Wasagamack First Nation (

Oji-cree The Oji-Cree are a First Nation in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba, residing in a narrow band extending from the Missinaibi River region in Northeastern Ontario at the east to Lake Winnipeg at the west. The Oji-Cree people are d ...

: ᐗᓴᑲᒪᐣᐠ, ''meaning: At the Bay'') is an

Oji-Cree The Oji-Cree are a First Nation in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba, residing in a narrow band extending from the Missinaibi River region in Northeastern Ontario at the east to Lake Winnipeg at the west. The Oji-Cree people are d ...

First Nation

band government In Canada, an Indian band or band (french: bande indienne, link=no), sometimes referred to as a First Nation band (french: bande de la Première Nation, link=no) or simply a First Nation, is the basic unit of government for those peoples subjec ...

Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Win ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

. As of December 2014 the registered population of the Wasagamack First Nation was 2,017, of which 1,823 lived on their own reserve. Their most populous community is Wasagamack located about north of

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...

on Island Lake. The population of Wasagamack in 2011 was 1,411 an increase of 21.6% from the 2006 population of 1,160.

St. Theresa Point First Nation St. Theresa Point First Nation (Oji-Cree: Minithayinikam) is a First Nations community in northern Manitoba. It has 3 reserves in total, the largest and most populated of which is St. Theresa Point, which is bordered by the unorganized portion of ...

lies just to the south of this reserve. Historically, the peoples of Wasagamack First Nation were part of the Island Lake Band of "Cree", which also included the nearby First Nations of

Garden Hill Garden Hill, also known as the Robert Cushen farmstead, is a historic home located at Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland, United States. It was built about 1865, and is a two-story five-bay brick dwelling with a formal facade and a central ...

, St. Theresa Point and Red Sucker Lake. They are a signatory to the 1909 adhesion to Treaty 5.

Reserves

The Wasagamack First Nation have reserved for themselves three

Indian Reserves In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified 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." Indi ...

: * Feather Rapids Indian Reserve, located on the north shore of Pelican Lake () * Naytawunkank Indian Reserve, located on the south shore of Bigstone Lake () * Wasagamack Indian Reserve, located on the west shore of Island Lake () and containing their main community of Wasagamack

Governance

The First Nation elects their officials through the Custom Electoral System. Their council consists of a Chief and 6 councillors. The First Nation maintains political affiliations are with the

Island Lake Tribal Council An island or isle is a piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island in a river or a lake island may be c ...

(ILTC), Manitoba Keewatinohk Okimahkanak (MKO), Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) and

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people Indians or Indian people are the citizens and nationals of India. In 2022, the population of India stood at over 1.4 billion people, making it the world's second-m ...

(INAC).

Services

;Government The Wasagamack First Nation administers the following programs: * aboriginal healing foundation * airport project * capital projects * community outreach program * economic development * housing * justice * operations and maintenance * policing * recreation * sanitation services * social assistance * television and radio broadcasting * water and sewage services * youth services ;Educational Educational services are administered by the

Wasagamack Education Authority Wasagamack or Waasagomach is a community in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is a settlement of the Wasagamack First Nation located on the western shore of Island Lake on Waasagomach Bay north of St. Theresa Point St. Theresa Point First ...

. The education authority oversees the everyday operation of the local school and manages other programs such as adult education program and other post-secondary funding services. * George Knott School—nursery to grade twelve. There are over 500 students enrolled. There is one main building and several portable classrooms. ;Religious Both Midewiwin and

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...

are observed in the community. There are three church denominations in the community: a

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, a United Church and a Full Gospel/Pentecostal Church.

Notable peoples

J.J. Harper John Joseph "J.J." Harper (December 30, 1951 – March 9, 1988) was a Canadian aboriginal leader from Wasagamack, Manitoba, who was shot and killed by Winnipeg police constable Constable Robert Cross on March 9, 1988. That event, along with the mu ...

, former Chief of Wasagamack.

References

External links

Community web page

AANDC profile

Map of Wasagmack at Statcan
{{coord, 53, 53, 30, N, 94, 57, 05, W, scale:100000, display=title Island Lake Tribal Council Oji-Cree First Nations in Northern Region, Manitoba