- Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation
-
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Commons · WiktionaryAsubpeeschoseewagong First Nation (also known as Grassy Narrows First Nation or the Asabiinyashkosiwagong Nitam-Anishinaabeg in the Anishinaabe language) is an Ojibwa First Nation located 80 km north of Kenora, Ontario. Their landbase is the 4145 ha English River 21 Indian Reserve. It has a registered population of 1,402 as of March 2010, of which their on-reserve population was 910.[1] They are a signatory to Treaty 3.
Contents
Governance
The First Nation is headed by a Chief and 5 councillors:
- Chief Simon Fobister
- Bill Fobister Sr.
- Darryl Fobister
- Randy Fobister
- Rudy Turtle
- Clinton Assin
The First Nation is a member of the Bimose Tribal Council, a regional non-political Chief's Council, who is a member of the Grand Council of Treaty 3, a Political Organization.
The reserve is also part of the provincial riding of Kenora-Rainy River and federal riding of Kenora.
Mercury contamination
The First Nation experienced mercury poisoning from Dryden Chemical Company, a chloralkali process plant, located in Dryden, Ontario that supplied both sodium hydroxide and chlorine used in large amounts for bleaching paper during production for the Dryden Pulp and Paper Company. Dryden Chemical company discharged their effluent into the Wabigoon-English River system.
The Ontario provincial government has initially told the First Nation communities to stop eating fish — their main source of protein — and closed down their commercial fishery. In 90%+ unemployment rate in 1970, closing of the commercial fishery meant economic disaster for the Indian Reserve. The closure also effected the tourism industry, where locals acted as guides for out of town fisherman. Walleye in local waterways are no longer safe to eat due to mercury contaimination.
Both the paper and chemical companies ceased operations in 1976, after 24 years of operations.
Grassy Narrows First Nation received a settlement in 1985 from the Canadian government and the Reed Paper Company that bought-out the Dryden Pulp and Paper Company and its sister-company Dryden Chemical Company, but the mercury was never removed from the water.
On September 8, 2007, Ontario announced that it had agreed to begin discussions with Grassy Narrows First Nation on forestry-related issues. The provincial government appointed former Federal Court of Canada Chief Justice Frank Iacobucci to lead these discussions. Iacobucci's discussions with Grassy Narrows will focus on, "sustainable forest management partnership models and other forestry-related matters, including harvesting methods, interim protection for traditional activities and economic development."[2]
Deforestation
The reserve's other environmental concern is the mass extraction of trees for paper. Abitibi Consolidated has been harvesting trees in the area. Local protestors have complained to the company and the Ministry of Natural Resources to demanded a selective process. The community fears mass deforestation will lead to damage to local habitat.[3]
On August 17, 2011, First Nation supporters won a victory in court, when "Ontario's Superior Court ruled that the province cannot authorize timber and logging if the operations infringe on federal treaty promises protecting aboriginal rights to traditional hunting and trapping." [4] There were no immediate injunctions issued to stop logging activity, however.
References
External links
Logging
- Free Grassy Narrows - anti-logging campaign of the Rainforest Action Network
- Open Letter to Weyerhaeuser and Abitibi, February 2006
- "Ontario Enters into Forestry Discussions with Grassy Narrows", Government of Ontario news release, 2007-09-08
Other
- INAC profile
- Chiefs of Ontario profile
- Passing Ojibway Lifeways in a Contemporary Environment
- Amnesty International Canada: Rights ignored at Grassy Narrows
- Photos
The Numbered Treaties · Treaty ThreeNumbered Treaties Anishinabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council Big Grassy · Naongashiing (Big Island) · Northwest Angle 33 · Northwest Angle 37 · Onigaming · Wauzhushk Onigum
Bimose Tribal Council Asubpeeschoseewagong (Grassy Narrows) · Eagle Lake · Iskatewizaagegan (Shoal Lake) 39 · Lac Des Mille Lacs · Naotkamegwanning (Whitefish Bay) · Obashkaandagaang Bay · Ochiichagwe'Babigo'Ining · Shoal Lake 40 · Wabaseemoong (Whitedog) · Wabauskang · Wabigoon Lake
Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing Ne-Yaa-Zhing Advisory Services Couchiching · Lac La Croix · Naicatchewenin · Nigigoonsiminikaaning · Rainy River · Seine River · Stanjikoming
Other Treaty 3 Nations Grand Council of Treaty 3 Anishinabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council Big Grassy • Naongashiing (Big Island) • Northwest Angle 33 • Northwest Angle 37 • Onigaming • Wauzhushk Onigum
Bimose Tribal Council Asubpeeschoseewagong (Grassy Narrows) • Eagle Lake • Iskatewizaagegan (Shoal Lake) 39 • Lac Des Mille Lacs • Naotkamegwanning (Whitefish Bay) • Obashkaandagaang Bay • Ochiichagwe'Babigo'Ining • Shoal Lake 40 • Wabaseemoong (Whitedog) • Wabauskang • Wabigoon Lake
Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing Ne-Yaa-Zhing Advisory Services Couchiching • Lac La Croix • Naicatchewenin • Nigigoonsiminikaaning • Rainy River • Seine River • Stanjikoming
non-member Treaty 3 First Nations Coordinates: 50°10′59″N 94°02′13″W / 50.18306°N 94.03694°W
Categories:- First Nations governments in Ontario
- Communities in Kenora District, Ontario
- Anishinaabe reserves in Ontario
- Hudson's Bay Company trading posts
- First Nations stubs
- Northern Ontario geography stubs
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