Clearwater River Dene Nation

Clearwater River Dene Nation
Location of CRDN on NASA image of Lac La Loche
Clearwater River Dene Nation Village of Clearwater River in Saskatchewan
Coordinates: 56°31′49″N 109°29′47″W / 56.53028°N 109.49639°W / 56.53028; -109.49639
Country	Canada
Province	Saskatchewan
Government
• Chief	Teddy Clark
• MLA Athabasca	Buckley Belanger
• MP Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River	Rob Clarke
Area
• Total	30.50 km2 (11.78 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	778
• Metro density	25.5/km2 (66/sq mi)
Time zone	Central Standard Time (UTC−6)
Postal code	S0M 3H0
Area code(s)	306
Highways	Hwy 955

The Clearwater River Dene Nation is a Dene First Nations band government in the boreal forest area of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. It maintains offices in the village of Clearwater River situated on the eastern shore of Lac La Loche. The Clearwater River Dene Nation reserve of Clearwater River shares its southern border with the village of La Loche.

Whitefish Lake, now called Garson Lake, was already an old established Dene village of 50 people in 1880. On August 4, 1899 the residents were gathered in Fort McMurray and selected Adam Boucher as headman to represent them in the signing of Treaty 8.

The descendants of this group from Garson Lake became known as the Portage La Loche Band. At the La Loche Mission in 1907 these families asked that treaty payments be made to them at La Loche or Buffalo River so they wouldn't have to travel all the way to Fort McMurray. On July 17, 1911 they received their treaty payments at Portage La Loche (West La Loche). In 1920 the Portage La Loche Band (now known as the Clearwater River Dene Nation) had 66 members.

In 1970 three parcels of land were transferred to the Portage La Loche Band (IR 221, IR 222, IR 223). For a time the "La Loche Landing" (IR 223) was being developed as a village and in 1974 it had 70 residents, however most of the band members chose to live in the village of La Loche. The band had about 280 members living in La Loche and the La Loche Landing in 1975.

In 1979 the parcel at Palmbere Lake/Linval Lake (IR 222) area was traded for land bordering La Loche to the north. This area also referred to as IR 222 is now home to the village of Clearwater River. The third parcel (IR 221) is on the south west shore of Lac La Loche. It had a few houses in the 1970s. In 1820 the trading posts of the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company were located on the lake in that area.