IndigenousHighway 201 in southeast Saskatchewan, a 20-kilometre highway that runs through the Kahkewistahaw First Nation, now has a dual designation to honour the Cree leader.Chief Kahkewistahaw was one of the first signatories to Treaty 4Louise BigEagle · CBC News · Posted: Oct 01, 2025 7:08 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoKahkewistahaw First Nation Councillor Michael Bob, Councillor Cory Alexson, MLA Kevin Weedmark, Chief Evan Taypotat, Councillor Iris Taypotat and Councillor William Kaysaywaysemat mark Highway 201 being designated Chief Kahkewistahaw Way. (Submitted by Dan Palmer)Highway 201 in southeast Saskatchewan, a 20-kilometre highway that runs through the Kahkewistahaw First Nation, now has a dual designation to honour the Cree leader.Kahkewistahaw First Nation is about 150 kilometres east of Regina. New signage will carry both the highway number and a portrait of Chief Kahkewistahaw.Chief Kahkewistahaw was an original signatory of Treaty 4 in 1874, an agreement between the British Crown and the Cree, Saulteaux, Dakota, Lakota and Nakota that in exchange for land they will be given payments, provisions and rights to reserve lands.Kahkewistahaw Chief Evan Taypotat said the naming has been in the works for three years, after he visited Whitecap Dakota First Nation on Highway 219, the Chief Whitecap Trail.”It got me thinking that was a really cool way to honour their achievements,” said Taypotat.A committee made up of representatives from the nearby town of Broadview, the rural municipality of Elcapo, the Government of Saskatchewan and Kahkewistahaw First Nation approved the designation.It’s the third provincial highway to be given dual designation, after the Highway 219/Chief Whitecap Trail and Highway 11/Louis Riel Trail.”Chief Kahkewistahaw Way recognizes a visionary chief who led his people with great distinction,” said Highways Minister David Marit in a news release last Friday.”We are grateful to Chief Evan Taypotat for recommending this dual designation, which will remind us of one of the people who shaped the history of this region.”The release noted Saskatchewan was the first province to mark treaty boundaries with official highway signs.Honouring eldersTaypotat was given the honour of putting up the first Chief Kahkewistahaw Way sign last week.He said Chief Kahkewistahaw chose to be friends with settlers and showed them how to hunt and trap on the lands and he was treated well because of that.Kahkewistahaw First Nation Chief Evan Taypotat was given the honour of putting up the first sign along Highway 201 last week. (Submitted by Kevin Weedmark)”That’s who he was and because of this, the government appreciated him, too,” said Taypotat.”It also shows working together we can do better things.” Taypotat said it not only honours Chief Kahkewisyahaw but all the elders “who persevered for us to be here today.” “Chief Kahkewistahaw Way, that’s going to give us a sense of pride. We’re going to want to make sure that the grass is cut and the garbage is picked up,” said Taypotat.ABOUT THE AUTHORLouise has been a journalist with CBC since September 2022. She is Nakota/Cree from Ocean Man First Nation. She holds a bachelor of fine arts from the University of Regina. Louise can be reached at louise.bigeagle@cbc.ca.
Sask. Highway 201 designated as Chief Kahkewistahaw Way
