Lesser Slave Lake Indian Agency

Lesser Slave Lake Indian Agency

The responsibility for Indian affairs in Canada has rested with the British Government, various colonial administrations and, since Confederation, with several branches and departments of the federal government. The Department of Indian Affairs and its predecessors have been responsible for such matters as treaties, reserves, provision of education, and supervision of agriculture on reserves. For a detailed administrative history see Records Relating to Indian Affairs (RG 10) / Peter Gillis et al. - Ottawa : Public Archives of Canada, 1975. The Lesser Slave Lake Indian Agency covered a vast area encompassing northern Alberta and parts of northeastern British Columbia and northwestern Saskatchewan in the Treaty 8 region. It consisted of Slave, Beaver, Saulteaux and Cree reserves including Boyer River, Upper Hay River, Hudson's Hope, Moberly Lake, Fort St. John, Duncan's, Dunvegan and Grande Prairie, Sturgeon Lake, Sucker Creek, Driftpile River, Swan River, Sawridge, Wabasca, Little Red River, Fort Vermilion and Grouard reserves. Indian agents included Harold Laird (1911-1930) and Napoleon Paul l'Heureux (1930-ca. 1945). The agency was later divided into the Lesser Slave Lake, Fort Vermilion, Fort St. John and Fort Norman agencies.

Glenbow Archives