For the purposes of the Indian Act, however, Saddle Lake and Whitefish have a single shared band government, and the two reserves are considered to be one Nation.
Chief Pakan, along with Big Bear argued for one large reserve of 1,000 square miles (2,600 km2) for all the Plains and Woods Cree in the West, so they could hunt and farm together.
When the government did not agree to this, Pakan's and Big Bear's bands refused to settle on reserves until better term were offered; Pakan went to Regina with the Métis translator Peter Erasmus in 1884 to discuss the matter with the Indian commissioner.
Saddle Lake Cree Nation elect their officials through a custom electoral system.
Additionally, this Cree Nation maintains two groups of elected officials: Saddle Lake Cree Nation on the Saddle Lake Indian Reserve have elected Chief Eric Shirt, and Councillors John Large, Eddy Makokis, Leonard Jackson, Glen Jason Whiskeyjack, James Steinhauer, Pamela Quinn, Cherrilene Steinhauer, and Darcy McGilvery.