Our Names and Language: We are Sakhaw Nehiyawak (Woods Cree) and speak Nehiyawewin (Cree), the first language for most of our members. Peerless Lake was once called Kapaskwatinak (Bald Hill), and earlier names for Trout Lake include Old Post and Kinoseesak Kayaton.

Treaty 8 and History: Our ancestors, as part of what became Bigstone Cree Nation, signed Treaty 8 in 1899, but no reserve land was set aside at that time. Peerless Trout First Nation was formally constituted on May 19, 2010, with James Alook elected as our first chief. Our reserve, Peerless Trout 238, lies near Peerless Lake and Trout Lake, and about 63,000 acres are to become reserve land under the 2010 settlement.

Population and Location: We have approximately 1,030 members, living both on and off reserve. Peerless Lake is 487 km north of Edmonton, and Trout Lake is another 30 km along Highway 686. We are about 200 km north of Slave Lake.

Culture and Community: We have always seen ourselves as a distinct people with our own lands, history, Elders and stories. Today we are planning tourism around a fishing derby at our culture camp on Trout Lake, worked with the province in 2024 to improve the road between our two communities, and are proud of our volunteer fire department, winner of the 2019 Alberta Emergency Management Award.

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