Kingfisher First Nation ( Oji-Cree language: ᑮᐡᑭᒪᓂᐦᓰᐋᐧᐴᕽ (''Giishkimanisiiwaaboong'', "At Kingfisher-waters"); unpointed: ᑭᐡᑭᒪᓂᓯᐊᐧᐳᐠ) is an

Oji-Cree The Anisininew or Oji-Cree are a First Nation in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba, residing in a band extending from the Missinaibi River region in Northeastern Ontario at the east to Lake Winnipeg at the west. The Oji-Cree pe ...

First Nation reserve located north of

Sioux Lookout Sioux Lookout is a town in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, with a population of 5,838 people (up 10.8% since 2016). Known locally as the "Hub of the North", it is serviced by the Sioux Lookout Airport, Highway 72, and the Sioux Lookout railway ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. It is accessible by air all year and by waterway in summer and ice roads in winter. As of December 2009, the First Nation had a total registered population of 500 people, the on-reserve population being 462. The community speaks the Oji-Cree language, but most of it is fluent in English as well. The

police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

that serve Kingfisher Lake are the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service, an Aboriginal-based service.

History

In 1808 the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...

established an outpost at Big Beaver House, located approximately 12 kilometres southwest of the present Kingfisher Lake reserve. Big Beaver House was frequented by Kingfisher Lake people for trading fur, community activity and freight hauling employment. In 1929 to 1930, the leaders of Kingfisher Lake First Nation were required to gather at Big Trout Lake to participate in the signing of the adhesion to

Treaty 9 ''Treaty No. 9'' (also known as ''The James Bay Treaty'') is a numbered treaty first signed in 1905–1906 between Anishinaabe ( Algonquin and Ojibwe) and Omushkegowuk Cree communities and the Canadian Crown, which includes both the gov ...

. As the result, Kingfisher Lake was considered a part of Big Trout Lake Band. In 1947,

enacted the Trapline Registration and Fee Program, which eventually forced the Kingfisher Lake people to outline their ancestral hunting areas into trapping boundaries and also to pay for the land use requirements. In 1964, the leaders of Kingfisher Lake decided to establish permanent community and to move to the current location of the reserve lands. As Kingfisher Lake was already included in the Big Trout Lake Band and so had reserve status, the formality of gaining band status was achieved in 1975. In 2011, many of the residents were temporarily housed in Ottawa because of forest fires in the surrounding area.

Governance

The officials of Kingfisher First Nation are elected for a two-year term through the Custom Electoral System. Their council consists of Chief Eddie Mamakwa, Deputy Chief Verna Aganash and four Councillors: Danny Sainnawap, Esther Sakakeep, Matthew Sainnawap, and Samuel Sturgeon. The First Nation is part of the Shibogama First Nations Council, a Regional Chiefs Council, and the

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Nishnawbe Aski Nation (ᐊᓂᐦᔑᓈᐯ ᐊᔅᑭ ᐃᔥᑯᓂᑲᓇᓐ ᐅᑭᒫᐎᓐ (''Anishinaabe-aski Ishkoniganan Ogimaawin''), unpointed: ᐊᓂᔑᓇᐯ ᐊᔅᑭ ᐃᔥᑯᓂᐊᓇᓐ ᐅᑭᒪᐎᓐ; NAN for short) is a political orga ...

, a Tribal Political Organization representing majority of the

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

in northern

Reserve

The First Nation have reserved three tracts for their

Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve () or First Nations reserve () is defined 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." ...

: * Kingfisher Lake 1 Indian Reserve, which serves as their main Reserve, containing the community of Kingfisher Lake, Ontario. * Kingfisher 2A Indian Reserve * Kingfisher 3A Indian Reserve

References

External links

AANDC profile2006 Canadian Census: Kingfisher Lake Indian Reserve 1
{{authority control First Nations governments in Ontario Nishnawbe Aski Nation Road-inaccessible communities of Ontario