Wasauksing First Nation (formerly named as Parry Island First Nation, oj, Waaseyakosing, ''meaning: "Place that shines brightly in the reflection of the sacred light"'') is an
Ojibway
The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains.
According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
,
Odawa
The Odawa (also Ottawa or Odaawaa ), said to mean "traders", are an Indigenous American ethnic group who primarily inhabit land in the Eastern Woodlands region, commonly known as the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. They h ...
and
Pottawatomi 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 ...
whose
reserve is located near
Parry Sound in
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
,
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 ...
.
Their reserve constitutes the Parry Island in
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay (french: Baie Georgienne) is a large bay of Lake Huron, in the Laurentia bioregion. It is located entirely within the borders of Ontario, Canada. The main body of the bay lies east of the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island. To ...
. The island is about with of lakeshore, making it one of the larger islands in the
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five la ...
. The Wasauksing First Nation now occupies the entire island, although the
ghost town
Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to:
* Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned
Film and television
* ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser
* ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...
of
Depot Harbour
Depot Harbour is a ghost town on Wasauksing First Nation, in the Parry Sound District, Ontario, Canada. It was once the western terminus of the Canada Atlantic Railway and a busy port on Georgian Bay.
Formation and rise
In 1891, the Ottawa, Arn ...
on the island was historically a non-aboriginal settlement.
Community
The reserve is home to a
community radio
Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial and public broadcasting. Community stations serve geographic communities and communities of interest. They broadcast content that is popul ...
station,
CHRZ-FM
CHRZ-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 91.3 FM in Wasauksing, Ontario near Parry Sound. Branded as Rez 91, the station airs a First Nations community radio format.
History
It is unknown when the station originally began broadc ...
, the Indigenous magazine ''MUSKRAT'', and discontinued Indigenous magazine ''Spirit''.
Transportation
The reserve's main road crosses to the mainland via the
Wasauksing Swing Bridge, connecting to Rose Point Road in
Seguin Township south of Parry Sound. The road continues to Parry Sound itself, becoming Emily Street at the municipal boundary of Parry Sound and Seguin.
Notable members

*
Basil Johnston
Basil H. Johnston (13 July 1929 – 8 September 2015) was a Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) and Canadian writer, storyteller, language teacher and scholar.
Biography
Johnston was born July 13, 1929 on the Parry Island Indian Reserve to Rufus and Mary (n ...
, historian and cultural essayist
*
Francis Pegahmagabow
Francis Pegahmagabow MM & two bars (; March 9, 1891 – August 5, 1952) was a Canadian First Nations soldier, politician and activist. He was the most highly decorated Indigenous soldier in Canadian military history and the most effective snipe ...
, the most highly decorated Indigenous soldier in Canadian military history,
"Legendary Ojibwa sniper unsung hero of WW I"
CBC News
CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.c ...
Indigenous, August 1, 2014.
* Waubgeshig Rice
Waubgeshig Isaac Rice is an Anishinaabe writer and journalist from the Wasauksing First Nation near Parry Sound, Ontario, in Canada. , writer and broadcaster["Waubgeshig Rice has to tell real aboriginal stories"](_blank)
''Ottawa Citizen
The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
History
Established as ''The Bytown Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris, it was renamed the ''Citizen'' in 1851. The newsp ...
'', November 17, 2015.
References
External links
Wasauksing First Nation
{{Authority control
First Nations governments in Ontario
Ojibwe governments
Ojibwe reserves in Ontario
Odawa reserves in Ontario
Potawatomi reserves in Ontario