Garden Hill First Nation

Garden Hill is the largest and most populated of 7 reserves of the Garden Hill First Nations. The First Nation community is located in the northeast section of the Canadian province of Manitoba on the shore of Island Lake. Garden Hill had a population of 2,776 in the Canada Census of 2011. The residents of Garden Hill speak Oji-Cree, the traditional First Nations language, and English.

It is only accessible by winter ice roads via St. Theresa Point and by air. Nearby on Island Lake are the communities of Wasagamack of the Wasagamack First Nation, St. Theresa Point of the St. Theresa Point First Nation and the northern settlement of Island Lake.

In the early 1900s, there were no chiefs, but there were leaders called "headmen". They earned their status by establishing a reputation for generosity, service, wisdom, spirituality, courage, diplomacy, dignity, loyalty and personal magnetism. These leaders achieved status by influence, not by possession of wealth, but by the distribution of it. The shared generosity because of beliefs, values, traditions, and customs required by this behaviour. The chief with the longest time in the position was Henry Fiddler, who held the position of Chief for 22 years from 1931-1953.

Garden Hill First Nations was part of the bigger Island Lake First Nation. In 1969, Island Lake First Nation separated into four: Garden Hill First Nations, Red Sucker Lake First Nation, Wasagamack First Nation, and St.Theresa Point First Nation.

The population of Garden Hill was 2,776 in the Canada Census of 2011 an increase of 46.3% from 2006. In 2006 there were 1,898 residents. There were a total of 595 private dwellings. The population density was 33.7 per square kilometres on a land area of 82.48 square kilometres. The median age was 18.9.

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