Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation, commonly known as Wabigoon First Nation (

Anishinaabemowin Ojibwe , also known as Ojibwa , Ojibway, Otchipwe,R. R. Bishop Baraga, 1878''A Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language''/ref> Ojibwemowin, or Anishinaabemowin, is an Indigenous languages of the Americas, indigenous language o ...

: ''Waabigoniiw Saaga'iganiiw Anishinaabeg''), 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, Al ...

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 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 ...

who inhabit the Kenora District in northwestern

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 Ca ...

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 tot ...

. It is approximately 19 km southeast of

Dryden, Ontario Dryden, originally known as New Prospect, is the second-largest city in the Kenora District of Northwestern Ontario, Canada, located on Wabigoon Lake. It is the least populous community in Ontario incorporated as a city. The City of Dryden had a ...

. As of January 2008, the First Nation had a registered population of 533 people, of which their on-Reserve population was 175.

History

The Wabigoon Lake reserve was first laid out in 1884 and was confirmed by the Ontario government in 1915. Members of the Wabigoon Band of Saulteaux living on the western portion of the

Indian reserve 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." Ind ...

moved away and formed the

Eagle Lake First Nation Eagle Lake First Nation is an Ojibwe 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, mainta ...

. Those living on the eastern portion of the Reserve officially changed its name to Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation on August 7, 1987.

Governance

The First Nation elect their officials through the Act Electoral System, consisting of a Chief and four councillors. The current Chief is Clayton Wetelainen, the four councillors are Laurel Spalding, Ron Williams, Tyson Williams, and forth coming via bi-election in January of 2022. As a signatory to

Treaty 3 ''Treaty 3'' was an agreement entered into on October 3, 1873, by Chief Mikiseesis (Little Eagle) on behalf of the Ojibwe First Nations and Queen Victoria. The treaty involved a vast tract of Ojibwe territory, including large parts of what is ...

, Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation is a member of the Bimose Tribal Council, a Regional Chiefs Council, and Grand Council of Treaty 3, a Tribal Political Organization that represents many of First Nation governments in northwesternern Ontario and southeastern

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 o ...

Reserve

The First Nation have reserved for themselves the Wabigoon Lake 27

References

External links

Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation
official website
AANDC profile
{{authority control First Nations governments in Ontario Communities in Kenora District Saulteaux reserves in Ontario 1915 establishments in Ontario