Indigenous Grande Prairie: Treaty 8, Nations and Community

About Grande Prairie

Grande Prairie is a northwestern Alberta city in the Peace River region, about 456 km northwest of Edmonton, named for the broad prairie that surrounds it. Bear Creek winds through the city centre, where Muskoseepi Park takes its name from the Cree word for Bear Creek, and the Wapiti River runs to the south. The area is traditional Dane-zaa territory, and the Dane-zaa traded with the North West Company at Dunvegan in the early 1800s. Horse Lake First Nation, a Treaty 8 nation of Dane-zaa and Cree people, is located west of Hythe. A Hudson’s Bay Company post opened in 1881, and the economy has since diversified into oil and gas, agriculture, forestry and pulp. The trumpeter swan is the city’s symbol, earning the nickname Swan City. Northwestern Polytechnic, formerly Grande Prairie Regional College, is the main post-secondary school, and its central building was designed by Douglas Cardinal.

Grande Prairie history

Grande Prairie lies within Treaty 8 territory. Northwestern Polytechnic names Duncan's First Nation, Horse Lake First Nation and Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation as original caretakers of this land. It also describes the territory as the ancestral and present-day home of many First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. The first written mention of the prairie itself came from trader Samuel Black in 1824. The Hudson's Bay Company post that gave the city its name was set up by George Kennedy, about 21 kilometres northwest of today's downtown. Farm settlement arrived in a rush. In 1909, 17 townships were surveyed for homesteading, and a land rush followed. From April 1911, many settlers reached the area from Edson over a rough wagon trail. In 1916 the young village became the end of the line for the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway. Grande Prairie became a town in 1919 and a city in 1958. Growth carried on long after incorporation. By the 2021 census the city counted 64,141 residents, up from 63,166 five years earlier.

Treaty and territory

Grande Prairie is on Treaty 8 territory, the traditional lands of Cree, Dene and Beaver (Dane-zaa) peoples, and the homeland of the Métis.

Nearby: Horse Lake First Nation · Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation · Beaverlodge · Sexsmith · Wembley · Clairmont

Indigenous Grande Prairie today

The Grande Prairie Friendship Centre has served the city since 1965. Its mission is to improve the well-being of Indigenous peoples and the wider community through culturally rooted approaches. A board of 12 members and one youth member, from Indigenous and non-Indigenous backgrounds, is elected by the membership. Programs include Aboriginal Head Start, Babies' Best Start, a community kitchen, Indigenous health services and the Pitone Youth Group. The centre also produces the Peykoskan Podcast, keeps a Traditional Healing Garden and hosts the Grande Gathering Gala. On campus, Northwestern Polytechnic runs an On-Campus Friendship Centre at its Grande Prairie campus. Elders Loretta Parenteau-English, Theresa Gladue and Desiree Mearon guided its 2022 revision of the land acknowledgement. The Grande Prairie Traditional Pow Wow is an annual celebration of dance, music and art. It has been hosted by the Grande Prairie Aboriginal Circle of Services at Evergreen Park. With City support, it has also found a home at the Bonnetts Energy Centre. The Art Gallery of Grande Prairie has committed to annual Indigenous exhibitions from June to September. The Montrose Cultural Centre's Mamawe Concourse takes its name from a Cree word meaning all together.

Life in Grande Prairie

Grande Prairie's recreation list is long. Residents swim at the Eastlink Centre and the Aquatera Outdoor Pool. They catch games and concerts at the Bonnetts Energy Centre. The city also maintains walking trails, cross-country ski trails, disc golf courses, bike skills parks and even community orchards. South Bear Creek Park adds green space on the south side of town, and the Grande Prairie Museum includes a Heritage Village. The region's deepest story is written in rock. The Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum opened in 2015 in Wembley, 24 kilometres west of the city. Its permanent collection centres on the Pipestone Creek Bonebed, described as one of the richest horned dinosaur sites in the world. Visitors can join a Paleontologist for a Day excavation or float the Wapiti River on a guided tour. Night at the Museum programs give families another way in.

Grande Prairie seasons and weather

Peace Country winters are long and cold, so warm base layers, a heavy hoodie and a good hat are worth having. Summers bring long daylight hours and mild to warm days.

More on the region: Indigenous Alberta · all of Canada.

Keep learning in the XUSI Journal

• The Numbered Treaties, Explained
• Treaty Annuity Payments and Treaty Days, Explained
• Nêhiyawêwin: A Beginner's Guide to the Cree Language
• First Nations, Métis and Inuit: What’s the Difference?
• All Journal articles

Grande Prairie questions