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{{Location map|Canada Saskatchewan|relief=yes|lat= 55.895|long= -107.7|width= 250|caption=Location of Patuanak in [[Saskatchewan]]|label=Patuanak}}

'''Patuanak''' ({{langx|cwd-Cans|ᐘᐹᒋᐘᓈᕽ|wapâciwanâhk}})is a community in northern [[Saskatchewan]], Canada. It is the administrative headquarters of the [[Dene]] [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] [[Indian reserve|reserve]] near [[Churchill River (Hudson Bay)|Churchill River]] and the north end of [[Lac Île-à-la-Crosse]]. In Dene, it sounds similar to ''Boni Cheri'' (Bëghą́nı̨ch’ërë).

The community consists of the [[Northern Hamlet]] of Patuanak with 64 residents<ref>{{cite web|title=Canada Census 2011 (Patuanak, Northern hamlet)|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E|access-date=2012-10-14}}</ref> governed by a [[mayor]] and 2 councillors <ref>{{cite web|title=Municipal Directory System (Patuanak, Northern hamlet)|url=http://www.mds.gov.sk.ca/apps/Pub/MDS/muniDetails.aspx?cat=5&mun=2617|access-date=2013-06-17}}</ref> and the adjoining Wapachewunak 192D [[Indian reserve|reserve]] of the [[English River First Nation]] with 482 residents (Canada Census 2011).<ref>{{cite web|title=Canada Census 2011 (Wapachewunak 192D (Indian reserve))|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E|access-date=2012-10-14}}</ref> The reserve is governed by a [[tribal chief|Chief]] and six councillors.<ref name="AANDC"/>

Patuanak is about 92&nbsp;km (57&nbsp;mi.) north of [[Beauval, Saskatchewan|Beauval]] at the end of [[Saskatchewan Highway 918|Highway 918]].

== History ==
Patuanak is located west of the Shagwenaw Rapids on the Churchill River. The community stretches for a mile and a half along the shoreline, with the reserve near the year-round open water below the rapids and the non-Treaty homes facing onto Shagwenaw Lake. Most of the families now at Patuanak traditionally lived down river at Primeau Lake, Dipper Lake<ref name="Denesuline">{{cite web|title=University of Saskatchewan (Northern Research Portal) English River|url=http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/northern/content?pg=ex04-3|access-date=2013-05-10}}</ref> and Knee Lake<ref name="Denesuline"/> or [[Cree Lake]].

As in most northern communities, the [[Hudson's Bay Company]] set up a store at Patuanak to replace those further down the Churchill River, which made Patuanak a fur-buying centre.

In 1916, Father Louis Moraud became the resident priest of Patuanak and served the English River Band area until his death in 1965.<ref>{{cite book | last =Marchildon| first = Greg |author2=Robinson, Sid | title = Canoeing the Churchill ''A Practical Guide to the Historic Voyageur Highway''| publisher = University of Regina | year = 2002 | location = Regina | pages = 160 | ISBN= 0-88977-148-0}}</ref> The main denomination is [[Roman Catholic]].

Patuanak's permanent population remained small until 1968 when all the people in the surrounding areas began moving in.

In 1968, the school opened at Patuanak and many families moved in so their children could attend. Prior to 1968, the children were sent to the Indian Residential schools at Beauval and [[Ile a la Crosse]], while their families went north to trap.

The traditional activities of the people of Patuanak can be seen on all sides during visitations, such as moose hide tanning, beadwork of various sorts and birch toboggans.

Patuanak people are employed in a wide variety of jobs such as the mines at [[Rabbit Lake mine|Rabbit Lake]] and [[Key Lake mine|Key Lake]], government jobs or Band office employed.

=== Cross Island ===
On April 27, 1885, during the [[North-West Rebellion]], most of the personnel and dependants of the Hudson's Bay Company Post and the Roman Catholic Mission of Île-à-la-Crosse, who were alarmed at the looting of the [[Green Lake, Saskatchewan|Green Lake Post]] the previous day, fled to a small wooded island north of Patuanak and were helped by the [[Chipewyan people|Denesuline]] of the area.<ref>{{cite web
|url =http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/1483/134.html?qid=peelbib|title = Batoche: les missionnaires du nord-ouest pendant les troubles de 1885 
|work =Le Chevallier, Jules Jean Marie Joseph
|publisher = Montreal: L'Oeuvre de presse dominicaine
|year = 1941
|access-date = 2013-07-20}}</ref> On May 24, the exiles erected a large cross on their island of refuge (now known as Cross Island {{coord|55|59|46.1|N|107|40|26.9|W}}) and returned to Île-à-la-Crosse on May 29.

== Demographics ==
In the [[2021 Canadian census|2021 Census of Population]] conducted by [[Statistics Canada]], Patuanak had a population of {{val|63|fmt=commas}} living in {{val|28|fmt=commas}} of its {{val|32|fmt=commas}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:63-73}}|73|1}} from its 2016 population of {{val|73|fmt=commas}}. With a land area of {{convert|1.09|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|63|1.09|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.<ref name=2021census>{{cite web | url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000203&geocode=A000247 | title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Saskatchewan | publisher=[[Statistics Canada]] | date=February 9, 2022 | accessdate=March 27, 2022}}</ref>

Wapachewunak 192D is part of the English River Dene Nation. As of May 2012, the total membership of English River Dene First Nation was 1,451 with 774 members living on-reserve and 677 members living off-reserve.<ref name="AANDC">{{cite web
| title =AANDC (Registered Population)
| url =https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/fnp/Main/Search/FNMain.aspx?BAND_NUMBER=400&lang=eng
| website =[[Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada]]
| publisher =Government of Canada
| access-date =2012-10-14 }}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Patuanak Airport]]
*[[Denesuline language]]
*[[Denesuline]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Subdivisions of Saskatchewan}}
{{SKDivision18}}

{{coord|55|53|42|N|107|42|12|W|display=title}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Division No. 18, Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:Indian reserves in Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:Northern hamlets in Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:Dene communities]]