Assiniboine Geneology Mosquito Grizzly Bears Head Lean Man First Nation

During the summer months in my childhood years, the whole family would start to plan the summer with trips to various locations in the province. One of the trips that the family would take is our annual visit to the Cypress Hills on a reserve called The Nekaneet First Nation. This reserve is not a big reserve but it is set in one of the most beautiful environments found anywhere in Saskatchewan and the world, complete with an ecosystem that could only be found in exotic countries.

My Kohkum Grandmother Agnes Starchief was born to Gilbert Mosquito and Wechiyan (Little Girl) in April 1897 in the Eagle Hills into a family of four boys and two girls.The oldest son, Herbert Fish moved to an Assiniboine Reserve in the United States called "Fort Belknap Indian Reservation" located in Montana. John Mosquito moved to the " Nekaneet First Nation" which is a small reserve located in the Cypress Hills of Saskatchewan, Adam Mosquito the youngest of the boys, lived on the "Mosquito GrizzlyBears Head Lean Man First Nation" all of his life, there was one more son but he accidently fell in a well and drowned as a teen. There were two girls born to Gilbert and Wicheyan and were the youngest of the family, they were Agnes Mosquito (Starchief) and Helen Mosquito (Sauve), Agnes married Peter Starchief at the age of 13 and Helen married Alex Sauve from North Battleford.

The Cypress Hills is a beautiful place to visit and we were fortunate to stay on the Nekaneet First Nation with my Kohkum's neices and nephews, who were more than happy to take us on tours within the park. I have many fond memories of the trips we used to take visiting relatives across the country.

Urban survival for First Nations Children

There are many First Nations people migrating to the urban centres such as Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert, for many reasons they are leaving the reservation life, but the main reason is that the First Nation People are outgrowing their reserves. The reserves offer very little for the growing population. My parents; William Starchief and Mary Jane Spyglass are now 70 years old and are still healthy, they tell of the times when the reserve (Mosquito First Nations) had a total population of 98 people, today there are 1278 people and is rapidly growing. The Housing sortage is evident as they are about 10 - 15 people living in a two bedroom house, often the house is a cheap house and is run down in its first few years. People would say that First Nations People do not know how to take care of thier houses, but when your house is made out of cardboard and is overcrowded, and welfare only gives you $98.00 every two weeks than you cant really afford to renovate broken things. There are no jobs and even if you had one than you have to pay all your bills ( when you live in a substandard house- heating costs will go up, about $400.00 a month in the winter, plus the Band office will charge the rent for the house, plus all the other costs - to tell you the truth, it is more expensive to live and work on the reserve than it is to live and work in the city, it is better to be on welfare on reserve.)
The Government on the other hand is getting richer and will probably take our reserve lands away in the end.