The Clearwater River Dene Nation is a First Nations band government in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada. It maintains offices in the village of Clearwater River situated on the eastern shore of Lac La Loche. The village shares its southern border with the village of La Loche.^[4]

Whitefish Lake, now called Garson Lake, was already an old established Dene village of 50 people in 1880. On August 4, 1899 the residents were gathered in Fort McMurray and selected Adam Boucher as headman to represent them in the signing of Treaty 8.^[5]

The descendants of this group from Garson Lake became known as the Portage La Loche Band. At the La Loche Mission in 1907 these families asked that treaty payments be made to them at La Loche or Buffalo River so they wouldn't have to travel all the way to Fort McMurray.^[5] On July 17, 1911 they received their treaty payments at Portage La Loche (West La Loche).^[5] In 1920 the Portage La Loche Band had 66 members.

In 1970 three parcels of land were transferred to the Portage La Loche Band (IR 221, IR 222, IR 223).^[5] For a time the "La Loche Landing" (IR 223) was being developed as a village and in 1974 it had 70 residents, however most of the band members chose to live in the village of La Loche. The band had about 280 members living in La Loche and the La Loche Landing in 1975.

In 1979 the parcel at Palmbere Lake/Linval Lake (IR 222) area was traded for land bordering La Loche to the north.^[6] This area also referred to as IR 222 is now home to the village of Clearwater River. The third parcel (IR 221) is on the south west shore of Lac La Loche. It had a few houses in the 1970s. In 1820 the trading posts of the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company were located on the lake in that area.

The village of Clearwater River has grown rapidly since 1979 when it was first officially created. The population has increased from 455 in 1991 to 778 in 2011, an increase of 323 or 71%. Some of this increase was from members living in La Loche who relocated to Clearwater River as housing became available.

As of September, 2013 there were 1,875 registered members with 804 members living on-reserve and 1071 members living off-reserve.^[7] CRDN is a member of the Meadow Lake Tribal Council.^[8]and FSIN

As many as 460 members of the Clearwater River Dene Nation live in the village of La Loche.

• Clearwater River IR 222 containing the village of Clearwater River is 2900 hectares.
• IR 221 on the southwest shore of Lac La Loche is 5741.40 hectares and unoccupied.
• IR 223 known as The Landing located 24 km north of Buffalo Narrows on Highway 155 is 869.70 hectares. The Landing had a population of 19 in 2011. It extends to the shore of Peter Pond Lake.

Clearwater River Dene School offers a kindergarten to Grade 12 program. The students take part in the Dene immersion program offered at the school.

• Treaty 8
• Denesuline language
• Denesuline