Sweet Grass First Nation

Chief Sweet Grass (Weekaskookwasayin) signed Treaty 6 on September 9, 1876, with the Fort Pitt Indians, but was killed about six months later. He was succeeded by his son, Apseenes (Young Sweet Grass); he was unable to hold the band together, which began to splinter. In 1882, Young Sweet Grass and seventeen followers joined Wah-wee-kah-oo-tah-mah-hote (Strikes him on the back), who had signed Treaty 6 at Fort Carlton on August 28, 1876. Wah-wee-kah-oo-tah-mah-hote was chief from 1876 to 1883; but he was deposed in 1884, and Young Sweet Grass became chief. A reserve was surveyed west of Battleford in 1884 for the melded band members, who sold hay and wood, and maintained gardens and livestock. Currently the band controls 20,354.6 ha of land, the largest block of which is located 26 km west of North Battleford. There are 1,577 registered members, 537 of whom live on reserve.

Christian Thompson