History

The Pasqua First Nation is located approximately 65 kilometers East of Regina, Saskatchewan, located on the South side of Pasqua Lake a few kilometers west of Fort Qu’Appelle.  This location offered timber, agricultural, and hay lands, and in later years its proximity to both the Canadian Pacific Railway mainline and Grand Trunk Pacific Branch lines offered easy access to markets for agricultural produce. Surveyed and settled in 1876, two years after the signing of Treaty Four in 1874.  The bands first Chief, Chief Paskwa was a major negotiator and signatory to Treaty Four. Chief Paskwa died in 1889 and Pasqua First Nation was without a leader for 22 years.  Chief Ben Paskwa the son of Ogima Paskwa demanded to know why they were refused to allow a new Chief to be elected after the death of his father and told Canadian leaders that the Chief's salary must be paid in arrears to the citizens of the Reserve.  It was refused.  It was in June of 1906 when Pasqua First Nation lost 16,077 acres.  The history of the Pasqua First Nation is common to the majority of Indian bands in the province.

In 1876, two years after the signing of Treaty Four settlement of the reserve began. Initially the reserve encompassed and area of 60.2 square miles. According to Government Agent for Treaty Four, Angus McKay, the fact that the reserve bordered on a lake with ample waterfowl and fish stocks, which the Indians subsisted on for much of the summer months, was an advantage.

Nevertheless, the fact that much of the timber was small and in some areas the soil light, in spite of ample hay meadows would make the reserve a rather poor one (Carter: 1993: 63). However, as a result of land surrenders and expropriation by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) there has been a reduction in the land base to an area of approximately 36 square miles. The history of the Pasqua First Nation is common to the majority of Indian bands in the province. Pasqua First Nation has approximately 2,000 band members, approximately 69% of the membership lives off-reserve.