Straddling the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan, roughly 50 kilometres north of Lloydminster, Onion Lake Cree Nation is a Plains Cree First Nations community with deep roots in the region. The community sits at the intersection of Highway 17 and Alberta Highway 641 / Saskatchewan Highway 797, placing it within both Alberta’s County of Vermilion River and Saskatchewan’s Rural Municipality of Frenchman Butte No. 501. The name itself traces back to the Cree word Wicekikaskosîwi-sâkahikan, meaning “wild onion,” a reference to a nearby body of water where the plant once grew in abundance. Today, Cree speakers generally refer to the community using a form of the name that translates more closely to “domestic onion lake.”
The nation encompasses two reserves: Makaoo 120, which spans both provinces, and Seekaskootch 119, situated entirely within Saskatchewan. Though these reserves once operated under separate band governments, they joined together in 1914 to form the unified Onion Lake Cree Nation. Combined, the reserves cover a total land area of 585.711 square kilometres, and as of August 2019, the nation has 6,475 registered members. The community supports five schools, including Sakāskohc High School, Eagleview Middle School, Chief Taylor Elementary School, Pewasenakwan Primary School, and Kihēw Waciston Cree Immersion School, which focuses on preserving the Cree language. A notable piece of First World War history also connects to the community: a widely circulated propaganda poster depicts community member Moo-Che-We-In-Es donating $1.50 to the Canadian Patriotic Fund, accompanied by a cover letter written in Western Cree syllabics.