Indigenous La Ronge: Treaty 6, Nations and Community
An introduction to La Ronge: its history, the Nations whose lands it sits on, and Indigenous community life today, with sources.
About La Ronge
La Ronge stands on the west shore of Lac La Ronge at the southern edge of the Canadian Shield, about 240 kilometres north of Prince Albert in the boreal forest. Fur traders passed through in the late 1700s, and the name may come from the French verb ronger, to gnaw, a nod to the many beavers. Road access arrived only in 1947. Today it serves as the northern hub for provincial government services, with Air Ronge next door. The Lac La Ronge Indian Band, headquartered here, describes itself as the largest First Nation in Saskatchewan, with communities at La Ronge, Stanley Mission, Sucker River, Grandmother’s Bay, Little Red River and Morin Lake. Northlands College has its main campus in the area, and mining, wild rice, government and fishing tourism in Lac La Ronge Provincial Park support the economy.
La Ronge history
The lake country around La Ronge has long been Woodland Cree land. On February 11, 1889, the ancestors of today’s Lac La Ronge Indian Band adhered to Treaty 6 at Montreal Lake. They signed as the James Roberts Wood Cree Band. Church and trade shaped the area in the 1800s. At Stanley Mission, founded in 1851, Reverend Robert Hunt oversaw construction of Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Built between 1854 and 1860, it is described as the oldest standing building in Saskatchewan. The Hudson’s Bay Company set up a post there as well. In the early 1900s, trading posts, an Anglican church and a residential school were built at present-day La Ronge. Postal service began in 1911. In 1910 Indian Affairs tried to split the people into two bands, one at Lac la Ronge and one at Stanley Mission. The two were officially merged into the Lac la Ronge Band on March 27, 1950. The 1930s brought fly-in fishing resorts. La Ronge became a village in 1955 with about 400 people. Its population grew to 1,714 by 1976, and it was proclaimed a northern town in 1983.
Treaty and territory
La Ronge is on Treaty 6 territory, beside the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, one of the largest First Nations in Saskatchewan, and in the homeland of the Métis.
Nearby: Air Ronge · Stanley Mission · Sucker River · Grandmother’s Bay · Montreal Lake Cree Nation · Missinipe
Indigenous La Ronge today
The Lac La Ronge Indian Band counted 11,843 members as of March 1, 2023, making it one of Canada’s ten largest First Nations. Its six communities hold 18 separate reserve lands, reaching from central farmland to the Churchill River. Woodland Cree is the band’s main language. The band belongs to the Prince Albert Grand Council. Economic development has deep roots here. Kitsaki Management Limited Partnership began in 1983 with Kitsaki Meats and has grown well beyond it. The band also lists Woodland Cree Inc. and the Keethanow Group of Businesses among its enterprises. Band programs run from the central La Ronge office, including education, health, child and family services and a justice unit. In town, Kikinahk Friendship Centre has served people since 1976, first under the name Neginuk. Its youth outreach program has more than 700 registered young people in sports, music and cultural activities. The centre also runs Headstart preschool, a teen and young parent program and a nutrition program. It also distributes Christmas hampers and offers Métis housing support.
Life in La Ronge
La Ronge has about 2,727 residents and sits close to the geographical centre of the province. Air Ronge, with 1,365 people in 2021, lies on Bigstone Lake and the Montreal River. It was the site of the area’s original airstrip. The outdoors define life here. More than 30 documented canoe routes cross the region, and the Churchill River draws paddlers from far away. Missinipe, 80 km north on Highway 102, is the main access point to the river, with float planes and outfitters. Visitors hike to Nistowiak Falls, among the tallest in Saskatchewan, and seek out pictograph sites along the water. The area has more than 50 km of trails. Beyond tourism, people work in forestry, commercial fishing and trapping. Mushroom and berry picking, dried meat products and wild rice add to the local economy.
La Ronge seasons and weather
Northern winters here are long and very cold, with lakes frozen for months, and summers are short and mild. A heavy hoodie and a warm toque are practical from September to May.
More on the region: Indigenous Saskatchewan · all of Canada.
Keep learning in the XUSI Journal
- Treaty 6 and Saskatoon: Where XUSI Comes From
- The Numbered Treaties, Explained
- Métis History in Saskatchewan: Places to Learn and Visit
- Residential Schools in Saskatchewan: Where to Start Learning
- All Journal articles
La Ronge questions
Can I order from Stanley Mission or another community near La Ronge?
Yes. Enter your address and the shipping cost is calculated at checkout. Orders of $90 or more ship free within Canada, and every order leaves Saskatoon within 1 to 3 business days.
Could a La Ronge team or band program order printed hoodies?
Yes. We print runs of 10 or more garments, with up to 4 colours per design on a screen up to 23 by 31 inches. Every order gets a full quote before anything is printed, design help is included, and orders ship from Saskatoon.
Can a La Ronge youth program get matching hoodies for a canoe trip or tournament?
Yes. Custom runs start at 10 garments, with up to 4 colours per design. Every order gets a full quote before anything is printed. We help with the artwork, print everything in Saskatoon, and ship it north once it is done.
Do any XUSI designs use Cree words?
Many of our designs carry a Cree word and the story behind it, which you can read on our meanings page. We are an Indigenous-owned family business from Treaty 6, like the Lac La Ronge Indian Band. Woodland Cree is the band’s main language, so local speakers may know their own ways of saying things.
Last reviewed . Facts on this page come from the sources listed below.
Indigenous clothing from XUSI
La Ronge and the Lac La Ronge area can order Indigenous-owned apparel from XUSI. From our Saskatoon print shop we mail hats, tees and hoodies up Highway 2 to the town, Air Ronge and nearby reserve communities.
Life around La Ronge follows the water and the seasons, so we think about gear that works outside. In summer, a heavyweight cotton tee and an A-frame snapback suit a Churchill River canoe route. They work just as well on the trail to Nistowiak Falls. Evenings on the dock cool fast, so a Black Oni long sleeve earns its place in the pack. By fall berry and mushroom picking, a zip hoodie is the easy layer. From freeze-up to spring, our heaviest hoodies sit under a parka for ice fishing and the walk across town.
