Little Black Bear's Band Bio


During the early 1800s, members of this Cree-Assiniboine Band were nomadic, hunting and camping within in the Cypress Hills area. Cree Chief Kees kee hew mus-coo muskwa (Little Black Bear) signed Treaty 4 on September 15, 1874. His Band settled on the reserve surveyed for them in the File Hills (4 km south and 4 km west of Goodeve) in 1880. Like most Treaty Bands in the province, members of Little Black Bear began farming once settled on reserve, progressing at the rate that technology, climatic conditions, and government policy allowed.

The Band Government consists of a Chief and 4 Headpersons, an advisory group of 17 Elder Family Representatives and a fifteen member civil service. Community infrastructure includes a Band Office, Child Care Center, ball diamonds, a small swimming pool and a cultural area. Currently there are a total of 452 band members, 158 of whom live on their 17,006-acre reserve.

The Band owns urban reserve land in Balcarres and Fort Qu’Appelle. The Band’s development corporation, Wakayos Holdings, occupies offices on reserve land in Balcarres. Land in Ft. Qu’Appelle remains open for future development.

A Specific Claim Settlement Agreement was signed on April 9, 1996 settling a claim for illegal land sales pursuant to a surrender in 1928. Compensation totaled $5,682,028. Under the terms of the Agreement, the Band could purchase a maximum of 12,462 acres to be returned to reserve status within 12 years. That window of opportunity closed on April 9, 2008.

The Band, through Wakayos Holdings, was able to purchase 9,250 acres of agricultural land, 2 acres of institutional land and 5 acres of commercial land.  Perhaps as important as the land itself was the recognition that, in order to make highest and best use of the proceeds of the claim settlement, the Band had to embark on a strategic planning and organizational development process.

The Chief & Council, the Economic Development Committee, Trustees for the 1996 Specific Claim Settlement, Wakayos Holdings and the Elder Family Representatives met to address economic development issues. They developed a shared vision and an assessment of community capacity, and then proceeded to develop broad-based goals and objectives, including sector by-sector strategies and plans.

The vision statement set out by the planning group has been adopted by the Band as the vision for the community.

Vision of the Future

“Little Black Bear’s Band is a community that is respectful, healthy, wealthy and content. We are united and strong.  We prosper spiritually, economically, physically, and culturally through the values of caring and sharing”

The Band and Wakayos Holdings have moved on substantive developmental projects supported by the governance and planning initiatives.

1. The Comprehensive Community Planning Process
In September of 2007, The Band entered into a comprehensive community planning process with the assistance of The Canadian Indigenous Resource Council based in Winnipeg, MB. The planning process has taken place over a period of 18 months and has incorporated all aspects of community life in the final plan.

The primary benefit of the comprehensive community planning process is to make more effective use of human and natural resources through a planned development process that meets the needs of the on and off-reserve membership.

It will have a major positive impact on how programs and services are delivered to membership in a coordinated and accountable manner; with the overall intent of ensuring that membership receive opportunities and assistance in skill and knowledge development leading to increased employability.

Economic development will be enhanced through land use planning and land use policy development in both rural and urban reserves.  Education, health, social, recreation and housing programs will be supported through this process. More effective use of available resources will enhance the number of people employed.

2. LBB Gas Bar and Confectionary
This business was established in 2007 on urban reserve lands in Fort Qu'Appelle. The Manager and Assistant Manager are from Little Black Bear and it employs 8 other Band members on a full and part-time basis. Net revenue for 2009 is projected to be $150,000.

3. The File Hills Employment Center
This project has accessed over $125,000 in funding and will develop the capacity the Band to participate effectively in the regional and provincial employment sector by carrying out the following:
  • HR survey and the development of a database for Band members,
  • the development of partnerships with the public and private sector to identify employment and training opportunities,
  • the development of the capacity to become the premier employment referral office for Band members and other in the Balcarres area,
  • a center for pre-employment training programs, employee assistance programs and career counseling services for adult and school age students.

4. The LBB Mall at Fort Qu’Appelle
A feasibility study has been completed into the development of a mall on the urban reserve land in Fort Qu'Appelle. Potential tenants are being contacted and financing is under consideration. The target for breaking ground is the spring of 2010.

5. The Hotel
An 8 year old business plan is being updated to reflect the new capacity of the Band and Wakayos to engage in larger projects. It is anticipated that construction will begin in 2009/2010.

6. One Earth Farms, Inc.
Wakayos currently realizes $120,000 from land leases. We are currently in negotiation with a major corporation to maximize revenue from development of our land for beef and grain production, provide training for our people in the agricultural sector and develop an equity position in One Earth, Inc.

7. Blue Sky Berries
The Band has turned over the responsibility to Wakayos for the management of Blue Sky Berries, a 7000 tree saskatoon berry orchard. The orchard has entered into a partnership with Prairie Berries from Keeler, Saskatchewan, to use a mechanical harvester, clean and freeze the berries and market them.  Blue Sky will be planting 700 more trees this fall and working with Saskatchewan Agriculture in developing a processing and marketing strategy.

8. The Wakayos Administration Center (2008)
Wakayos has purchased a building in Balcarres that has been declared surplus by the school division and has transformed it into an administration and training center that houses Wakayos Holdings, The Treaty 4 Governance Institute and the LBB Literacy Program, as well as having space to host Leadership Orientation Programs, First Nations University of Canada Governance Modules and other training sessions.

9. Black Bear Furniture
Planning meetings are underway for the development of an office, residential and institutional office supply company. Wakayos will enter into a Limited Partnership with First Nations Business Equipment and will utilize a distribution company out of Saskatoon that has direct links with a company in Vancouver that imports furniture directly from Chinese factories. The target for start-up is September of 2009.

10. The Area Meetings and Cluster Development
Wakayos has met with other First Nations in the File Hills Agency (5 First Nations) in the spirit of Cluster Development. We have developed Terms of Reference for a Task Force composed of representatives from those First Nations to look at integrated planning and areas of potential cooperative efforts.

The Governance Environment

The Band realized that, in order for appropriate and sustained community development to occur, there had to be significant improvement in the governance capacity at all levels in the community. For us, this meant the development of community-based law and the policies and governance structure to implement those laws. The Band adopted the following guidelines for sound governance:
  • The Band government is answerable to the citizens for good governance in the use of Band assets to meet the needs of the citizens according to a plan and within an effective legal and policy framework
  • The citizens are accountable to the Band government in that they must understand and participate in the Band governance process by becoming informed of and respecting the legal and policy framework within which the Band government operates.
  • Citizens hold leadership accountable by asking questions as is their right and responsibility.
  • Leaders, in the role as trustees, welcome the participation of citizens and readily make themselves accountable for their actions.
  • Accountability will support the Band in meeting its needs and objectives and will help to prevent the abuse of power by those who hold positions of trust and authority.

The Band now has its own Constitution, Administration of Government Act, Custom Election Code, Citizen and Immigration Act, Economic Development Act, Sports/Culture and Recreation Act, Housing Act and Education Act.

The Band and Wakayos have taken a careful, measured and strategic approach to community and economic development that will be effective and sustainable.  The Band and Wakayos are committed to sound governance in order to make highest and best use of the resources at their disposal.

The Band and Wakayos believe in the principle of citizen engagement, as evidenced through the annual Band Legislative Assembly and the fact that the corporate members of Wakayos are the 16 Elder Family Representatives who represent all citizens of the Band.

The system of Limited Partnerships protects the Band leaders and programs from liability while maintaining the tax benefits under the Indian Act. The LBB Development Corporation is new for the Band and focuses on community and economic development that is driven by sound governance, not political expediency.

This is a small, rural Band that does not have the benefits of location and/or resource bases of Oosoyoos, Lac La Ronge or Membertou. Yet, they are determined to be successful.

The Band and Wakayos are willing to share anything that they have done from an organizational and developmental perspective.  Both Wakayos and the Band continue to seek partners and speak to those who are of the same developmental mindset.

Two members of Wakayos have received Certificate of Participation and Completion from the Council on Environmental Indigenous Resources from Winnipeg on completing the training and application of the Comprehensive Community Development Process.  The Band and Wakayos have received the Community Development Award from the Saskatchewan Economic Development Association for 2008. 

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