Indigenous Alberta

“I’m trying to figure out what to do now and what my next step is with the girls,” Simeon said. “They need a place to call home— That’s my main focus.”

Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage said the program served a number of purposes, including creating much needed work in the hard-hit oil field sector and restoring the land.

The management zone is about 65 kilometres northwest of Fort McMurray and covers a 10-kilometre radius around Gardiner Lake (also known as Moose Lake) and Namur Lake (also known as Buffalo Lake).

Former commissioner of the MMIWG national inquiry, Michele Audette, believes that an Indigenous person in the position would be able to tell the real history of Canada and its Indigenous people.

Talks about preserving Moose Lake and creating a buffer zone began in 2001.

The province established the Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland in 2019 and covers more than 160,000 hectares.

The Moose Lake Access Management Plan (AMP), released on Tuesday, prohibits major infrastructure development within that buffer zone.

While the majority of WHL clubs are still awaiting word on when their season might begin, Alberta Health and provincial officials have given approval for the WHL’s five Alberta-based squads to commence an abbreviated 24-game regular season schedule to start Feb. 26.

In practice, this means that the Papaschase Nation isn’t an officially recognized band, despite having an elected council since 1999.

Community members have used the land as a place for hunting, fishing and trapping activities protected by treaty.