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Meet Manitoba First Nations

As of January 2006, there are 121,405 registered First Nation members in Manitoba, 61.8 per cent or 75,075 members lived on reserve. Manitoba is second only to Ontario in terms of total on-reserve population and in total First Nation population.

According to the 2005 Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence report, 59.8 per cent of First Nation members in Manitoba are under the age of 30.

Manitoba has 63 First Nations, including six of the 20 largest bands in Canada. Twenty-three First Nations are not accessible by an all-weather road. This accounts for more than half of all Manitoba First Nations people who live on reserve.

There are five First Nations linguistic groups in Manitoba: Cree, Ojibway, Dakota, Ojibway-Cree and Dene.

There are seven Treaties with First Nations in the province (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10), though five Manitoba First Nations are not signatory to any Treaty with Canada (Birdtail Sioux, Sioux Valley, Canupawakpa, Dakota Tipi and Dakota Plains.)

First Nations in Manitoba are represented by three active provincial political organizations divided on a north-south basis.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) is the main political organization representing 62 chiefs from across Manitoba.

The Manitoba Keewatinook Ininew Okimowin (MKIO) is an administrative body in Northern Manitoba established to generally maintain, strengthen, enhance, lobby for and defend the interests and rights of 27 northern First Nations, and is affiliated with the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and the AMC.

The Southern Chiefs Organization (SCO) works with 33 southern First Nations, and is also affiliated with the AFN and the AMC.

Manitoba's seven Tribal Councils include Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council, Interlake Reserves Tribal Council, Island Lake Tribal Council, Keewatin Tribal Council, Southeast Resource Development Council, Swampy Cree Tribal Council and the West Region Tribal Council. Eight Manitoba First Nations are not represented by Tribal Councils.

Geographic isolation has segregated Manitoba First Nation communities socially and economically from mainstream Manitoba. This has created unique challenges in the region regarding economic development (First Nation economies historically have been dependent on federal transfers) and delivery of services.

Manitoba First Nation Fast Facts
Manitoba First Nation Community Profiles
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Manitoba Region Fact Sheets

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