The Aamjiwnaang First Nation (formerly known as Chippewas of Sarnia First Nation) is an
Anishinaabe
The Anishinaabeg (adjectival: Anishinaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples present in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. They include the Ojibwe (including Saulteaux and Oji-Cree), Odawa, Potawat ...
(
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 Nations Band located on
reserve land by the
St. Clair River
The St. Clair River (french: Rivière Sainte-Claire) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed November 7, 2011 river in central North America which flows from Lake Huron int ...
, three miles south of the southern tip of
Lake Huron. The reserve is located across from the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
border from
Port Huron, Michigan, and is a result of treaties that were negotiated with the Crown in the 1820s. There are approximately 2,000
band members with about 850 living on the reserve. Their heritage language is
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 ...
.
The word ''Aamjiwnaang'' (am-JIN-nun) means "meeting place by the rapid water", which describes the surrounding communities.
Environmental issues
The Aamjiwnaang community has expressed concern regarding its proximity to
petrochemical
Petrochemicals (sometimes abbreviated as petchems) are the chemical products obtained from petroleum by refining. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable so ...
, polymer, and
chemical plants in the area, as
birth rates
The birth rate for a given period is the total number of live human births per 1,000 population divided by the length of the period in years. The number of live births is normally taken from a universal registration system for births; populati ...
of their people have been documented by the
American journal ''
Environmental Health Perspectives
''Environmental Health Perspectives'' (''EHP'') is a peer-reviewed open access journal published monthly with support from the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIE ...
'' as deviating from the normal ratio of close to 50% boys, 50% girls.
The ratio as found between 1999 and 2003 by the journal was roughly 33% boys, and 67% girls.
The First Nation is concerned that this abnormal trend is due to adverse effects of maternal and fetal exposure to the
effluent and
emissions of the nearby chemical plants. This is the first community in the world to have a birth rate of two girls to every boy.
Demographics
Prominent Members
* Christopher Plain - Current Chief
* June Simon - Band Manager
* Carolyn Nahmabin - Membership
* Fred Plain - Former President of the
Union of Ontario Indians
The Anishinabek Nation, also known as the Union of Ontario Indians, is a First Nations political organization representing 39 member Anishinabek Nation First Nations in Canada in the province of Ontario, Canada. The organization's roots predate Eu ...
* David D. Plain - Author of The Plains of Aamjiwnaang:Our History
See also
* ''
Chippewas of Sarnia Band v. Canada (Attorney General)''
*
Environmental impact of the chemical industry in Sarnia
*
Cancer Alley
*
Uranium mining and the Navajo people
In the 1950s, the Navajo Nation was situated directly in the uranium mining belt that experienced a boom in production, and many residents found work in the mines. Prior to 1962, the risks of lung cancer due to uranium mining were unknown to the w ...
References
External links
Aamjiwnaang First Nation - Home2001 Community Profilesfor Sarnia 45 from
Statistics Canada
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada profile
{{Authority control
First Nations governments in Ontario
Municipalities in Lambton County