Nîhithaw | Big Island Lake Cree Nation

The Big Island Lake Cree Nation is a First Nations band government located in Saskatchewan, Canada, with traditional lands in the boreal forest region.

POPULATION

1,313

Rank #265 nationally

GEOGRAPHY

47.0 KM²

Rank #220 nationally

BAND COUNCIL TERM

03/17/2027

Term Expiration

Conflict Score

Community Profile

Overview

Last Updated 2025-07-14 08:53:56 UTC

Name

Big Island Lake Cree Nation (ISC Code: 399)

Former Names

Big Island Lake Band

Band Style

First Nations

Cultural Area

Boreal Forest

Indigenous Language

Cree

Number of Registered Members

1313

Band Website

http://www.sicc.sk.ca/bands/bjosep.html

Phone Number

(306) 839-2277

Fax Number

(306) 839-2323

Address

PO BOX 309, PIERCELAND, SK

General Email

Not Available

Band Council

Governance Type

Not Applicable

Chief

DAVID SANDFLY

Term Expires

03/17/2027

Number of Council Members

DAVID SANDFLY

Chief

📧 Email not available

📞 Phone not available

RYAN SANDFLY

Councillor

📧 Email not available

📞 Phone not available

ROLAND OCHUSCHAYO

Councillor

📧 Email not available

📞 Phone not available

DONNA OSEEMEEMOW

Councillor

📧 Email not available

📞 Phone not available

ANNABELLE SANDFLY

Councillor

📧 Email not available

📞 Phone not available

Administrative Contacts

Financial Overview

No expert reports available yet.

Band Financial Statements

2024 - Report Not Available

2023 - Report Not Available

2022 - Report Not Available

2021 - Report Not Available

2020 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2019 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2018 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2017 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2016 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2015 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2014 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2013 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2007 - Big Island Lake Cree Nation20072008.pdf

2006 - Big Island Lake Cree Nation20062007.pdf

2005 - Big Island Lake Cree Nation20052006.pdf

2004 - Big Island Lake Cree Nation20042005.pdf

2003 - Big Island Lake Cree Nation20032004.pdf

2002 - Big Island Lake Cree Nation20022003.pdf

2001 - Big Island Lake Cree Nation20012002.pdf

Band Council Remuneration

2024 - Report Not Available

2023 - Report Not Available

2022 - Report Not Available

2021 - Report Not Available

2020 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2019 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2018 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2017 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2016 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2015 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2014 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2013 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

Band Owned Corporations

No Content Available

Laws, Bylaws, and Codes

No content available

Intergovernmental Agreements

No content available

Active Court Cases

No active court cases at this time.

Downloadable Court Records

Big Island Lake Cree Nation v. Canada (Attorney General)

Location Map

Reserves

ISC Code: 6593
BIG ISLAND LAKE CREE TERRITORY
4700.1 Hectares
39 KM E/E OF/DE COLD LAKE
[54.4257788, -109.6175566]

News Coverage Summary

No Content Available

Media Reports

RCMP ask for help in locating dangerous man wanted for manslaughter

Northern Manitoba festival features big-name bands and 'a lot' of bannock

Current state of wildfires across Manitoba communities

Improved weather helps crews battle wildfires in Manitoba's north, east, but fight will continue for some time

Five charged with break and enter, flight from police in Loon Lake area incident

‘It’s basically got a mind of its own’

Snow Lake put on evacuation alert as northwestern Manitoba wildfire threatens town

Fire Bulletin #37

Sask. premier declares provincial state of emergency

Williams Lake First Nation receives federal apology for lost lands

Remains identified in historical missing persons case in Sask.

Alberta First Nation voices 'grave concern' over Kevin O'Leary's proposed $70B AI data centre

RCMP close historical death case

Canadian cuisine: 20 foods that reflect the country’s size and diversity

Body found on Big Island Lake Cree Nation identified as man missing since 2013

Makwa Sahgaiehcan man charged with second-degree murder

Beyond Local: RCMP Major Crimes investigating woman's death on Big Island Cree Nation

Feds announce $105 million high-speed internet investment in Sask.

Search underway for missing 13-year-old boy: RCMP

Giving thanks for saskatoon berry pie, the quintessential Prairie dessert

Flin Flon wildfire situation 'a time bomb' but so far no structures lost, mayor says

Manitoba provides wildfire update as Flin Flon residents prepare to return home

Pierceland gunshot, car theft lead to charges against five people

First Nations in Ontario

FedNor supporting 18 Indigenous-led projects in the North with $6.9M

RCMP Major Crimes investigating suspicious death on Big Island Lake Cree Nation

Feds announce $105 million high-speed internet investment in Sask.

Manitoba provides wildfire update as Flin Flon residents prepare to return home

RCMP historical case unit investigating human remains found in Big Island Lake Cree landfill

Travelling the Buffalo road: Indigenous nations are rematriating bison to the prairies

Human remains found on Big Island Lake Cree Territory

Curve Lake wins provincial native fastball title

Land trusts can help protect ecologically sensitive land in cottage country. Here's how they work

Pride of the Northwest talent competition sees plenty of winners

These are the ways rural Canadians are more vulnerable to climate change

Liberals cut reserves' boil advisories, but water-system problems linger

Qualicum First Nation officially opens new gas station on Horne Lake Road

Reserves in Nova Scotia

Documentary explores Indigenous life and connection to one of the largest freshwater lakes on earth

8 people arrested related to Big Island Lake incident

Island Lake search and rescue team dives deep to bring closure to families after drownings

Investing in hockey at school

‘Bigger and bigger’: Sask. First Nation fire chief says James Smith blaze a sign of the times

UPDATE: Big Island Lake Cree Nation incident ends peacefully

Pimicikamak Cree Nation struggles with evacuations as people return out of frustration

Search underway for missing 13-year-old boy: RCMP

Dangerous person alert cancelled after Sask. RCMP locate armed man and missing woman

First Nation voting locations for provincial election

RCMP investigates suspicious death of 2-year-old boy in Red Sucker Lake First Nation

Suspect wanted following forcible confinement arrested

Suicide crisis prompts Island Lake chiefs to call for equal access to health care

Partial evacuation underway in all 4 Island Lake First Nations

Human remains identified as man who went missing 10 years ago

RCMP gang unit arrests man 'inadvertently' released from Lloyd court

Police investigate 'suspicious' death of girl at Big Island Lake Cree Nation

Human remains discovered at Big Island Lake Cree Nation landfill

Island Lake First Nations under partial evacuation due to wildfire smoke

Evacuations ordered as four homes burn in uncontained wildfire on James Smith Cree Nation

Evacuation order remains in effect as Kenora 20 still 'significant fire of concern' for northwestern Ontario

Manitoba Wildfire Update – released June 3rd

Violent offender accidentally released at court appearance back in custody: RCMP

Laura Burnouf looking to revitalize Michif language during retirement

Gang member faces new armed robbery charges after prior case dropped

Manitoba First Nations chiefs put pressure on governments to fund regional hospital

Sask. RCMP cancel dangerous person alert after man located

Woman who helped street gang sell drugs from prison gets bail

Community shocked by woman's death on Big Island Cree Nation

Report: 90% of clients at John Howard Society Cold Lake from local area

These are the communities under mandatory and voluntary wildfire evacuations in Manitoba

Man charged in death of woman on Big Island Lake Cree Nation

Island Lake First Nations under partial evacuation due to wildfire smoke

Treaty litigation successful for 21 Lake Huron First Nations

Sask. woman charged with manslaughter after fatal assault on Pelican Lake First Nation

Onion Lake Cree Nation sues Alberta over sovereignty act, alleging harmful intent

In Loving Memory: Madalene Pooyak – Memento Funeral Chapel

Fishing Lake First Nation death marks 3rd fatal encounter between Sask. RCMP, Indigenous communities inside a month

Is a previously unheard-of First Nation just Canada’s latest Pretendian case?

RCMP search for woman missing from Island Lake First Nation

5 things you might not know about Indigenous hunting and fishing rights

Incident in Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug Results in the Passing of Two Community Members

Indigenous tourism blossoming on Vancouver Island

Alberta First Nation voices ’grave concern’ over Kevin O’Leary’s proposed $70B AI data centre

35 books to read for National Indigenous History Month

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes

Human remains found in Big Island Lake Cree Nation landfill identified

Big Island Lake dancers to perform in Indigenous youth showcase

'This is unacceptable': Wasagamack chief demands province declare state of emergency in Island Lake area

Firearm pointed at man in Onion Lake, Sask.

Your Guide to Powwow Country

24 people, 1 home

Saskatchewan RCMP asking Albertans to be on the lookout for manslaughter suspect

Kingfisher Lake First Nation hosts top Indigenous volleyball players in big-money tournament

Baaaad dog: Rez goat roams community with his family pack

Indigenous groups say Big Oil’s pollution threatens their existence in Canadian forest

Maligne Lake’s Beating Heart

Big Island Lake dancers to perform in Indigenous youth showcase

Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation (MSIFN)

‘Big step’: Williams Lake First Nation new owner of former residential school grounds

Churchill River system flooding some First Nations in Saskatchewan, Manitoba

Indigenous coalition goes head-to-head against oil giants to build Alberta carbon capture complex

Reserves in Manitoba

Revisiting the Williams Treaties of 1923: Anishinaabeg perspectives after a century

Suicide crisis prompts Island Lake chiefs to call for equal access to health care

Curve Lake First Nation Council planning highly confidential meetings with “no media permitted”

BC First Nation logs almost all of its treaty lands, leaving behind lots of stumps and questions

More supports needed for First Nations patients sent to Winnipeg for long-term medical treatment: report

First Nation in Saskatchewan grieves as fire consumes school

Garden Hill First Nation says outside help is needed to fight COVID-19 outbreak

Indigenous economic strategy offers blueprint for reducing poverty and bolstering economy, agencies say

Perimeter Aviation's delays, high fees cause hardship for remote Manitoba First Nations: chiefs

Human remains found in Cree Nation landfill in western Sask., RCMP say

Community identifies Misipawistik Cree Nation boater found dead, 2 others still missing

Saskatchewan man found guilty of killing Onion Lake Cree Nation woman, 25

Two First Nations say Ontario is ignoring their expertise on endangered Lake Superior caribou

Sask. First Nation strikes $155M 'cows and plows' settlement

First Nations in northern Manitoba send residents south due to wildfire smoke

Manitoba First Nations suing over Lake Winnipeg pollution

Rising food and gas prices a big concern for northern Manitoba First Nations already feeling the pinch

Indigenous Peoples

First Nations, B.C. double old-growth protections in Clayoquot Sound

Largest Lakes in Canada

Buffalo herd released on Witchekan Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan

4 innovative Indigenous-led clean energy projects

Sturgeon Lake chief says community unhappy with proposed AI centre

Canada makes $1.72B cows-and-plows settlement with 14 Sask. First Nations

Canada’s Tar Sands: Destruction So Vast and Deep It Challenges the Existence of Land and People

Saskatchewan RCMP investigating two separate discoveries of human remains on First Nation

B.C. court acknowledges First Nation’s land claim off Vancouver Island

Travelling the Buffalo road: Indigenous nations are rematriating bison to the prairies

Canada makes $1.72B cows-and-plows settlement with 14 Sask. First Nations

Man dead after reported stabbing on Saddle Lake Cree Nation: RCMP

Search underway for missing 13-year-old boy: RCMP

Pierceland RCMP seek public assistance locating missing 13-year-old male

Search underway for missing 13-year-old boy in Big Island Lake: RCMP

Makwa Sahgaiehcan man charged with second-degree murder

RCMP working to identify remains found on Big Island Lake Cree Nation

Human remains found near home on Big Island Lake Cree Nation after remains found in landfill last month: RCMP

A century of water: As Winnipeg aqueduct turns 100, Shoal Lake finds freedom

RCMP investing suspicious death after body found in Sask. home

Figure 1. Historical Timeline of Wasagamack within the Island Lake...

‘Hockey Night in Cree’ scores big in Canada

Gang associates arrested, weapons seized following Lashburn car theft

TOPIC: MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN

Three alleged gang members appear in Lloydminster court

First Nation chief, council accused of spending band’s social assistance money on personal items, face audit

Father says dead daughter 'fell through the cracks'

Makwa Sahgaiehcan man charged with second-degree murder

4 Island Lake First Nations pull out of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak

National Indigenous Youth Charity, Outside Looking In, Launches First Certificate Program in Professional Studies in Partnership with Sun Life

Hockey hat trick: Saskatoon StarPhoenix daily update for Friday, Nov. 17

Standoff on Big Island Lake Cree Nation ends peacefully; man wanted for murder in custody

Manslaughter charge laid in teen's death in northern Saskatchewan

RCMP say death of man whose remains were found at landfill nearly decade after disappearance not suspicious

Driver arrested after 13-year-old fatally struck

What a crystal meth crisis in an Indigenous community says about mental health and climate change

‘Women and families live in constant fear’: Community of Rapid Lake has a policing problem

3,700 people forced from homes in Island Lake area due to smoke, fire

TOPIC: MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN

First Nation voting locations for provincial election

UPDATE: Big Island Lake Cree Nation incident ends peacefully

Big Island Lake Cree Nation murder case headed to preliminary hearing

Long-term drinking water advisory lifted for Sask. First Nation after 4 years

First Nations chief guilty of illegally shooting moose in game preserve

Drugs seized in Big Island Lake Cree Nation

Neil Young tour: 5 facts about the First Nation he's singing for

Five alleged Westside gang members appear in Lloydminster court

Search underway for missing 13-year-old boy in Big Island Lake: RCMP

Sask. RCMP say it was 'in contact' with man in days before disappearance

UPDATE: Big Island Lake Cree Nation RCMP incident ends peacefully

More than 20 Sask First Nations schools closed due to COVID-19 fears

Low pay for First Nations water operators is threatening drinking water

Human remains found in Big Island Lake Cree Territory belong to man reported missing in December: RCMP

Man charged with murder in death of unidentified woman on Sask. First Nation

RCMP Major Crimes investigating woman's death in Saskatchewan east of Cold Lake

Accused "lucky to be alive," judge says

Five alleged Westside gang members appear in Lloydminster court

Some of 11 charged under Public Health Act remain in custody on weapons, drug-related charges

Red Sucker Lake First Nation seeks funding for half-finished hockey arena

Big Island Lake Cree Nation woman wanted for aggravated assault

How straw homes could help solve the First Nations housing crisis

Saskatchewan First Nation audited over spending claims

How Georgina Island First Nation took back control of lands and resources

Busy year for Pow Wows

Remote First Nations urgently need all-season road in face of climate change, chiefs say

Remote Manitoba First Nations declare state of emergency due to lack of winter road access

Two men charged after RCMP seizes drugs and weapons in Big Island Lake

Man arrested in death of woman on Big Island Cree Territory

Big Island Lake Cree Nation woman wanted for aggravated assault

Spotlight: Curve Lake First Nation aquaculture and hydroponic project on the horizon

Curve Lake First Nation gets turtle crossing signs in local dialect

Light over Turtle Island: Indigenous tales about North America’s creation

New social media challenge sees mermen surface from First Nations across Manitoba

Indigenous conservation area created off Vancouver Island's coast

RCMP stumble across body on Big Island Lake Cree Nation, call death suspicious

Police watchdog called in over RCMP interaction with man later found dead

Oct 2010: High & dry

Nov 2010: The worst of the bargain

Where were Manitoba's residential schools — and what stands there now?

BC First Nation logs almost all of its treaty lands, leaving behind lots of stumps and questions

100 years of the Williams Treaties in Ontario: Anishinaabeg perspectives

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge report: Saskatchewan

Manitoba Hydro's impacts on Indigenous lives in the north

‘Panic mode’: unpredictable winters sever a lifeline in Canada’s North

Indigenous Leaders: Tracee Smith's on a mission to tackle the Indigenous housing crisis

Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation

Clean running water still a luxury on many native reserves

Sask. mental health therapist seeks solutions as meth problem grows

University of Toronto implements tuition-free initiative for 9 First Nations

Onion Lake Cree Nation welcomes bison herd

This First Nation has a new highway and a water-treatment plant that's 'like our Stanley Cup'

Laura Burnouf looking to revitalize Michif language during retirement

Manitoba First Nation declares state of emergency after 2 recent deaths by suicide, numerous attempts

30 years after an historic fight against clear cutting, Indigenous communities are still fighting for forests

Backgrounder: Government of Canada to bring high-speed Internet access to Saskatchewan communities

Muskeg Lake Cree Nation community food forest helps connections, knowledge grow

Charges laid in Big Island Lake stabbing

1st-degree murder charge laid in Big Island Lake Cree Nation man’s death

Subsidized food banks visit Island Lake region amid 'food security crisis'

Onion Lake powwow returns to huge crowd after pandemic measures lifted

Outside Looking In empowers Indigenous teens through dance

Remembering the 10 people who lost their lives during mass stabbing in Saskatchewan

Sharing the stories of Island Lake: Communities in Focus

Island Lake search and rescue team dives deep to bring closure to families after drownings

Sask. First Nation officials accused of misusing welfare money

Arrest made in connection with women’s death on Big Island Lake Cree Territory

'I don't feel safe anymore': Most Sask. gang killings happen outside major cities

Here are 3 places to watch the Land Back movement unfold in 2023

Missing man from Big Island Lake Cree Nation killed in vehicle crash

On the largest freshwater island in the world, Lake Huron’s Native Americans warn of the fragility of water

Warrant issued after man fires gun on Big Island Lake Cree Territory

Twice the fun on one Saskatchewan First Nation

Northern Sask. residents waiting for answers after human remains found in landfill

Standoff on Big Island Lake Cree Nation ends peacefully

RCMP identify human remains found on Big Island Lake Cree Nation last week

Youth from Big Island Lake Cree Nation to perform in dance showcase in Toronto

Making starblankets helped this First Nations quilter break through her social anxiety

Big Island Lake Cree Nation Chief found guilty of unlawful hunting

Man, 35, dead after assault in Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation: Sask. RCMP

Man charged with murder in death of woman on northern Sask. First Nation

First Nations chief guilty of illegally shooting moose in game preserve

Two First Nations Pledge to Save Lake Superior Caribou

Gangs in Big Island Lake Cree Nation are posing a big problem for members

Update: Male arrested after assault and forcible confinement on Big Island Cree Nation

New community centre in Big Island Lake Cree Nation a place for youth to feel 'sense of belonging'

Social Media Is Helping Bring Indigenous Languages Back from the Brink

RCMP Major Crimes investigating woman's death on Big Island Cree Nation

New support hub at YWCA Regina was designed by youth for youth

Man arrested in relation to women’s death on Big Island Lake Cree Nation

Sask. RCMP investigating after dead body found on Big Island Lake Cree Nation

Academic Research

Traditional Land-Use and Occupancy Study of Cahcakiwsakahikan (Pelican Lake) First Nation: A Woodland Cree Community in Northern Saskatchewan

Analysis of Change

Learning to Be A Nêhiyaw (Cree) Through Language

Project Description-Summary

The significance of creating First Nation traditional names maps

A cultural framework for Cree self-government: Retracing our steps back

Nêhiyawak (cree) and climate change in saskatchewan: Insights from the james smith and shoal lake first nations

Indians and Other Misnomers of the Upper Great Lakes: The True Indigenous Origins of Geographic Place Names

Teachings from Cree Elders: A Grounded Theory Study of Indigenous Leadership

Nēhîthâwâk of Reindeer Lake, Canada: Worldview, epistemology and relationships with the natural world

Indians and Other Misnomers of the Upper Great Lakes: The True Indigenous Origins of Geographic Place Names

Frenchman's Island and the Naatuwaau bones: Archaeology and Cree tales of culture contact

Indians and Other Misnomers of the Upper Great Lakes: The True Indigenous Origins of Geographic Place Names

Nêhiyawak (cree) and climate change in saskatchewan: Insights from the james smith and shoal lake first nations

Indians and Other Misnomers of the Upper Great Lakes: The True Indigenous Origins of Geographic Place Names

First Nations, Traditional Ecological Knowledge and the State of the Great Lakes Ecosystem

Indians and Other Misnomers of the Upper Great Lakes: The True Indigenous Origins of Geographic Place Names

The land as an aspect of Cree history: Exploring Whapmagoostui Cree place names

Cree admixture in the verbal morphology of Island Lake Ojibwa

Indians and Other Misnomers of the Upper Great Lakes: The True Indigenous Origins of Geographic Place Names

Analysis of Change

Indians and Other Misnomers of the Upper Great Lakes: The True Indigenous Origins of Geographic Place Names

Kâ Isinâkwâk Askîy: Using Cree knowledge to perceive and describe the landscape of the Wapusk National Park Area

Band Publications

No Content Available

Third Party Reports

No Content Available