On August 04, 1906, The Pas Indian Band surrendered the most Northerly 500 acres in “Block A” of their reserve (less 3 acres to be retained for Indian Agency buildings and a small parcel of land along the Pasquia River). This land, in part, became the town site of The Pas on the south bank of the Saskatchewan River. The three acres, known as the “Agency Grounds,” was surrendered for sale in 1919.

After the 1906 surrender, the members of The Pas Band located to the north side of the Saskatchewan River directly across from the Town. The reserve itself saw little development between the 1800s and the 1960s. However, they were in frequent contact with the townspeople and many were integrated into the mainstream system. The economic system consisted of logging, fishing, hunting, and agriculture, along with related transportation, communication, and service industries.

Since the 1960s, the Chief and Council of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) have pursued greater autonomy in the management of Band affairs. This move toward local autonomy was parallelled by a community development strategy aimed at strengthening the Band’s economic base and improving the quality of life for its members.

In developing a system for local government, the Band pursued three broad avenues of approach - development of administration and program delivery; development of local government authority; and development of enterprises. The OCN Administration began in 1968 when the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) allowed the Band to take over a very small portion of the financial and administrative services. In 1969 the Band Administration Office opened its doors in a small house on the reserve town site. With an annual budget of $12,000.00 and a staff of five, the Band government began delivering welfare and general administration and a gravel service to its membership.

The band soon gained momentum in its goal of self-determination and self-sufficiency of its people. Nekanootawinek - Tipanimisawin (Progress and Independence) has long been the community’s motto. The late Chief Gordon G. Lathlin is credited with being the driving force behind the turnabout. The OCN now has a multi-million dollar budget with a work force of approximately 730 and is governed by a Chief and twelve Councillors who are elected according to the Indian Act for a two-year term.