Chief Yellow Quill

In the early and mid-1870s, the Plains Ojibways of southern Manitoba were not getting along which agitated Ojibway leaders. Among them were chief O-zah-wah-sko-gwan-na-be and his councilor (headman) chief Kinistin. They commenced an exodus into the Qu' Appelle Valley of Saskatchewan. The whites did not like it. They had to negotiate with chief O-zah-wah-sko-gwan-na-be once again. Chief Yellow Quill signed an adhesion to treaty 4 which established the Fishing Lake and Nut Lake First Nations of Saskatchewan. However, chief O-zah-wah-sko-gwan-na-be was very aware of the discontent many of the Plains Ojibways of Manitoba and Saskatchewan were feeling and probably instructed Chief Kinistin to commence yet another Ojibway exodus to the north and probably the west. There is a First Nation in Alberta known as the Blue Quill First Nation after all which is shared by several Alberta First Nations. In 1885, chief Kinistin commenced the Ojibway exodus north into the caribou country of the Dene. That be well north of present-day Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and Flin Flon, Manitoba.

Chief Yellow Quill did not settle down to live permanently in Saskatchewan. He returned to live out the remainder of his life in his native land. He settled down to live on the Swan Lake First Nation of southern Manitoba. He died there in 1910 of natural causes. In 1989, the Nut Lake First Nation changed their name to the Yellow Quill First Nation.

• Swan Lake First Nation
• Fishing Lake First Nation
• Chief Kinistin