Lac La Croix First Nation ( oj, Negwaakwaani-zaaga'igan) 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 reside in the

Rainy River District Rainy River District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1885. It is the only division in Ontario that lies completely in the Central Time Zone, except for the townshi ...

of 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, along the Ontario-

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

border. It is approximately 200 km northwest of

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 ...

. As of January 2008, the First Nation had a registered population of 398 people, of which their on-Reserve population was 273.

Governance

The First Nation elect their officials through the Act Electoral System, consisting of a Chief and four councillors. The current Chief is Carrie Atatise-Norwegian, whose term began in January of 2022. The four councillors are Curtis Atatise, Carrie Atatise-Norwegian, Blair Whitefish and Norman Jordan. Carrie Atatise-Norwegian is Lac La Croix's first female Chief. 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 ...

, Lac La Croix First Nation is a member of the

Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing Ne-Yaa-Zhing Advisory Services Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing Ne-Yaa-Zhing Advisory Services is a non-profit Regional Chiefs' Council located in the Rainy River District, Ontario, Rainy River District, Ontario, Canada, serving seven First Nations in Canada, First Nations by providing advisory s ...

, a Regional Chiefs Council, and

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

, a Tribal Political Organization that represents many of First Nation governments in northwestern 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 ...

History

Seven Generations Education Institute Seven Generations Education Institute is an Aboriginal-owned and controlled post-secondary institution co-founded by the ten bands in the Rainy Lake Tribal area in 1985. The ten bands are: Big Grassy, Big Island, Couchiching, Lac La Croix, ...

(SGEI) is an Aboriginal-owned and controlled

post-secondary Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including univers ...

institution co-founded by the ten bands in the Rainy Lake Tribal area in 1985. The ten bands are: Big Grassy, Big Island, Couchiching, Lac La Croix, Naicatchewenin, Nigigoonsiminikaaning, Ojibways of Onigaming, Rainy River,

Seine River ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributaries ...

and Mitaanjigaming. Each of the ten bands appointed one member to a Board of Directors of Seven Generations Education Institute, which functions with the leadership of the Executive Director.

Reserve

The First Nation reserved for themselves the 6214.1 ha Neguagon Lake Indian Reserve 25D (formerly known as Lac La Croix Indian Reserve 25D). Originally, the First Nation also had reserved the Sturgeon Lake Indian Reserve 24C but the

Ontario Provincial Park Act 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 ...

in 1950 took this second

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 ...

and made it part of

Quetico Provincial Park Quetico Provincial Park is a large wilderness park in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, known for its excellent canoeing and fishing. The park shares its southern border with Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which is part of the ...

. The Reserve also was home to the last free-roaming population of the Lac La Croix Indian Pony, now an endangered rare breed with preservation efforts supported by the First Nation and other related Ojibwe people.

External links

Official pageAANDC profile

References

{{authority control First Nations governments in Ontario Communities in Rainy River District Saulteaux reserves in Ontario