​Chief James Seenum, also known as Chief Pakan, was a prominent leader of the Whitefish Lake Band of Cree in Alberta during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in January 1842, he played a significant role in the signing of Treaty 6 in 1876, advocating alongside Chief Big Bear for a large communal reserve where Plains and Woods Cree could hunt and farm together. When the Canadian government declined this proposal, Chief Seenum continued to seek better terms, traveling to Regina in 1884 with Métis translator Peter Erasmus to discuss the matter with the Indian commissioner. ​

In 1902, Chief Seenum's band was amalgamated with three other Cree bands—those led by Chiefs Onchaminahos ("Little Hunter"), Blue Quill, and Muskegwatic ("Bear Ears")—to form the Saddle Lake Cree Nation. This amalgamation process continued until 1953, when the treaty pay lists of the Little Hunter's, James Seenum's, and Blue Quill's Bands were merged. ​

Chief Seenum passed away on April 12, 1917, at the age of 75, and was laid to rest in Whitefish Lake Cemetery in Alberta.

His leadership and dedication to the well-being of his people are remembered as integral to the history and development of the Whitefish Lake and Saddle Lake Cree Nations