Between 1897 and 1973, approximately twenty surveys were completed to define reserve boundaries for the Lac la Ronge Indian Band. Most of the reserves are located near Lac la Ronge, but parcels extend as far as Emma Lake and Prince Albert. Band members descend from the James Roberts Wood Cree Band, who adhered to Treaty 6 on February 11, 1889, at Montreal Lake. They hunted, fished, and trapped around Lac la Ronge, living in camps near the lake and maintaining small gardens. Two distinct communities developed, one near Lac la Ronge and the other at Stanley Mission. In 1910, the Department of Indian Affairs attempted to establish these settlements as two distinct communities, recognizing one as the James Roberts Band (Lac la Ronge), and the other as the Amos Charles Band (Stanley Mission). Separate trust funds and annuity pay lists were established, but the reserve lands were not formally divided. On March 27, 1950, James Roberts and Amos Charles Bands were amalgamated as the Lac la Ronge Band. In 1983 the Kitsaki Management Limited Partnership originated with Kitsaki Meats; its varied and expanding economic development programs represent the diversity of the band. Of the 7,835 band members, 4,680 people live in communities at Grandmother’s Bay, Sucker River, Little Red River, La Ronge, Stanley Mission, and Kitsaki. In total, this band controls 43,302 ha of land.
Christian Thompson