Namur River 174A
| Fort McKay First Nation | |
|---|---|
| Country |
 Canada
|
| Province |
 Alberta
|
| Census division | Division No. 16 |
| Hudson's Bay Company post built | 1820 |
| Government | |
| • Type | First Nations Council |
| Population (August 2016) | |
| • Total | 851 |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| Postal code span | T9H 3G4 |
| Area code(s) | 780 |
| Website | - Fort McKay First Nation Official Website |
The Fort McKay First Nation (FMFN) is a First Nations government in northeast Alberta comprising five Indian reserves – Fort McKay 174, Fort McKay 174C, Fort McKay 174D, Namur Lake 174B and Namur River 174A. The FMFN, signed to Treaty 8, is affiliated with the Athabasca Tribal Council and its members are of Cree and Dene heritage. The FMFN's traditional lands include portions of the Athabasca oil sands.
The Cree expanded steadily westward from the Hudson-James Bay country. Although the arrival of the Cree in the Lac la Biche region, is unknown, archaeological evidence in the form of pre-contact pottery indicates that the Cree were in this region in the 1500s.
The traditional land of the Fort McKay First Nation was on the historical voyageur route that linked the rich Athabaskan region to Hudson Bay. David Thompson and George Simpson used the fur-trade route via the Beaver River from the main Methye Portage route that reached the Athabasca River.
The Cree, one of the "largest tribes in Canada" were referred to by the early explorers and fur traders as Kristineaux, Kinisteneaux, Kiliston, Kree, Cris and various other names such as Nahathaway. Cree territory extended west from the Hudson-James Bay region to the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and in Alberta, between the north banks of the north Saskatchewan River to Fort Chipewyan. This includes the Beaver, Athabaska and Peace River basins. It is noted in the department of Indian Affairs Annual Reports that Pee-ay-sis of the Lac La Biche band as far north as Great Slave Lake."
Alexander Mackenzie who travelled from Montreal to the Arctic Ocean via the Methy Portage (see map) provided a detailed account of the Kinisteneaux (Cree) in 1789.
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Wikipedia