Northern Manitoba community evacuated 20 years ago now fighting for First Nation status

An unofficial First Nations community in northwestern Manitoba is fighting to be recognized by the federal government.

People from Granville Lake, who also go by Pickerel Narrows First Nation, are working together to apply for independent band recognition to have a say in what happens with the people, land and resources in their community, which has been largely abandoned since it was evacuated more than 20 years ago.

Currently, the people and community of Granville Lake are governed under Mathias Colomb Cree Nation, a northern reserve about 70 kilometres from the isolated settlement.

However, they're working toward independent band recognition.

"I want to help the people that want to come back … and make sure they are properly taken care of, have the things they need — have clean drinking water, clean homes," said Ervin Bighetty, the elected leader of Pickerel Narrows, who currently lives in Leaf Rapids, as do many other former Granville Lake residents.

In 2003, human waste oozed onto the streets of Granville Lake after a septic system failed. Community leaders at the time called a full evacuation, resulting in the 70 people who lived there moving to Leaf Rapids, about 45 kilometres northeast of Granville Lake, and other communities.

The cleanup of the community included a new local septic system with holding tanks and pumps, a lift station, a water treatment plant, a lagoon and water and sewer lines, the province said in a statement to CBC earlier this month.

Some residents returned after the remediation, but many remained in Leaf Rapids or other communities, the province said, "believing that the sewage spill was not remediated."

Today, though there is no official population count, only two people live there year-round. However, Bighetty said there is a desire among some former residents to return.

Lack of consultation on mine project: Bighetty

They also want a say in what exploration and resource extraction happens on their land.

Last year, a gold mine near Lynn Lake — about 80 kilometres northwest of Granville Lake — was approved by the federal government. Kenorland Minerals also has an project in the exploration stage about 50 kilometres from Granville Lake.

Pickerel Narrows was identified in a 2021 report as a nation that could be impacted by the mine project near Lynn Lake. However, it was determined that  Indigenous Services Canada recognizes "Granville Lake Indian Settlement as a reserve under the government of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation."

Bighetty said there was a lack of consultation from Mathias Colomb with former Granville Lake residents on the project.

"The people need to be made aware of what's going on," he said.

The province of Manitoba confirmed that with respect to the buildings in the settlement, Granville Lake community is part of Mathias Colomb's treaty land entitlement.

The treaty land entitlement process is intended to resolve disputes with bands that did not receive all the lands promised through the treaties signed in the 1800s and early 1900s, by giving them priority to make claims on surplus Crown lands or purchase other properties and convert them into reserves.

There are 29 TLE agreements in Manitoba. Neither Granville Lake nor Pickerel Narrows are on the list. Mathias Colomb is, with 217,364 hectares of Crown Land as part of the framework agreement. 

"Existing infrastructure …and community buildings [in Granville Lake] are planned for decommissioning and/or transfer to MCCN [Mathias Colomb Cree Nation] as part of their Treaty Land Entitlement selection," a provincial spokesperson wrote in a July 11 emailed statement.

The housing units are owned by the province's Municipal and Northern Relations department and the Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation, but Mathias Colomb's treaty land entitlement selection encompasses the community of Granville. 

CBC asked Mathias Colomb Cree Nation Chief Gordie Bear for comment, but did not hear back by deadline.

Relying on oral history

Granville Lake, which is more than 700 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, is listed as an Indian settlement on Statistics Canada's website. It was recognized as a settlement in 1971, the province said, noting the community was established "due to the movement of members of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation to the location" in the early 1970s.

But the community members say the history goes further than that.

The Baker family from Granville Lake says the settlement actually started as Granville House during the Hudson's Bay Company fur trade — similar to how places like Nelson House, Oxford House and Norway House got their names.

With little documented history about the community, former residents say they rely on oral history from the elders.

The story told is that an Indian agent was paddling along the river signing First Nations to treaties, but couldn't reach Granville Lake due to the lakes freezing up, so the agent continued on their journey until they reached Pukatwagan — where Granville Lake was placed under governance.

"Pickerel Narrows was placed [under Mathias Colomb] without the knowledge of the people," said Rob Baker, a former resident of Granville Lake.

The current push for recognition is not the first time band members have sought independence from Mathias Colomb.

In the 1990s, Marcel Colomb First Nation was formed after it separated from Mathias Colomb. Years later, a new reserve was established for Marcel Colomb, named Black Sturgeon Falls.

Granville Lake is listed as a First Nation community by Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, an advocacy organization for First Nations in Manitoba.

When asked about the history of Granville Lake and issues residents still face, the organization said "MKO doesn't have a response" and urged CBC to speak with Granville Lake leadership.

2 headmen for Granville Lake

There is a process for band recognition within Indigenous Services Canada, but "Pickerel Narrows to date has not submitted an application for band recognition," department spokesperson Randy Legault-Rankin wrote in an emailed statement.

Pickerel Narrow members are working with lawyers to move forward with an application, said Bighetty. In the past, the members have gotten close, he said, but mismanagement and internal conflict stalled the process.

The internal conflict is an issue that remains today, as currently there are two leaders who both call themselves the community's headman — another name for the chief. 

Ervin Bighetty was elected as headman last fall after a general election was called for former Granville Lake residents.

Bighetty said he has been working on independent band recognition for the approximately 300 members.

He also has a community plan draft that has seven stages, including relocating the community from the peninsula where it currently sits and moving the homes more inland on the island, purchasing a sawmill that would allow the community to gather and build their own natural resources, and building and growing self-sustainable gardens.

The plan also calls for exploring construction of a year-round road to the community.

Baker said he supports Bighetty and his vision.

"I'd really like to acknowledge Ervin Bighetty right now on his outstanding work in helping us come together, but still only half of us are together," the former Granville Lake resident said.

But the MKO website lists as headman for Granville Lake the last pre-evacuation resident still living there year-round — Clarence Bighetty.

Clarence questions why people have not returned to the community already, as he believes the land was properly remediated.

"This is a very clean, healthy community," he said. "I would've died long time ago … if it was unhealthy. I would have been poisoned by the dirt, but we have a garden here and the water is clean."

Despite their differences, both Ervin Bighetty and Clarence Bighetty agree independence from Mathias Colomb would benefit the people.

"I want to make sure that this never happens to them again," Ervin said.