In the year 2000, the combined membership of the James Smith Cree Nation, all 2700 members voted to restore and reinstate the three bands of JSCN, namely; the Cumberland 100A First Nation/Peter Chapman Band; the James Smith Cree Nation; and the Chakastaypasin Band of the Cree Nation to their original and intended form. This means restore the bands to their status prior to the North West Rebellion of 1885 and prior to the 1902 invalid amalgamation between James Smith and Cumberland 100A.

The community vote or referendum gave political representation to the Cumberland 100A First Nation membership. The Cumberland 100A First Nation is populated by the membership with last the names of Whitehead, Brittain or Head. I invite all JSCN membership to review our historical facts, as presented at the Cumberland 100A Indian Claims Commission Inquiry:

Peter Chapman was a councillor for the Cumberland House Indian Band, and he signed treaty five on behalf of Cumberland House in 1875. Shortly after treaty signing, Chapman began writing letters to the Government of Canada requesting new reserve land for the purposes of farming, Chapman wanted land near Fort a la Corne. In the early 1880's Peter Chapman tired of waiting for Canada's approval, and he struck out for Fort a la Corne with a total of seven families following. The 100Apeople began arriving in the Fort a la Corne area in the early 1880's, setting up camp beside the James Smith reserve. In 1887 Canada agreed to survey a new reserve named Cumberland 100A.

Cumberland 100A was created as a new reserve for "the Indians of the Cumberland district" by the Government of Canada's order in council dated May 17th 1889. At this point in history, the Cumberland 100A First Nation came into existence, and was a separate reserve from James Smith. The membership of the Cumberland 100A First Nation were paid "treaty annuities" from their own separate treaty pay list. Peter Chapman's vision and dream to support his family and people through farming became a reality. Canada officially supported Chapman's farming plans by providing six oxen, seven horses, equipment and a farm instructor for the newly created Cumberland 100A band.

Surrender of 1902
Government of Canada officials obtained documentation for a surrender of township 47 from Cumberland 100A First Nation. This surrender of 22,080 acres is in question because of the involvement of James A. Smart, Canada's Deputy Superintendent General. After the surrender, former Cumberland 100A land was re-sold for double the purchase price, and some of that land was purchased by James A. Smart himself.

During this time period James A. Smart was assisted by Pedley and White and all three were involved in a series of land surrenders across western Canada. In fact, Ocean Man and Pheasant Rump were reinstated after fighting a similar- land surrender and amalgamation scheme orchestrated by this same trio or people occurring back in 1901.
  
The Government of Canada has accepted that Smart should not have benefited from the surrender and resale of Cumberland 100A First Nation land. Furthermore, the Government of Canada agrees that our land was purchased from us at a very low price, $2.60 per acre instead of selling the land at its proper value of $5.00 to $6.00 per acre. Finally, the Government of Canada offered to enter into negotiations with our band to resolve these issues as stated in the March 1999 letter to former JSCN Chief Eddie Head and restated in October 2008 correspondence to JSCN. The membership voted against entering into negotiations on the government's minor offer because the people want all our land back and any agreement to negotiate on this minor offer may validate the entire surrender in the eyes of Government.

Illegal Amalgamation of 1902
After the surrender of 1902 the Cumberland 100A First Nation held 22,080 acres of land compared to James Smith Band with 17,792 acres of land. The INAC officials who took the surrender proceeded to prepare documentation for the amalgamation of Cumberland 100Aand James Smith. Those three people, Smart, Pedley and White took advantage of our situation and illegally joined James Smith and Cumberland 100A in 1902. The Indian Claims Commission Inquiry into the Cumberland 100A file has stated the amalgamation of 1902 between James Smith Band and Cumberland 100AFirst Nation is invalid because proper membership consent was never obtained or provided. The only evidence to support amalgamation is a document signed by a Chakastaypasin band member. Peter Chapman never came to Fort a la Corne to join James Smith; he came to start a new band and a new farming life for Ms people.