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| Geography |  Lucky Man Cree Nation is located approximately 60 kilometres (kms) east of North Battleford near Mayfair, Saskatchewan. Once displaced and amalgamated with the Little Pine Band, members of the Lucky Man First Nation are now slowly returning to their rightful home.
Lucky Man First Nation now has upwards of 7,500 acres of land and sits at 85 members with more returning home almost daily. The surrounding region is largely agricultural with a few small communities serving that agriculture base. Three communities, Hafford, Mayfair, and Blaine Lake are located in close proximity to the reserve. Hafford and Blaine Lake provide a full range of community service.
| | History | 1876 - Treaty 6 signed by many of the Plains Cree and the Government of Canada at Fort Carleton and Fort Pitt. The River People which included Chief Big Bear and Chief Little Pine remained outside of the treaties. Lucky Man was a headman in Chief Big Bear's Band.
1879 - Lucky Man and Little Pine Bands adhere to Treaty 6 at Fort Walsh. Twenty-five lodges chose Lucky Man to represent them at the signing.
1880 - Lucky Man requested to locate in the neighborhood of Battleford. The Lucky Man Band had 754 members on pay list.
1881 - Lucky Man requested a reserve at Big Lake, 30 miles from Fort Walsh.
1883 - Indian people are ordered out of Fort Walsh area. Lucky Man and Little Pine are escorted to the Battleford area.
1884 - Lucky Man again requested a reserve adjacent to Poundmaker, Little Pine and Big Bear. The federal government fearing complications from a joint association of three bands refused the request.
1885 - North-West Rebellion - Both Lucky Man and Little Pine Bands are disrupted, with members scattering to the United States and elsewhere.
1886 - Remaining members of the Lucky Man and Little Pine Bands settle on Little Pine's Reserve.
1972 - Rod King of Lucky Man Band researches Indian Agent's reports identifying Canada's failure to meet treaty obligations.
1989 - Lucky Man Cree Nation agrees to the selection of a reserve, based on a membership population of 60 - 128 acres per person for a total of 7680 acres or 12 sections in the Thickwood Hills on the Meeting Lake community pasture.
1994 - Lucky Man Band requests the opinion of Thomas R. Berger, Q.C. regarding possible claims for additional reserve lands and compensation for loss of land use and failure to deliver treaty benefits.
1995 - Although Lucky Man Cree Nation agreed to the selection of the 1989 reserve, the Chief and Council continued to claim that the land was not enough to satisfy the treaty obligation.
On July 7th, 1995, the Government of Canada rejected Lucky Man Cree Nation's request that their claim be accepted for negotiation. On December 13th, 1995, Lucky Man Cree Nation requested that their claim be referred to the Indian Claims Commission. Lucky Man Band's claim goes before the Indian Claims Commission (ICC).
1997 - Recommendation by ICC that all parties analyze pay lists to establish actual Treaty Land Entitlement. The official response by the Honourable Ronald Irwin, then Minister of Indian Affairs.
1998 - Lucky Man Band questions Canada's pay list position and hires John Hay to prepare the Band's position.
1999 - Lucky Man hires Cree Linguistic experts to decipher over 800 names on original pay lists.
| | Economic Information | Based on the type of soil, the typography, and the ground cover found on Lucky Man the land resource is presently being utilized to its highest and best potential as grazing and outfitting. The Economic Development Officer, under the direction of the Chief and Council of Lucky Man Cree Nation has investigated numerous business ventures as possible future opportunities for the Band, including bison and elk farming, investments in various condominium projects, mortgage investments, and gas and oil ventures.
The Chief and Council have had a business plan developed for a year-round eco-tourism facility to be located on Lucky Man Cree Nation. This plan calls for the construction of a lodge on the reserve to be used for outfitting, winter and summer activities. This development has many advantages for Lucky Man, it utilizes a renewable resource available on reserve, it also has the potential to employ a large segment of the Band membership and it will facilitate the Chief and Council's long-term plan to establish a community of Band members on Lucky Man. The Band has continued to use the pasture area of the reserve for cattle, currently renting to two ranchers who run a total of approximately 800 cows during the period May to October.
The total registered population is 82 with no members living on the reserve.
The Band office is the leading employer for Lucky Man Cree Nation.
Lucky Man Cree Nation is a member of Battlefords Tribal Council. The BTC was established in 1991 with the incorporation of Battlefords Tribal Council Management Corporation to serve the Little Pine, Lucky Man Cree, Mosquito and Sweetgrass First Nations. BTC expanded in 1995 when Moosomin, Red Pheasant, and Poundmaker joined. The Battlefords Tribal Council is a member of Battlefords Regional Economic Development Authority (REDA).
There is an outfitting operation on the reserve.
| | Attractions | There is no one living on the Lucky Man First Nation reserve at this time. There are no stores, houses, or annual Pow Wows.
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