Editing Piikani Nation (section)

==History==
Historically speaking the [[Blackfoot language]] and members of the [[Blackfoot Confederacy]] ({{lang|bla|Niitsítapi / ᖹᒧᐧᒣᑯ}}), the Peigan people occupied territory before the 1870s on both sides of what is now the [[Canada–United States border]]. The [[Blackfoot Confederacy]] signed several treaties with the US and received the Great Northern Reservation, an initially vast reservation in present-day Montana. However, 220 Peigans were [[Marias Massacre|massacred by the US Army in 1870]] and American authorities pressured the Blackfoot to give up more and more lands to settlers ({{convert|17|e6acres|km2|order=flip|disp=or|abbr=unit}} were [[cession|ceded in 1887]]<ref>[http://trailtribes.org/greatfalls/shrinking-reservation.htm The Shrinking Reservation]</ref>), leading some Peigans to relocate to Canada and sign [[Treaty 7]] with the Canadian government in 1877.

The Peigan are now divided between the [[Blackfeet Nation]] ({{lang|bla|Aamsskáápipikani / ᖳᐢᔈᖿᑯᑯᖿᖹ}} or "Southern Piikani") based on the [[Blackfeet Indian Reservation]] in [[Montana]], and the Piikani Nation ({{lang|bla|Aapátohsipikáni / ᖳᑫᒪᓱᑯᖿᖹ}} or "Northern Piikani") in [[Alberta]].

The other members of the Confederacy are the Blackfoot-speaking [[Kainai Nation|{{lang|bla|cat=no|Káínaa / ᖿᖱᖻᖷ}} or Blood]] and the [[Siksika Nation|{{lang|bla|cat=no|Siksiká / ᓱᖽᐧᖿ}} or Blackfoot]], as well as the [[Tsuu T'ina Nation|{{lang|srs|cat=no|Tsuut'ina}} or Sarcee]] who only became allied later and spoke an unrelated language. At the time the treaties were signed, the Northern Peigan were situated on the [[Oldman River]], west of the future site of [[Lethbridge]], to the west of the {{lang|bla|Kainai}} tribe.

With its headquarters in [[Brocket, Alberta]], the Piikani Nation controls two parcels of land, [[Peigan Timber Limit "B"]] and the [[Piikani 147]] Indian reserve (on which Brocket is located).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/fnp/Main/Search/FNReserves.aspx?BAND_NUMBER=436&lang=eng |website=[[Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada]] |publisher=Government of Canada |title=Reserves/Settlements/Villages |access-date=2014-03-11 }}</ref> {{As of|2014}} the band had a [[Indian Register|registered population]] of 3,638 members, of whom 2,358 lived on Piikani Nation reserves.<ref>[https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/fnp/Main/Search/FNRegPopulation.aspx?BAND_NUMBER=436&lang=eng Registered Population] </ref> The band is a member of the [[Treaty 7 Management Corporation]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://pse5-esd5.ainc-inac.gc.ca/fnp/Main/Search/TCMain.aspx?TC_NUMBER=1063&lang=eng |title=Tribal Council Detail |access-date=2014-03-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140321020105/http://pse5-esd5.ainc-inac.gc.ca/fnp/Main/Search/TCMain.aspx?TC_NUMBER=1063&lang=eng |archive-date=2014-03-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Piikani Nation has a history of firsts. It was the first band in Alberta to demand a vote in provincial elections, the first to allow liquor onto a reserve, the first to assume administration of their reserve, and the first to host [[Indian Day|Indian Day Celebrations]] as a means of retaining and maintaining their culture.<ref name="Piikani">[http://www.treaty7.org/PiikaniNation.aspx Piikani (Peigan) Nation] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20140312161750/http://www.treaty7.org/PiikaniNation.aspx |date=2014-03-12 }}</ref> Education has been controlled by the band since 1986 when a high school was built on the reserve.<ref name="Piikani"/> This is managed by the Peigan Board of Education, a non-profit society registered under the ''Societies Act of Alberta'', comprising six trustees elected at large by the band's membership and one appointed by the band council.<ref>[http://www.piikani.ca/about The Peigan Board of Education]</ref> Scholarships and bursaries are provided by the Piikani Youth & Education Foundation with monies from the Piikani Trust Agreement (see below).<ref>[http://www.pyef.org/ The Piikani Youth & Education Foundation]</ref>

The band is governed by a council comprising a chief and twelve councillors elected according to custom rather than the provisions of the Indian Act. To this end, in 2002, the Piikani Nation implemented the ''Piikani Nation Election By-law'' and ''Regulations'' (collectively referred to as the "Election Code"). This code includes a reference in its preamble to {{lang|bla|Piikanissini}}, the traditional teachings of the Piikani, and allows for councillors to be dismissed if they are found to be in violation of the tenets of {{lang|bla|Piikanissini}}.

A court case in 2008 also allowed for the principles of {{lang|bla|Piikanissini}} to be invoked to ''prevent'' a candidate from running from office, rather than to remove them once in office. The court found that the elders of the community functioned like a [[senate]], and that they were the proper body to advise the Piikani Nation Election Removals Board and the Chief Electoral Officer. The court ruled that the Election Code did not include such powers for the elders as written, however, and so it gave the band six months to clarify the code.<ref>[http://decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fc-cf/decisions/en/item/54904/index.do Jackson v. Piikani Nation Election Appeals Board]</ref>

The principles of {{lang|bla|Piikanissini}} were invoked once again when on December 13, 2013, [[Gayle Strikes With A Gun]] was removed as chief by the Piikani Nation Removal Appeals Board<ref>[http://www.piikanination.com/www.piikanination.com/WELCOME_files/13-12-11%20Decision%20of%20Appeals%20Board.pdf 13-12-11 Decision of the Appeals Board] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312212045/http://www.piikanination.com/www.piikanination.com/WELCOME_files/13-12-11%20Decision%20of%20Appeals%20Board.pdf |date=March 12, 2014 }}</ref> because she "failed to maintain a standard of conduct expected of a member of the Piikani Nation Council, as set out in the Election Bylaws and in keeping with the principles of {{lang|bla|Piikanissini}}."<ref>[http://www.pinchercreekvoice.com/2013/12/gayle-strikes-with-gun-removed-as-chief.html Gayle Strikes With A Gun removed from office as Chief of Piikani Nation]</ref>

In 2002 the voters of Piikani Nation approved a $64.3 million settlement with the governments of Alberta and Canada over Piikani water rights impacted by the [[Lethbridge Northern Irrigation Headworks]] on the Oldman River. The monies were deposited in the Piikani Trust governed by the Piikani Trust Agreement. The agreement also allowed the Nation to acquire {{convert|10300|acres|km2}} of new reserve land.<ref>[http://www.ammsa.com/publications/alberta-sweetgrass/643-million-settlement-gets-thumbs-community $64.3 million settlement gets thumbs up from community]</ref> The band later took out loans against the trust to invest in industrial developments, and were then sued by a band member alleging mismanagement.<ref>[http://www.fortmacleodgazette.com/2010/piikani-nation-council-wants-claim-quashed/ Piikani Nation council wants claim quashed]</ref> The band then filed suit against a Calgary-based investment broker for defrauding it of $23 million from the settlement.<ref>[http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=839b929f-bf01-49ba-9050-1e84069cc521&sponsor Native band sues Calgary broker]</ref> In 2012, the band's investment company, Piikani Investment Corporation, was restructured in the bankruptcy courts.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://caselaw.canada.globe24h.com/0/0/alberta/court-of-queen-s-bench/2012/11/20/piikani-nation-v-piikani-investment-corporation-2012-abqb-719.shtml |title=Piikani Nation v Piikani Investment Corporation, 2012 ABQB 719 |access-date=2014-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312212244/http://caselaw.canada.globe24h.com/0/0/alberta/court-of-queen-s-bench/2012/11/20/piikani-nation-v-piikani-investment-corporation-2012-abqb-719.shtml |archive-date=2014-03-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The alleged mismanagement became part of a [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] investigation in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brocket RCMP launch investigation into alleged money mismanagement - Lethbridge {{!}} Globalnews.ca |website=[[Global News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711115045/https://globalnews.ca/news/437773/brocket-rcmp-launch-investigation-into-alleged-money-mismanagement/ |archive-date=2018-07-11 |url-status=live |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/437773/brocket-rcmp-launch-investigation-into-alleged-money-mismanagement/}}</ref>