Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation discusses name change in honour of inaugural chief

WATCH: Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation is discussing changing their name in honour of their inaugural leader Chief Cheekuk. Mick Favel explains.

Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation has begun a consultation process on whether or not they will change their name in honour of their inaugural chief.

Nearly one year after the signing of Treaty 4 Territory, Chief Cheekuk signed onto the agreement on Sept. 8, 1874.

Cheekuk represented the community, which would eventually become Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation.

In reflection of the approaching 150th anniversary of the signing, the nation is having conversations about a renaming.

“It was an open discussion as to why we want to change it but also allowing our members to speak on what they think,” Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation Chief Melissa Tavita said.

For many years, little information was known about Chief Cheekuk. Now the nation is working hard to uncover who he was and his impact.

Myke Agecoutay is the chief operating officer of Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation. He said truth and reconciliation is a reality and now is the time to make corrections.

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“Sometimes we need to reconcile with ourself. That’s what today’s conversation was. Reminding our people that we come from Chief Cheekuk,” Agecoutay said.

The First Nation community is currently working with Joan Holmes & Associates Inc, a firm specializing in historical research, to search for information on Cheekuk.

“We found Chief Cheekuk and Muscowpetung in pre-treaty records,” Julia Monorchio, a historian with the firm explained.

“We found [Cheekuk] around the elbow of the South Saskatchewan River. We found him near Fort Pelly,” she continued.

The firm currently shares information from their research on their website and will be releasing a 200-page report on their findings in the near future.

There are currently no photos of the chief.

For now, consultation will continue until all members have an understanding of a possible name change.

“It’s good to have consultation with the members that are involved because I think that’s where we need to take that direction from,” Tavita said.

“As leadership, that’s what we are going to do,” she concluded.

Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation is nearly wrapped up their 2025 Cheekuk Days celebration.

The community is located 60 kilometers northeast of Regina.