McDowell Lake First Nation (
Oji-Cree
The Anisininew or Oji-Cree are a First Nation in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba, residing in a band extending from the Missinaibi River region in Northeastern Ontario at the east to Lake Winnipeg at the west.
The Oji-Cree pe ...
: ''Mishi Sakahikaniing'') is a small
Oji-Cree
The Anisininew or Oji-Cree are a First Nation in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba, residing in a band extending from the Missinaibi River region in Northeastern Ontario at the east to Lake Winnipeg at the west.
The Oji-Cree pe ...
First Nation 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 ...
located in
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a primary geographic and quasi-administrative region of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario, the other primary region being Southern Ontario. Most of the core geographic region is located on p ...
, located approximately 155 km northeast of
Red Lake, Ontario
Red Lake is a municipality with town status in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario, located northwest of Thunder Bay and less than from the Manitoba border. The municipality consists of six small communities ( ...
, Canada, on the central western shore of McDowell Lake. As of December, 2007, their total registered population was 52. It is part of the
Keewaytinook Okimakanak Council Keewaytinook Okimakanak Council (Oji-Cree:ᑮᐌᑎᓅᐠ ᐅᑭᒫᐦᑳᓇᐠ (''Giiwedinoog Ogimaakaanag''), unpointed ᑭᐌᑎᓄᐠ ᐅᑭᒪᑲᓇᐠ, which means "Northern Chiefs") is a non-political Chiefs Council in northwestern Ontario, C ...
(Northern Chiefs) and the
Nishnawbe Aski Nation
Nishnawbe Aski Nation (ᐊᓂᐦᔑᓈᐯ ᐊᔅᑭ ᐃᔥᑯᓂᑲᓇᓐ ᐅᑭᒫᐎᓐ (''Anishinaabe-aski Ishkoniganan Ogimaawin''), unpointed: ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᔅᑭ ᐃᔥᑯᓂᐊᓇᓐ ᐅᑭᒪᐎᓐ; NAN for short) is a political orga ...
.
The First Nation's MacDowell Lake Indian Settlement, also known as MacDowell Lake, Ontario, is accessible by float and ski equipped aircraft. Though no
winter
Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...
/
ice road
An ice road or ice bridge is a human-made structure that runs on a frozen water surface (a river, a lake or a sea water expanse).Masterson, D. and Løset, S., 2011, ISO 19906: Bearing capacity of ice and ice roads, Proceedings of the 21st Int ...
s connect this community in the winter, a person can use either snowmobiles or snowshoes to trail off from winter/ice roads and head towards the community. Nearest winter/ice roads from the community connect Red Lake, Ontario, to
North Spirit Lake,
Deer Lake, and
Sandy Lake First Nation
Sandy Lake First Nation (or ᓀᑲᣞ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᓃᐣᐠ, Negaw-zaaga'iganiing Nitam-Anishinaabe) is an independent Oji-Cree First Nations band government. The First Nations community, in the west part of Northern Ontario, is located in t ...
s.
History
The small community of ''Misi-zhaaga'iganiing'' was established by trapper Johnny Kenequanash in the 1940s on the central western shore of McDowell Lake, known in
Oji-Cree language
The Severn Ojibwa or the Oji-Cree language (, ; Unpointed: ) is the indigenous name for a dialect of the Ojibwe language spoken in a series of Oji-Cree communities in northern Ontario and at Island Lake, Manitoba, Canada. Ojibwa is a member of t ...
as ''Misi-zhaaga'igan'', meaning "the grand lake." ''Misi-zhaaga'igan'' was the main water way for people travelling by canoes leading North to
Windigo Lake or going east towards
Cat Lake. Kenequanash and his family was soon joined by the James family. Most Band members were former
North Caribou Lake (Weagamow Lake) members and also have close ties with
Cat Lake members. For many years the prime economic activity is either trapping or commercial fishing. In 1985, McDowell Lake along with six other community was awarded official Band status. The Governments of Canada, Ontario, the
Nishnawbe Aski Nation
Nishnawbe Aski Nation (ᐊᓂᐦᔑᓈᐯ ᐊᔅᑭ ᐃᔥᑯᓂᑲᓇᓐ ᐅᑭᒫᐎᓐ (''Anishinaabe-aski Ishkoniganan Ogimaawin''), unpointed: ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᔅᑭ ᐃᔥᑯᓂᐊᓇᓐ ᐅᑭᒪᐎᓐ; NAN for short) is a political orga ...
and six of its member First Nations (
Aroland,
Keewaywin, McDowell Lake,
New Slate Falls,
Saugeen, and
Wawakapewin) signed an agreement in December 1991 to make lands available to establish
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve () or First Nations reserve () is defined by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." ...
s in the six communities and to provide basic community facilities. In June 1992, the 4455
ha MacDowell Lake Indian Settlement was remitted, but Census Canada records only 2750 ha in 1996 and 1940 ha in 2006.
Government
Governance
The leadership of the First Nation is determined through a Custom Electoral System. The current Chief is Eli James, with Head Councillor Albert James and Councillor Ellen Keno. Their elected terms began on December 28, 2001.
The First Nation is a member of
Keewaytinook Okimakanak Council Keewaytinook Okimakanak Council (Oji-Cree:ᑮᐌᑎᓅᐠ ᐅᑭᒫᐦᑳᓇᐠ (''Giiwedinoog Ogimaakaanag''), unpointed ᑭᐌᑎᓄᐠ ᐅᑭᒪᑲᓇᐠ, which means "Northern Chiefs") is a non-political Chiefs Council in northwestern Ontario, C ...
(Northern Chiefs), a local non-political Chiefs Council. McDowell Lake is also a member of the
Nishnawbe Aski Nation
Nishnawbe Aski Nation (ᐊᓂᐦᔑᓈᐯ ᐊᔅᑭ ᐃᔥᑯᓂᑲᓇᓐ ᐅᑭᒫᐎᓐ (''Anishinaabe-aski Ishkoniganan Ogimaawin''), unpointed: ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᔅᑭ ᐃᔥᑯᓂᐊᓇᓐ ᐅᑭᒪᐎᓐ; NAN for short) is a political orga ...
, a Tribal Political Organization representing many of the First Nations in northern Ontario.
Services
Government services are provided by the
Keewaytinook Okimakanak Council Keewaytinook Okimakanak Council (Oji-Cree:ᑮᐌᑎᓅᐠ ᐅᑭᒫᐦᑳᓇᐠ (''Giiwedinoog Ogimaakaanag''), unpointed ᑭᐌᑎᓄᐠ ᐅᑭᒪᑲᓇᐠ, which means "Northern Chiefs") is a non-political Chiefs Council in northwestern Ontario, C ...
and by the
Nishnawbe Aski Nation
Nishnawbe Aski Nation (ᐊᓂᐦᔑᓈᐯ ᐊᔅᑭ ᐃᔥᑯᓂᑲᓇᓐ ᐅᑭᒫᐎᓐ (''Anishinaabe-aski Ishkoniganan Ogimaawin''), unpointed: ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᔅᑭ ᐃᔥᑯᓂᐊᓇᓐ ᐅᑭᒪᐎᓐ; NAN for short) is a political orga ...
. Services include:
* KO Telemedicine
* K-Net ISP service
* NAN Police Service
External links
Official siteAANDC profile
References
{{authority control
First Nations governments in Ontario
Oji-Cree reserves in Ontario
Communities in Kenora District
Nishnawbe Aski Nation