It is an Ojibway First Nation located in southeastern Saskatchewan. The Cote Reserve is connected to the Keeseekoose Reserve and only a couple of miles from the Key First Nation. Their land is situated very near to the Boreal Forest of Canada. The Ojibways of this region of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, were both hunters of the plains buffalo and also hunters of the forests which was more abundant during the 19th century. They also fished the endless lakes and other waterways in their country. They seldom went hungry as a result of the large buffalo herds. However, by the 1870s, the whites had killed off nearly all buffalo and the Ojibway of Saskatchewan and Manitoba commenced to suffer from famine. Their leaders acted promptly.
Cote was originally a larger Reserve connected to the Keeseekoose. Today the Cote Reserve covers 8,088 hectares or 20,000 acres. Together with the Keeseekoose Reserve the area increases to 41,000 acres or 16,567 hectares. The population of the Cote First Nation is 841 on-Reserve and 2,642 off-Reserve. Total population is 3,483. When including the total population of the Keeseekoose, it increases to 5,726. The Cote have one Reserve and share Treaty Four Reserve Grounds 77 with many other Treaty Four First Nations.
Historically, the people of Cote have lived in Saskatchewan and neighboring Manitoba, for at least 250 to 300 years. After the whites invaded, it forced many Ojibway people to retreat towards the west as well as to the north. By the late 19th century the whites had forced their way into the eastern Saskatchewan region and then commenced to negotiate with Cote leaders. Among them was Gabriel Cote who signed treaty 4 on September 15, 1874. It established the Cote First Nation and then eventually the Keeseekoose First Nation which was originally a part of the Swan River First Nation of Manitoba, before floods commenced and forced a relocation. It is not known if the Ojibway people of eastern Saskatchewan participated in the 1885 Northwest Rebellion but their land was quite far from the major battle scenes of the conflict. The Cote Ojibways were probably affiliated with Chief Yellow Quill and also Chief Kinistin during the 19th century.