Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation, formerly known as the Nicickousemenecaning First Nation and as the Red Gut First Nation, 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 ...

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 ...

who inhabit the banks of

Rainy Lake Rainy Lake ( French: '; Ojibwe: ') is a freshwater lake with a surface area of that straddles the border between the United States and Canada. The Rainy River issues from the west side of the lake. Today it is harnessed to make hydroelectricit ...

of the Rainy River District in

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 ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. As of January, 2008, the First Nation had a population of 290 registered people. As of 2017, it has approximately 130 on- reserve members.

Name

The name ''Nigigoonsiminikaaning'' can mean "Place abundant with little otters" but the intended meaning is "Place abundant with Little-Otter berries"—''nigigoonsimin'' (Little-Otter berry) being the Ojibwe word for sand cherry (Prunus pumila).Ojibwe People's Dictionary: nigigoonsimin
/ref> Due to the First Nation's main reserve Rainy Lake 26A located on Red Gut Bay of

, Nigigoonsiminikaaning was also known as the "Red Gut Band" and later as "Red Gut First Nation".

Governance

The First Nation have an electoral system of government, consisting of a Chief and three Councillors forming their council. Chief Will Windigo, and Councillors Don Jones, Clayton Windigo and Sue Boshey are serving their two-year term that began on in June 2014. The First Nation is a member of the Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing Ne-Yaa-Zhing Advisory Services, a regional Chiefs Council, which in turn is a member of 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 ...

, a Tribal Political Organization serving many of the First Nations in northwest Ontario and southeast

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

History

Seven Generations Education Institute (SGEI) is an Aboriginal-owned and controlled

post-secondary Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

institution co-founded by the ten bands in the Rainy Lake Tribal area in 1985. The ten bands are: Big Grassy, Big Island, Couchiching, Lac La Croix, Naicatchewenin, Nicickousemenecaning, Ojibways of Onigaming, Rainy River,

Seine River 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 p ...

and Mitaanjigaming. Each of the ten bands appointed one member to a board of directors of Seven Generations Education Institute, which functions with the leadership of the executive director.

Services

The community has its own voluntary and paid positions in their community organizations, including a volunteer fire department, First Responder team, Recreation, Education, Housing and Economic Development committees. The Band Administration services the community in the areas of community health, education, social services, housing and economic development. In addition, the First Nation has also made arrangements with the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

in Minneapolis to set up seasonal language camps at the mouth of the Ottertail River.

Reserves

The First Nation have reserved themselves four

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: * Rainy Lake 26A, which serves as their main reserve, *

Rainy Lake 26B Rainy Lake 26B is a First Nations reserve in Rainy River District, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the reserves of the Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation, formerly known as the Nicickousemenecaning First Nati ...

, *

Rainy Lake 26C Rainy Lake 26C is a First Nations reserve in Rainy River District, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the reserves of the Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation, formerly known as the Nicickousemenecaning First Nation ...

and *

Agency 1 Agency 1 is a First Nations reserve in the Canadian province of Ontario in the northwest. , there is no permanent population. The Indian reserve is shared among four First Nations: Couchiching First Nation, Mitaanjigamiing First Nation, Naicat ...

, which is shared with three other First Nations.

References

INAC profile

Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation
;Specific {{Coord, 48, 44, 17, N, 92, 55, 19, W, type:city_region:CA-ON, display=title First Nations governments in Ontario Communities in Rainy River District