Birdtail Sioux First Nation
Encyclopedia
Birdtail Sioux First Nation are a Dakota, Sioux
First Nation located approximately 50 km north of Virden, Manitoba
. The first nation has a population of approximately 643 people on approximately 7128 acres (28.8 km²) of land. It is bordered by the Rural Municipality of Miniota
and the Rural Municipality of Archie
. The main settlement of Birdtail Sioux is located at 50°16′N 101°09′W.
The First Nation has a kindergarten to Grade12 school (Chan Kagha Otina Dakota Wayawa Tipi School –Frontier school Division), an Adult Learning Centre (Birdtail Sioux Adult Learning Centre – Frontier School Division), a police detachment (Dakota Sioux Tribal Police) and a health centre.
and corporate partnerships has put it into conflict with the rest of the Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council
(DOTC). Birdtail Sioux went into agreement with companies like Enbridge
and Canadian National Railway
to help build reserve projects such as the construction of a new health centre, a shopping centre, and a 62 home renovation project. The DOTC's members are concerned that the Birdtail Sioux's attempts for "short term gains" will hurt the rest of the tribal council's land claims going back to 1870. The DOTC goes on to argue that the Birdtail's short-term gains cannot last as corporations will not make long lasting contributions to the First Nation.
The original Canadian land claim alleges that the Dakota are American
refugees and as such their aboriginal rights, land compensation, funding and recognition as Canadian aboriginal people under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Canadian government alleges that the Dakota live in Manitoba
on the good graces of the crown. The Dakota intend to use maps and papers that predate confederation in Canada to negotiate a modern treaty. The rest of the Dakota are challenging this where the Birdtail are not.
Birdtail chief Ken Chalmers says of the issue that ""The only way I can get things like the renovations going ... I can only get it by partnering, not fighting," he said. Chief Frank Brown of the Canupawakpa Dakota Nation replied that "Divide and conquer is a game Indian Affairs plays all of the time...When you challenge Canada in court or when you challenge your rights, they take one of your people and give them money to convince them otherwise. The job creation is a good thing, but it's not fixing nothing, it's just a little Band-Aid, whereas we're working for the future of our people."
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
First Nation located approximately 50 km north of Virden, Manitoba
Virden, Manitoba
Virden, Manitoba is a town in southwestern Manitoba. Oil was first discovered in 1951, and Virden has since come to be known as the "Oil Capital of Manitoba"....
. The first nation has a population of approximately 643 people on approximately 7128 acres (28.8 km²) of land. It is bordered by the Rural Municipality of Miniota
Miniota, Manitoba
Miniota is a rural municipality in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada. It is on the Assiniboine River and encompasses the communities of Arrow River, Beulah, Crandall, Isabella and Miniota. The school goes up to grade eight, there is a motel, and the biggest employer is the local co-op....
and the Rural Municipality of Archie
Archie, Manitoba
Archie is a rural municipality in the Province of Manitoba which lies northwest of Virden.Archie was named in 1883 after Archie McDonald, a chief factor with the Hudsons Bay Company at Fort Ellice. Its economic base is primarily agriculture and the geography includes the Assiniboine River and...
. The main settlement of Birdtail Sioux is located at 50°16′N 101°09′W.
The First Nation has a kindergarten to Grade12 school (Chan Kagha Otina Dakota Wayawa Tipi School –Frontier school Division), an Adult Learning Centre (Birdtail Sioux Adult Learning Centre – Frontier School Division), a police detachment (Dakota Sioux Tribal Police) and a health centre.
Conflict with the Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council
Birdtail Sioux's partnership with the Federal government of CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and corporate partnerships has put it into conflict with the rest of the Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council
Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council
The Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council is an organization of First Nations communities in Manitoba, Canada. Its mission statement indicates that the council's purpose is to "facilitate in the transfer of local control and responsibility of programs and services to member bands".-History:DOTC was...
(DOTC). Birdtail Sioux went into agreement with companies like Enbridge
Enbridge
Enbridge Inc. is a Calgary, Alberta based company focused on three core businesses: crude oil and liquids pipelines, natural gas transportation and distribution, and green energy. The company has approximately 6,000 employees, mostly in Canada and the United States...
and Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
to help build reserve projects such as the construction of a new health centre, a shopping centre, and a 62 home renovation project. The DOTC's members are concerned that the Birdtail Sioux's attempts for "short term gains" will hurt the rest of the tribal council's land claims going back to 1870. The DOTC goes on to argue that the Birdtail's short-term gains cannot last as corporations will not make long lasting contributions to the First Nation.
The original Canadian land claim alleges that the Dakota are American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
refugees and as such their aboriginal rights, land compensation, funding and recognition as Canadian aboriginal people under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Canadian government alleges that the Dakota live in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
on the good graces of the crown. The Dakota intend to use maps and papers that predate confederation in Canada to negotiate a modern treaty. The rest of the Dakota are challenging this where the Birdtail are not.
Birdtail chief Ken Chalmers says of the issue that ""The only way I can get things like the renovations going ... I can only get it by partnering, not fighting," he said. Chief Frank Brown of the Canupawakpa Dakota Nation replied that "Divide and conquer is a game Indian Affairs plays all of the time...When you challenge Canada in court or when you challenge your rights, they take one of your people and give them money to convince them otherwise. The job creation is a good thing, but it's not fixing nothing, it's just a little Band-Aid, whereas we're working for the future of our people."