By Jacob Cardinal, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News “The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.” Gin Rummy. There will be blood Fort Chipewyan is a small community in Northern Alberta located on the southwest shore of Lake Athabasca. The town is only accessible by plane, boat or ice-road travel. A 2021 Canadian census recorded 847 permanent residents, though the population is estimated to be closer to 1,000. While Fort Chipewyan was established as a trading post in 1788, making it the oldest European settlement in Alberta, the majority of residents are Mikisew Cree, Athabasca-Chipewyan Cree and/or Metis. Approximately 250 kilometres North of Fort McMurray, the land is considered by many as the Chipewyan Cree’s traditional territory. The previously mentioned Athabascan-Chipewyan Cree (ACFN) has a designated…