time. We
             have never looked back. In the 30+ years
             since, members of our club have paddled
             on the Churchill in all but three years.
             In all of those years, we have covered
             all of the Churchill River from Ile-a-la
             Crosse, SK, to Pukatawagan, MB. Some
             areas in the section nominated for
             'Heritage' status has been covered as
             many as 20 times. Over the years our
             members have canoed numerous other
             Saskatchewan rivers, rivers flowing into
             and from Alberta, into Manitoba and into
             the Northwest Territories, as well as
             small streams as far south as Moose Jaw
             Creek. Some of our members have also
             canoed rivers in B.C., Alberta,
             Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Yukon, N.W.T.
             and a number of the northern States.

             Our membership, which now stands at
             about 40, consists of people from all
             walks of life. We have had doctors,
             lawyers, accountants, clerks, labourers,
             teachers, engineers, printers, salesmen,
             upholsterers, dentists, carpenters,
             nurses, farmers, computer programmers,
             bus drivers, plumbers and airline
             pilots.

             Some of our older members are now
             retired, but they are still actively
             canoeing. We consider ourselves an elite
             because of our common interest, not
             because of who we are. The wilderness
             canoeing fraternity is essentially
             classless. We stand united in our desire
             to retain as much of our irreplaceable
             wilderness areas in as pristine a
             condition as possible for the enjoyment
             of future generations. We, as a club, do
             not advocate making wilderness areas
             inaccessible. Rather, we want them
             protected from the unbridled
             exploitation, which has destroyed so
             many rivers in other areas of the world.

             The HISTORIC TRAILS CANOE CLUB STRONGLY
             supports the

             Designation of the Churchill River as a
             'Heritage River':

              1.Because of its use by the early
                  "First Nations" residents;
              2.Because of its use as part of the
                  "Voyageurs' Highway" during the
                  later days of the fur trade; and
              3.Because of its present use for
                  recreational purposes.

             The occurrence of numerous pictographs
             along the Churchill River and its
             tributaries give testimony to its
             importance as a main thoroughfare for
             the prehistoric and more recent
             residents of the area. During the mid to
             late 1960s, archaeologist Tim Jones
             traveled along the Churchill River
             making a record of pictographs. In his
             book 'The Aboriginal Rock Paintings of
             the Churchill River' he describes 14
             pictograph sites in the area between
             Pinehouse Lake and Frog Portage. I have
             canoe to, and viewed all of these sites,
             plus quite a number north of the
             Churchill.

             The way the Churchill River traverses
             such a wide section of western Canada
             made it an invaluable transportation
             corridor for all the early residents of
             the area. In very few places in Canada,
             does such a water highway exist. The
             particular nature of the basin of the
             Churchill River, a string of lakes
             connected by relatively short sections
             of actual river, made it an ideal place
             for the early residents to live and
             travel. The river's inlets and outlets,
             as well as the mouths of numerous
             tributaries, were ideal fishing spots.
             The relatively low shorelines offered
             untold opportunities for setting up
             camps, both itinerant and permanent. The
             surrounding marshlands were also ideal
             for hunting the game animals, on which
             the area's peoples relied for food,
             shelter and clothing. Moose, caribou and
             bear abounded in these areas. They
             provided meat for food, hides for tents
             and clothing, and bones for tools and
             weapons.

             Without the experience gained by the
             early residents of this area, it would
             have been impossible for early European
             explorers and traders to enter and
             traverse what is now western Canada. The
             early "First Nations" people provided
             these newcomers with information on how
             to travel in this country, with
             information on how to survive there, and
             with much of the equipment necessary to
             do so. The majority of guides and
             paddlers who brought most of the early
             European 'Voyageurs' and explorers into
             this country were of "First Nations"
             ancestry.

             The historical significance of the
             portion of the Churchill River between
             Frog Portage on the east, and Peter Pond
             Lake on the west is indisputable.

             From the 17th to the 19th centuries,
             explorers and fur traders such as
             Alexander Mackenzie, David Thompson,
             Alexander Henry, John Franklin, Thomas
             Frobisher, George Simpson, Samuel
             Hearne, Philip Turnor, Louis Primeau and
             many, many more, made voyages of
             thousands of kilometres through the
             pristine wilderness of Canada's
             northwest territories. The rivers and
             lakes were their highways, the
             birch-bark canoe their chosen vehicle.
             These hardy pioneers paddled their way
             to fame as Canada's legendary
             'Voyageurs.'

             Thousands of less well-known voyageurs
             guided their canoes through Canada's
             northwestern wilderness exploring, and
             trading for furs. Except for the
             occasional mention in their leaders'
             journals, these mostly nameless workmen
             of the northwest remain mainly unknown
             but for their legendary feats of
             endurance. Here is a short quote from
             Alexander Mackenzie's diaries:

             "When they arrived at Grand Portage,
             which is near nine miles over, each of
             them had to carry eight packages of such
             goods and provisions as are necessary
             for the interior country. This is a
             labor which cattle cannot conveniently
             perform in summer as both horses and
             oxen were tried by the company without
             success."

             Few of these voyageurs exceeded 166 cm.
             (5 1/2 feet) tall, nor weighed over 68
             Kg. (150 pounds), but they regularly
             portaged minimum loads of 82 Kg. (180
             pounds) and paddled 16 or more hours per
             day. Most of them would not have had it
             any other way, as is illustrated by the
             following paragraph from an old journal
             quoted in James H. Baker's 'Lake
             Superior' which is in the Minnesota
             Historical Society Collections:

             "Said one of these men, long past
             seventy years of age: 'I could carry,
             paddle, walk and sing with any man I
             ever saw. I have been twenty four years
             a canoe man, and forty-one years in the
             service; no portage was ever too long
             for me. Fifty songs could I sing. I have
             saved the lives of ten voyageurs. Have
             had twelve wives and six running dogs. I
             spent all my money in pleasure. Were I
             young again, I should spend my life the
             same way over. There is no life so happy
             as a voyageur's life.'"

             Remarkable as were the feats of the
             'Voyageurs', these would have been
             nearly impossible to accomplish without
             the willing assistance and cooperation
             of the area's "First Nation" residents
             and their descendents. Indeed, many of
             the ablest voyageurs were Metis.

             Without the Churchill River, the
             logistics of opening up the Athabasca
             and Mackenzie basins to the fur trade
             would have been horrendous. One has only
             to read David Thompson's account of his
             exploratory voyage up the Reindeer
             River, over the height of land to
             Wollaston Lake and part way down the
             Fond-du-Lac River in 1796-97 to
             appreciate the difficulties of travel
             over the only other potential route into
             the Canadian northwest. In the spring of
             1797 Thompson, accompanied by two native
             guides, left a cabin near the mouth of
             the Swan River on the west shore of
             Reindeer Lake. He went up the Swan and
             Blondeau Rivers, over the height of land
             to Wollaston Lake and started down the
             Fond-du-Lac River. About half way to
             Lake Athabasca, while lining the canoe
             through a bad rapid, his canoe upset and
             he nearly drowned. All the gear and food
             were lost. Thompson and his guides
             nearly starved while retracing their
             route. Members of our club have run this
             rapid a number of times over the years.
             This rapid is now named Thompson Rapid.
             From first hand experience, I can
             personally vouch for the desirability of
             the Churchill/Clearwater route to the
             Athabasca and Mackenzie basins over the
             Reindeer/Fond-du-Lac route. Even taking
             into consideration the 21 kilometre (13
             mile) Methye Portage which connects the
             headwaters of the Churchill River at Lac
             La Loche to the Clearwater valley.

             The same characteristics of the
             Churchill River which made it ideal as a
             home for the "First Nations" peoples
             also made it an ideal thoroughfare for
             opening the Canadian northwest to the
             fur trade. It's make-up of lakes
             separated by short stretches of river
             made it readily canoed both upstream and
             downstream. There were few areas where
             it was necessary to battle against the
             current for extended periods of time.

             None other can challenge the beauty of
             the Churchill River, nor the use made of
             it by recreational canoeists. In the 30+
             years since members of this club have
             been canoeing this great river, we have
             met canoeists from all over the world
             who have raved about our good fortune in
             having such a beautiful and unspoiled
             river so accessible to us. American and
             European paddlers in particular have
             begged us to fight to protect this
             treasure from the unbridled exploitation
             which has destroyed so many rivers in
             their own countries.

             The modern voyageur will find a sense of
             inner peace and contentment amid the
             unpolluted air and waters of one of the
             world's last vast wilderness areas. For
             a few days, or weeks, he/she escapes the
             bustle and roar of modern life for the
             peace and solitude of this rare
             environment.

             Today, you too can retrace and enjoy
             some of the Voyageurs' original routes,
             camping at the same sites, making the
             same portages, and running the same
             rapids as they did hundreds of years
             ago. For those of you who have not
             personally enjoyed the Churchill, and
             for many that have, I will take you on a
             quick jaunt down this majestic river.
             This land of 100,000 lakes provides
             excellent opportunities to see wildlife
             such as bear, beaver, deer, fox, lynx,
             mink, moose, muskrat, otter, wolf and
             many varieties of waterfowl such as
             bitterns, ducks, cormorants, geese,
             gulls, loons, osprey, pelicans, ravens,
             terns plus numerous swallows, thrushes
             and warblers.

             We leave the community of Ile-a-la
             Crosse and travel 65 kilometres (40
             miles) down Lac Ile-a-la-Crosse, a long
             narrow lake with frequent attractive
             sandy beaches. In June of 1821, George
             Simpson in his express 'North Canoe'
             covered this distance in 14 hours
             through what he called 'boisterous
             weather with much rain'.

             Bypassing 14 rapids with interesting
             names like 'Drum, Leaf, Deer, Dipper,
             Crooked and Knee' and crossing 3 small
             lakes brings us to Knee Lake, our next
             large lake. Most canoeists will likely
             run all but 3 of these rapids.

             A major tributary, the Hudjatik (or
             Deer) River enters the Churchill 16
             kilometres (10 miles) below the outlet
             of Lac Ile-a-la Crosse between Leaf and
             Deer rapids.

             At the northeast end of Knee Lake lies
             the small native settlement of Elak
             Dase. The settlement consists of about
             one dozen residences plus a church.

             Another good-sized tributary, the
             Haultain River, enters the Churchill
             River one and one half kilometre
             downstream of Elak Dase.

             On Primeau Lake, between Dipper and
             Crooked Rapids, the small community of
             Primeau Lake is passed. Here there are
             about half a dozen houses and a small
             church.

             From this point to Pinehouse (or Snake)
             Lake the paddler traverses a marsh with
             many channels, two small lakes and
             bypasses 3 rapids which most canoeists
             will run. The Key Take Road (Highway
             914) crosses the Churchill River at the
             start of the first of these rapids.

             There are a number of pictographs on the
             east shore of McDonald Bay of Pinehouse
             (or Snake) Lake.

             The community of Pinehouse Lake is
             situated on the southwest shore of the
             lake about 18 kilometres (12 miles)
             south of our route across the north end
             of this large lake.

             Another largish lake, Sandfly Lake, must
             be crossed prior to encountering two
             rapids and a small waterfall (Needle
             Falls). The two rapids will probably be
             run by expert canoeists only, others
             will portage.

             The canoeist now enters Kinosaskaw Lake,
             a small lake with two notable points.
             The first of these is the pictograph
             site mid-way down its eastside. The
             second is the in-flowing Foster River,
             which enters the lake just before Silent
             Rapids.

             Below Silent Rapids the canoeist enters
             Black Bear Island Lake, a large and very
             complex lake with hundreds of islands.
             Good map reading skills are a must here.
             There are three pictograph sites on
             Black Bear Island Lake. One site is
             situated on a ledge, 10 metres up a
             cliff.

             At the outlet of Black Bear Island Lake
             the two sections of Birch Rapids
             separate this lake from Trout Lake. One
             must be portaged; the other will be run
             by most canoeists.

             At the north end of Trout Lake the Paull
             River enters the Churchill. Three days
             travel up this river, and over a height
             of land, is located one of the largest
             single pictograph sites in Canada. The
             thirty-three pictographs are located in
             the narrows between Hickson and
             Maribelli lakes, on the route to the
             Wathaman River and Reindeer Lake.

             There are two routes from Trout Lake to
             Dead (or Nipew) Lake. The most northerly
             route was the traditional one used by
             the 'Voyageurs'. The shorter most
             southerly route is more exciting and
             challenging.

             There are eight sets of rapids along
             either route between Trout Lake and Dead
             (or Nipew) lake. All but one on the
             northern route and two on the southern
             route have been run by members of our
             club.

             Three sizeable rapids, or falls, occur
             along the main northerly route between
             Dead and Otter Lakes. A more scenic and
             interesting southern route through
             Barker Lake is also possible. Both
             routes contain at least one rapid or
             fall, which must be portaged.

             There is an excellent Government
             campground at the point where one
             portage crosses Highway 102. Here, at
             the mid-paint of Otter Rapids, the
             Highway Bridge crosses the Churchill
             River.

             The small community of Missinipe is
             located on Walker Bay at the southwest
             end of Otter Lake.

             Two waterfalls with a total drop of nine
             metres separate Otter and Mountain
             Lakes. At the southern end of Mountain
             Lake is situated the community of
             Stanley Mission.

             A must on this trip is a stop at Holy
             Trinity Church, which is located on the
             north shore of the lake across from the
             present day community of Stanley
             Mission. In the early days of this
             century, most of the community was
             located on the north shore near the
             church. This church was built over 130
             years ago with lumber rip sawn by hand
             on the site and fitted with stained
             glass windows brought all the way from
             England.

             One run-able rapid and a small lake are
             encountered between Mountain and
             Nistowiak Lakes. The Rapid River, with
             the outflow from Lac La Ronge, enters
             the Churchill from the south midway
             along the south shore of Nistowiak Lake.

             At this point, a side trip to view
             picturesque Nistowiak Falls is well
             worth the time. The one kilometre trail
             to the falls starts at a fishing camp
             located near the in flowing Rapid River.

             Potter Rapids (or Drinking Falls)
             separates Nistowiak and Drinking Lakes.
             This major rapid is not run-able by open
             canoes.

             Two minor tributaries enter the
             Churchill at Drinking Lake: The Drinking
             River from the north and the Whitemoose
             River from the south.

             One waterfall separates Drinking and Keg
             Lakes. This must be portaged.

             One waterfall and two rapids separate
             Keg and Trade Lakes. One of the rapids
             is relatively easy to run while the
             other (Grand Rapid) is quite difficult.
             Experts may run this rapid, but others
             should definitely portage.

             After passing into the narrows at the
             east-end of Trade Lake, canoeists come
             to Frog Portage at which point the fur
             trade route leaves the Churchill River
             system. Frog Portage crosses the height
             of land between the Churchill and
             Saskatchewan River systems.

             The fur trade route now goes down the
             Sturgeon-Weir (Maligne) River to
             Cumberland House on the Saskatchewan
             River.

                                  Community Development Society

                            Conference Proceedings

                Community Building: Weaving the Fabric of Resilient Community

                           Spokane, Washington, U.S.A., July 25 to July 28, 1999

                                        http://comm-dev.org/
 
 

                             ATTIIK ASKII (Land of the Caribou)

                                         Brad Stoneman

                                     The Northwest Manitoba

                          Community Futures Development Corporation

     Introduction

     Northwest Manitoba is rich in natural resources and is breathtakingly beautiful. Its deep Precambrian
     forests and crystal clear lakes cover an area that amounts to approximately 20% of the geographic
     land mass of the province. It is inhabited by about 1% of its population (7500 - 8500 people).

     Geographically, the region is identified as the northwest domain of Manitoba. Eleven communities, in
     nine specific locations, are clustered in the area. Two of these—Leaf Rapids and Lynn Lake—are
     industrial communities. One—Tadoule Lake—is the end product of government administrative action.
     The other eight are primarily First Nations and Metis settlements. Some are now Federal Reserves,
     some are classified as Northern Affairs communities and one—South Indian Lake—is a municipality,
     currently in the process of applying for Federal Reserve status. Whatever the status of these other
     eight communities, they have existed as tribal settlements since time immemorial.
 
 

     Historical and Economic Development

     Pre-European patterns of indigenous settlement suggest that three First Nations occupied most of
     northern Manitoba when the fur trade was first introduced into the region—the Cree, the Ojibwa and
     the Chipewyan. Of these, the Cree were certainly the most dominant in what is now northwest
     Manitoba. They lived a nomadic, self-sufficient lifestyle based on hunting and food gathering
     activities. When the natural and/or water resources of one area were exhausted, entire—or
     partial—communities uprooted themselves and moved to more promising locations.

     There is evidence to indicate that a healthy trading economy flourished among the various tribal
     settlements in northwest Manitoba prior to the arrival of the fur traders. In fact, upon their arrival in the
     area, these adventurer merchants were delighted to learn there were such well-established avenues
     for barter and exchange. However, to access these existing trading routes was arduous. The journey
     was long and difficult. It was also an expensive way to market their wares. As a result they built inland
     trading posts at some of the tribal settlements. The first were at Brochet/Barren Lands, Pukatawagan,
     Granville Lake and South Indian Lake.

     While the construction of these posts might have seemed like nothing more than a moot maneuver in
     the marketing strategy of the time, they set in motion a trend that has continued to this day. In time
     First Nations people found that they were journeying to the fur traders—not the reverse—and their
     nomadic, tribal settlements were becoming permanent communities. Customary migration, trading
     and settlement patterns were permanently disrupted and control over the social and economic
     development of the area passed to outsiders who now determined the economic and social
     development of the region.

     The fish and fur industry—the traditional source of income for First Nations people—today rises and
     falls in step with market prices and customs established elsewhere. Mining exploration and
     production activities are now driven by external forces, which in turn determines the establishment
     (and/or abandonment) of commerce and industry. Hydroelectric power production activities,
     managed by interprovincial concerns, culminated in the disruption of centuries old fish and fur
     harvesting territories and the relocation of the South Indian Lake community.

     Today the region is economically depressed. In 1989, Lynn Lake suffered a full mine closure,
     resulting in a drastic reduction in population to about 800 people, 75% of whom are unemployed.
     Traditional forms of employment in the fish and fur industry are difficult to maintain. So unemployment
     in the other communities is almost as high as Lynn Lake and can reach a staggering 95% if transfer
     payments and make work projects are ignored. There is only one mine operating to capacity in the
     area, at Ruttan Lake just outside Leaf Rapids, and plans are already underway for a full mine
     closure—perhaps as early as 2003. When this happens, the region will be without a primary
     employer of any kind.

     In addition to increasing levels of unemployment, there has been a systematic destruction of
     traditional lifestyles, cultures and beliefs together with a frightening level of social, racial and health
     problems in the region. With the exception of Leaf Rapids—and, to a lesser extent, Lynn Lake—all
     the communities suffer from a lack of minimal basic services, most of which are taken for granted by
     people living in a developed country.

http://collections.ic.gc.ca/nilhinimuk/pascal.htm

Indian Links
http://www.america-channel.org/indianerlinks.html#p
Pukatawagan
http://www.winnipeg.freenet.mb.ca/iphome/m/mfntc/mathias.html
http://aboriginalcollections.ic.gc.ca/muskeg/