Collection C0062 - Lubicon Lake Cree Research collection

The Lubicon Lake Cree band lives 345 km north of Edmonton, Alberta, in the area surrounding the village of Little Buffalo and Lubicon Lake. Although in the Treaty 8 area, the band was neither present nor represented at the negotiations, and did not sign the 1899 treaty. In 1939 the band obtained the right to a reserve. There have been ongoing negotiations, but no settlement of the band's land rights claims. Negotiations have been complicated by several issues: both federal and provincial governments must agree to a settlement, since crown lands were transferred to the province in 1930; the number of band members entitled to land is disputed; and traditional lands have been subjected to oil and gas exploitation and logging since the 1950s. Chief Bernard Ominayak has been very active in pressing his band's rights. Fred Lennarson, a non-native, is the band's main advisor. The latest government offer of $45,000,000 and 247 square kilometres of land was made in 1992. It was rejected by the Lubicon since the question of compensation for the oil, gas and logging that had already occurred was not addressed.