The Berens River First Nation app is now available

Berens River First Nation, known in Anishinabemowin as Miimiiwiziibing (Pigeon River), sits in the boreal forest on the east side of Lake Winnipeg. The people have lived on and harvested these lands for at least 6,000 years. The community was renamed Berens River in honour of Jacob Berens (Nah-wee-kee-sick-quah-yash), whose name means "light moving in the centre of the sky."

Jacob Berens signed Treaty 5 at Berens' River on September 20, 1875, and became the first treaty chief for a wide area that once included Little Grand Rapids, Pikangikum and Poplar River. The Nation's reserves are:

• Berens River 13
• Pigeon River 13A

Fishing, trapping, forestry, wild rice and a rock quarry support the local economy. Community services include a nursing station, pharmacy, daycare, arena, community hall, a Northern Store and a child and family services unit. Members gather every August for Treaty Days.

Since December 2017, an all-weather road from Bloodvein has connected the community to the rest of Manitoba. The Nation is a member of the Southeast Resource Development Council. To learn more, visit the Berens River First Nation website.