Alexander Industry Relations Corporation

• The Alexander First Nation is located west of Edmonton with over 23000 acres of land in three locations. The main reserve land (134) and administration is located 55 kilometers northwest of the city of Edmonton. The total population of Alexander is approximately 1800 members; of which over 70% of the reserve is less than 25 years of age. The members of AFN are primarily Cree. The Nation takes it name after Chief Katstaweskum, whose baptismal name was Alexandre, the first Chief of Alexander First Nation.
• The presence of Cree people throughout the Parkland and Plains regions (of what is now the province of Alberta) prior to 1763 has been well documented (Ray 1974; McCullough 1982; Fedirchuk and McCullough 1992). AFN Elders do not delineate the Nation’s territorial boundaries since there were none before European settlement. “Cree people always moved around” (AFN2). “The Creator made sure we would move around by spreading the resources” (AFN 13). “Our Traditional Territory goes from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Our forefathers traveled this country freely” (AFN18).
• According to the ways of our people, we were once a migratory people in rhythm with the seasons. Our ancestors would work in their family groups on their hunting and gathering grounds throughout our Traditional Territory. Our ancestors were also traders of goods with various groups from neighboring areas. Due to this lifestyle, there were no permanent settlements like we think of them today. However, there were seasonal villages at certain points along the lakes and rivers which were utilized for parts of the year. Kipohtakaw – meaning “enclosed” or “covered by trees”, is the site of present-day Alexander. We occupied and used all of our Traditional Territory. This is still true today.