The Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation, also known as Nizaatikoong (from ''Ne-azaadiikaang'' meaning "At a Point of Land Abundant with Poplars"), is a

Saulteaux The Saulteaux (pronounced , or in imitation of the French pronunciation , also written Salteaux, Saulteau and other variants), otherwise known as the Plains Ojibwe, are a First Nations band government in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, A ...

Ojibwe 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 ...

First Nation Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

band government. The nation owns two

reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...

s in the

Thunder Bay District Thunder Bay District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district seat is Thunder Bay. In 2016, the population was 146,048. The land area is ; the population density was . Most ...

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 ...

, Lac des Mille Lacs 22A1 on the northeastern shore of

Lac des Mille Lacs Lac des Mille Lacs is a lake in the western part of Thunder Bay District in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is in the Nelson River drainage basin and is the source of the Seine River. The lake lies between Ontario Highway 17 on the north and O ...

and Lac des Mille Lacs 22A2 at the junction of the Seine and

Firesteel A fire striker is a piece of carbon steel from which sparks are struck by the sharp edge of flint, chert or similar rock. It is a specific tool used in fire making. History In early times, percussion fire making was often used to start fir ...

Rivers. Because of past flooding by various

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

projects in the region,"Anishinaabe Iraq war vet completes cross-country walk with Indian Act chained to body"
. '' APTN National News'', September 4, 2012. the nation does not reside on either territory, but is instead dispersed throughout Northwestern Ontario, with smaller numbers residing elsewhere in Canada or the United States. Its governance office is located on the territory of the

Fort William First Nation Fort William First Nation ( oj, Animkii Wajiw) is an Ojibwa First Nation reserve in Ontario, Canada. The administrative headquarters for this band government is south of Thunder Bay. , the First Nation had a registered population of 1,798 peopl ...

near

Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population i ...

. The First Nation, which is governed by a custom governance code rather than under the Indian Act, has established a goal of rebuilding its own community on the Seine River site, and released a site analysis feasibility study in 2006. The nation has an outstanding

land claim A land claim is defined as "the pursuit of recognized territorial ownership by a group or individual". The phrase is usually only used with respect to disputed or unresolved land claims. Some types of land claims include aboriginal land claims, A ...

pending negotiation with the federal and provincial governments. Leo Baskatawang, an

Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror , image ...

veteran from

Dryden '' John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate. He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the per ...

who is a registered member of the Lac des Mille Lacs nation, staged a 4,400 km March for Justice in 2012, marching from Vancouver to Ottawa with a copy of the Indian Act chained to his body, to raise awareness of the plight of the community and other First Nations peoples. The nation had a registered population of 579 in 2013, according to

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: *Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...

.Registered Population: Lac Des Mille Lacs
. AANDC First Nation Profiles. The First Nation is affiliated with the

Bimose Tribal Council Bimose Tribal Council is a First Nations council, one of three such councils on the Grand Council of Treaty 3. Its members include: * Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation * Eagle Lake First Nation * Iskatewizaagegan 39 Independent First Nation * Lac d ...

and the

Grand Council of Treaty 3 Grand Council of Treaty 3 (GCT3) is a political organization representing 24 First Nations in Canada, First Nation communities across ''Treaty 3'' areas of northern Ontario and southeastern Manitoba, Canada, and four additional First Nations, speci ...

References

External links

* First Nations governments in Ontario Saulteaux Communities in Thunder Bay District {{NorthernOntario-geo-stub