Brandi Morin
APTN National News
Members of the Clearwater First Nation held a healing ceremony a year after a massive wildfire burned through their community.
That fire destroyed a large swath of Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Thousands of people had to flee for their lives and were away from home for weeks, sometimes months.
Most of the residents who left are now back.
But not those who call the Clearwater First Nation home.
I find it disrespectful that APTN goes to a reserve that belongs to fort mcmurray first nation and films a non existent first nation saying that the reserve belongs to them and thier self appointed chief.(actually they did have an election with 9 voters) aptn needs to check thier facts
Actualy the Clearwater IR 175 was surveyed in 1921 according to the Privy Council of 1921 for the people of Paul Cree (spokeperson at the time) and others, Paul Cree is a direct descendant of one of the Grand Chief that signed treaty #8 (Seepotakinum) and the Fort Mc Murray #468 First Nation had there reserve the Gregoire lake 176, 176A &176 B surveyed shortly after and also in 1921, but for the people living on the Clearwater IR 175 there reserve was never fully developed few cabins was built and some materials were provided for the built by Indian Affairs, it needed an all season road and bridges in order to get proper access in and out and for the children to get access to school the reserve 175 is located 35 km N/E of the City of Fort McMurray at the confluence of the Clearwater and Christina River according to the specific claim of 1995 and the historical research done for the Specific claim the reserve was lump in one with the Gregoire lake 176 and according to some historical corespondence with the Athabasca Indian agent and the surveyor in around 1940’s the surveyor had asked why the Cleawater reserve 175 wasnt held separately and the Indian agents reply that it was surveyed seperatly and why is was never kept that way is a mystery all the historical documents show a separate reserve up to the 1940’s and in 1970 most of the Cleawater people were squatting along the Cleawater river just on outskirt 7km from the town of Fort McMurray known has Waterways during spring of 1970 in was a concern for the Town that Native people of the Clearwater was living there cause due to frequent flooding specialy in the big flood of 1970 the town council made pressure on Indian Affairs to do something about the people of the Cleawater 175 for there safety and health concern at that time there were a few families with young children Indian Affairs representants negotiated with the Gregoire lake 176 council to temporary house them if they provide extra housing fund for them after that the Cleawater 175 was never developed and people have been building cabin living some there but the goverment never fufilled there duties toward the Clearwater 175 today there is a specific claim that was submited in 1995 for review to INAC and that after marching in september 1994 from Fort McMurray to Edmonton in protest. The people of the cleawater have struggled and fight for many years for the development of there reserve and has of today there is only an off road trail to get access to the reserve. APTN can research the specific claim that was submited in 1995 and if im not mistaken there is also a court case in waiting to be heard the Fort McMurray #468 First Nation Chief Ron Sr Kreutzer did gave a Band Coucil Resolution in support of the Cleawater #175 recognizing it seperate entities from the Gregoire lake 176, 176A, 176B. to Chief Bernadette Dumais of the Clearwater First Nation.