As signatories to Treaty 6, we fight for our people.
Michel First Nation was involuntarily enfranchised in 1958 and most lost their Indian Status. Four members were excluded due to medical status and possible language barriers.
Reserve lands were sold by the Government of Canada, families were scattered, and the connection to land and culture, for many, was severed. Despite these challenges, they continue to fight for recognition, reinstatement, to have access to the land, to keep their people together, and to revitalize and nurture their culture.
 Michel First Nation logo |
Our logo with the sun & feather at the top of the tipi is linked to 'The Sun Traveller' or Louis Caliheue (L'Iroquois), a Mohawk from Kahnawake, who was hired by the Northwest Company in 1800. Louis was a canoeman and later a steersman: the canoes and paddles pay homage to this history. Mountains allude to the Rocky Mountains and our connections to Jasper House where many 'freemen' went after leaving the company.
Louis' son Michel was born in 1823. He later became the first Chief of the Michel band and signed an adhesion to Treaty 6. |