The Michel Band was an Indigenous nation of central Alberta, Canada which the Government of Canada recognized as a nation and treaty partner from 1878 to 1958. The descendents of that historic band, now organized as an association called the Michel First Nation, are currently engaged in a legal and political struggle to regain recognition. The Michel Band was also referred to as the Michel Caillehoo, Michel Caillehouis, Michel Caillehow, Michel Calihoo, Michel Calistrois, or Michel Calliho Band  referring to the name of their chief at the time that they signed the treaty with the Canadian government. The band signed Treaty 6 with Canada, by adhesion on September 3 of 1878. Like all First Nations in the Edmonton area, the Michel Band members came under heavy government and settlement pressure to surrender their rich agricultural land. Land sales marked by government corruption steadily eroded their land base through the next half-century. In 1959 the entire band was "enfranchised"— stripped of status as Indians in exchange for the right to vote in Canadian elections and removal from the strictures of the Indian Act —by the Canadian Government on March 31, 1958  by Order in Council P.C. 375. The Michel Band was the only one in Canada to be enfranchised during the twentieth century. Michel band, composed of Iroquois and their leader, called "Yellowhead", travelled from the east to avoid assassination because of a bounty offered by the American government for provable deaths of Iroquois people. Iroquois Yellowhead , was rumoured to be a descendant of the French Crown from a period when the Iroquois were invited and visited the French King. He, Yellowhead, believed he had to leave the east to avoid being assassinated during the French Revolution, because of his rumored connection to the French aristocracy. When Yellowhead came to St. Albert, in Alberta, he appealed to Father Lacombe to arrange a home for himself and his people; his family. Michel Reserve north of St. Albert, became their land base. Almost the entire band enfranchised; gave up their Reserve and Treaty rights, when Alberta became a province in 1905, because as Iroquois people, their style of government was based on voting, [American democracy is based on the Iroquois style of government, each individual having the right to vote] and when the colonial government decided that Indians on Reserves , and Indigenous people who signed Treaties , were not allowed to vote, most of Michel Band gave up their Reserve, their Treaty rights and moved into St. Albert so that they could vote. In 1958, the Michel Band became the only First Nation in Canada in the 20th Century to enfranchise.Disinherited Generations: Our Struggle to Reclaim Treaty Rights for First Nations Women and their Descendants, Nellie Carlson, Kathleen Steinhauer, University of Alberta, Jul 3, 2013 In 1985 many descendants of the historic Michel Band regained Indian Status through Bill C-31. They have since that time lobbied the federal government to once again recognize them as an Indian band with Aboriginal and treaty rights. Many Michel Band members trace their ancestry to Louis Callihoo, a name used by people who could not spell his Iroquois name. He was called "Yellowhead" and known as Kara Komptee, Kwarakwante. He was Mohawk , (Mohawks are part of the Iroquois confederacy)  born in 1782, Sault St. Louis, in what is now called Kahnawake, Que . He was known as "Le Soleil Voyageur", which may be a reference to the rumored relationship to the French aristocracy; the French king, Louis the 14th , known as "the Sun King". In 1800, Louis Kwarkwante ; Yellowhead, signed on as a voyageur with the North West Company (a clerk changed his name to : Caliheue)Edmonton, In Our Own Words, Linda Goyette, Carolina Jakeway Roemmich, University of Alberta, Apr 1, 2005 and travelled West from Montreal to Northern Alberta to work as a fur trader. He married three local women (a Sekani Native and two French-Cree Métis sisters). Mohawk, an Iroquois language, may at one time have been the language of the band, but by the late 19th Century Father Albert Lacombe wrote that most band members spoke Cree or French. It seems likely that Michif, a mixed Cree-French language, was used by the Michel Band. Michel Band’s descendants still live across Canada. Descendants such as bassist, filmmaker, and photographer Tegan Armstrong number among them. Enfranchisement and legal dispute The Michel First Nation's position is summarized though testimony at the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on April 9th , 2008, by Chief Rosalind Callihoo: I am the great-great-granddaughter of Michel Callihoo, who signed treaty in 1878 by an adhesion to Treaty No. 6. I'm here today on behalf of over 700 members of the Michel First Nation who were reinstated under Bill C-31.
The Michel Band is an Indigenous nation of central Alberta, Canada which the Government of Canada recognized as a nation and treaty partner from 1878 to 1958. The descendents of that historic band, now organized as an association called the Michel First Nation, are engaged in legal and political action to regain recognition. The Michel Band was also referred to as the Michel Caillehoo, Michel Caillehouis, Michel Caillehow, Michel Calihoo, Michel Calistrois, or Michel Calliho Band , referring to the name of their chief at the time that they signed Treaty 6 with the Canadian Crown by adhesion on September 3 , 1878. Like all First Nations in the Edmonton area, the Michel Band members came under government and settler pressure to surrender their agricultural land. Land sales marked by government corruption steadily eroded their land base through the next half-century. In 1959 the entire band was "enfranchised"— removed from status as Indians in exchange for the right to vote in Canadian elections and removal from the strictures of the Indian Act on March 31, 1958 , by Order in Council P.C. 375. The Michel Band was the only one in Canada to be enfranchised during the twentieth century. Michel band, composed of Iroquois and their leader, called "Yellowhead", travelled from the east to avoid assassination because of a bounty offered by the American government for provable deaths of Iroquois people. Iroquois Yellowhead was rumoured to be a descendant of the French Crown from a period when the Iroquois were invited and visited the French King. He, Yellowhead, believed he had to leave the east to avoid being assassinated during the French Revolution, because of his rumored connection to the French aristocracy. When Yellowhead came to St. Albert, in Alberta, he appealed to Father Lacombe to arrange a home for himself and his people; his family. Michel Reserve north of St. Albert, became their land base. Almost the entire band enfranchised; gave up their Reserve and Treaty rights, when Alberta became a province in 1905, because as Iroquois people, their style of government was based on voting, [American democracy is based on the Iroquois style of government, each individual having the right to vote] and when the colonial government decided that Indians on reserves , and Indigenous people who signed treaties , were not allowed to vote, most of Michel Band gave up their reserve, their treaty rights and moved into St. Albert so that they could vote. In 1958, the Michel Band became the only First Nation in Canada in the 20th century to enfranchise.Disinherited Generations: Our Struggle to Reclaim Treaty Rights for First Nations Women and their Descendants, Nellie Carlson, Kathleen Steinhauer, University of Alberta, Jul 3, 2013 In 1985 many descendants of the historic Michel Band regained Indian status through Bill C-31. They have since that time lobbied the federal government to once again recognize them as an Indian band with Aboriginal and treaty rights. Many Michel Band members trace their ancestry to Louis Callihoo, a name used by people who could not spell his Iroquois name. He was called "Yellowhead" and known as Kara Komptee, Kwarakwante. He was Mohawk (Mohawks are part of the Iroquois confederacy) , born in 1782, Sault St. Louis, in what is now called Kahnawake, Quebec . He was known as "Le Soleil Voyageur", which may be a reference to the rumored relationship to the French aristocracy; the French king, Louis XIV , known as "the Sun King". In 1800, Louis Kwarkwante , Yellowhead, signed on as a voyageur with the North West Company (a clerk changed his name to Caliheue)Edmonton, In Our Own Words, Linda Goyette, Carolina Jakeway Roemmich, University of Alberta, Apr 1, 2005 and travelled west from Montreal to Northern Alberta to work as a fur trader. He married three local women (a Sekani Native and two French-Cree Métis sisters). Mohawk, an Iroquois language, may at one time have been the language of the band, but by the late 19th Century Father Albert Lacombe wrote that most band members spoke Cree or French. It seems likely that Michif, a mixed Cree-French language, was used by the Michel Band. Michel Band’s descendants still live across Canada. Descendants such as bassist, filmmaker, and photographer Tegan Armstrong number among them. Enfranchisement and legal dispute The Michel First Nation's position is summarized though testimony at the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on April 9 , 2008, by Chief Rosalind Callihoo: I am the great-great-granddaughter of Michel Callihoo, who signed treaty in 1878 by an adhesion to Treaty No. 6. I'm here today on behalf of over 700 members of the Michel First Nation who were reinstated under Bill C-31.
R
was
is
R
currently engaged in a
engaged in
R
struggle
action
A
,
D
the treaty with the Canadian government. The band signed
R
Canada,
the Canadian Crown
R
of
,
R
heavy government and settlement
government and settler
D
rich
R
stripped of
removed from
D
—by the Canadian Government
A
,
D
,
R
Reserves
reserves
R
Treaties
treaties
R
Reserve, their Treaty
reserve, their treaty
R
Century
century
R
Status
status
D
,
A
,
R
Que
Quebec
R
the 14th
XIV
R
;
,
D
:
R
West
west
R
9th
9