The Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation, also known as Nizaatikoong (from ''Ne-azaadiikaang'' meaning "At a Point of Land Abundant with Poplars"), is a

Saulteaux The Saulteaux (pronounced , or in imitation of the French pronunciation , also written Salteaux, Saulteau and Ojibwa ethnonyms, other variants), otherwise known as the Plains Ojibwe, are a First Nations in Canada, First Nations band governm ...

Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...

band government In Canada, an Indian band (), First Nation band () or simply band, is the basic unit of government for those peoples subject to the ''Indian Act'' (i.e. status Indians or First Nations). Bands are typically small groups of people: the largest in ...

. The nation owns two reserves in the

Thunder Bay District Thunder Bay District is a district#Ontario, district and Census divisions of Canada, census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The County seat, district seat is Thunder Bay. Most of the district (93.5%) is uni ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Lac des Mille Lacs 22A1 on the northeastern shore of Lac des Mille Lacs and Lac des Mille Lacs 22A2 at the junction of the

Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...

and Firesteel Rivers. Because of past flooding by various

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

projects in the region,"Anishinaabe Iraq war vet completes cross-country walk with Indian Act chained to body"
. '' APTN National News'', September 4, 2012. the nation does not reside on either territory, but is instead dispersed throughout

Northwestern Ontario Northwestern Ontario is a secondary region of Northern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the ...

, with smaller numbers residing elsewhere in Canada or the United States. Its governance office is located on the territory of the

Fort William First Nation Fort William First Nation () is an Ojibwa First Nation reserve in Ontario, Canada. The administrative headquarters for this band government is south of Thunder Bay. , the First Nation had a registered population of 1,798 people, of which thei ...

near

Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario. Its population i ...

. The First Nation, which is governed by a custom governance code rather than under the

Indian Act The ''Indian Act'' () is a Canadian Act of Parliament that concerns registered Indians, their bands, and the system of Indian reserves. First passed in 1876 and still in force with amendments, it is the primary document that defines how t ...

, has established a goal of rebuilding its own community on the Seine River site, and released a site analysis feasibility study in 2006. The nation has an outstanding

land claim A land claim is "the pursuit of recognized territorial ownership by a group or individual". The phrase is usually only used with respect to disputed or unresolved land claims. Some types of land claims include Aboriginal title, aboriginal land cla ...

pending negotiation with the federal and provincial governments. Leo Baskatawang, an

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

veteran from Dryden who is a registered member of the Lac des Mille Lacs nation, staged a 4,400 km March for Justice in 2012, marching from Vancouver to Ottawa with a copy of the

chained to his body, to raise awareness of the plight of the community and other First Nations peoples. The nation had a registered population of 579 in 2013, according to

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: * Aborigines (mythology), the oldest inhabitants of central Italy in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of se ...

.Registered Population: Lac Des Mille Lacs
. AANDC First Nation Profiles. The First Nation is affiliated with the

Bimose Tribal Council Bimose Tribal Council is a First Nations in Canada, First Nations council, one of three such councils on the Grand Council of Treaty 3. Its members include: * Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation * Eagle Lake First Nation * Iskatewizaagegan 39 Indepen ...

and the

Grand Council of Treaty 3 Grand Council of Treaty 3 (GCT3) is a political organization representing 24 First Nation communities across ''Treaty 3'' areas of northern Ontario and southeastern Manitoba, Canada, and four additional First Nations, specifically in regard to the ...

References

External links

* First Nations governments in Ontario Saulteaux Communities in Thunder Bay District {{NorthernOntario-geo-stub