The Siksika Nation is a First Nation in southern Alberta, Canada. The name Siksiká comes from the Blackfoot words sik and iká, with a connector s between the two words. The plural form of Siksiká is Siksikáwa. The Siksikáwa are the northernmost of the Niitsítapi, all of whom speak dialects of Blackfoot, an Algonquian language. When European explorers travelled west, they most likely met the Siksiká first and assumed all Niitsítapi of the Blackfoot Confederacy were Blackfoot, which is incorrect. The four Niitsítapi nations of the Blackfoot Confederacy are the Siksiká, Káínaa, Aapátohsipikáni, and Aamsskáápipikani. The approximate population of the Siksika Nation, as of 2009, is 6,000 people.
Economy of the Siksika Nation
The Siksika government applied for a licence to produce Medical Marijuana in April 2016. They anticipate generating $14.2M in annual revenue. The Siksika Resource Development Ltd, and Siksika Herbz Ltd partnership plan to construct 25,000 Sq ft facility East of Calgary. Revenue generated will also be donated to support social services. The Siksika intend to distribute the medication domestically and internationally.
The Siksika Nation has had a longstanding land claim dispute with the Government of Canada over events dating back to 1910. The government sought the cession of approximately of land within the Siksika Indian Reserve for sale by the federal government to incoming settlers. The cession included of reserve lands to be transferred to the Canadian Pacific Railway, for construction of the Bassano Dam. The band members were not adequately informed about this portion and lost the use of the surface rights of the land. The Nation claims the transfer was done illegally. In 1980, the government admitted that no proof existed that Canadian Pacific had acquired the rights to the land for the dam. The Nation entered into negotiations with the Canadian government to settle the land claim. In 1991, the Siksika Nation signed a $4.9m agreement with the government for compensation for mineral rights lost due to construction of the dam. In 2010, the Nation finally reached agreement with the governments of Canada and Alberta to settle the land claims. The band would receive $50 million and new water rights. The money will be put in a trust to benefit the Nation for purposes such as education and welfare.
