Sachigo Lake First Nation () 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 ...

band government In Canada, an Indian band (), First Nation band () or simply band, is the basic unit of government for those peoples subject to the ''Indian Act'' (i.e. status Indians or First Nations). Bands are typically small groups of people: the largest in ...

in Unorganized

Kenora District Kenora District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The district seat is the City of Kenora. It is geographically the largest division in Ontario: at , it covers 38 percent of the province's area, making it larger ...

in Northwestern

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 Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. It is located on Sachigo Lake, part of the Sachigo River system and

Hudson Bay Hudson Bay, sometimes called Hudson's Bay (usually historically), is a large body of Saline water, saltwater in northeastern Canada with a surface area of . It is located north of Ontario, west of Quebec, northeast of Manitoba, and southeast o ...

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...

, approximately north of the town 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 ...

. , the First Nation had a registered population of 814 people, of which the on-reserve population was 443. Sachigo Lake is

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 ...

d by the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service, an Aboriginal-based service.

Governance

The First Nation elect their officials through a Custom Electoral System, consisting of a Chief and four councillors. The current Chief is Simon Tait and the councillors elected for the same term are Steven Tait, Eugene Tait, Michael Tait and Wesley Barkman. Their two-year terms all began in April 2023. As a signatory 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 ...

, Sachigo Lake First Nation is a member of the Windigo First Nations Council, a Regional Chiefs Council, and

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 that represents majority of First Nation governments in northern Canada.

Reserve

The First Nation have reserved for themselves the Sachigo Lake 1 Indian Reserve, which serves as their main reserve, containing the community of Sachigo Lake. In addition, the First Nation have reserved the Sachigo Lake 2 Indian Reserve and the Sachigo Lake 3 Indian Reserve.

Education

The new Martin McKay Memorial School, offering Kindergarten through Grade 8 programming accommodates approximately 103 students. The new school contains a total of eight classrooms, a computer room, a public-school library, a gymnasium, multipurpose and change room facilities, as well as play areas for kindergarten and elementary students. INAC provided $9.45 million to Sachigo Lake First Nation, which managed design and construction of the school. Smith Carter Architects and Engineers Incorporated consulted extensively with the community and were winners of the Architectural Excellence for Design Awards, by the Ontario Association of Architects, for the Martin McKay Memorial School. The concept, “Two Schools, One Spirit,” links the primary and secondary programs through the spirit of the Thunderbird. The primary and secondary schools are individual wings with two separate entrances, which allows for a division of students by age and maturity levels. Shared community use of facilities such as the gymnasium, multipurpose room and library, provides a central focus.

Recreation

Over 1.1 million dollars has been invested in upgrades and the rehabilitation of the Sachigo Lake First Nation Arena. This new facility enriches the recreation for youth in the community and surrounding communities. Sachigo Lake First Nation also hosts an annual ice-fishing derby. This annual event, first started in 2013, is one of the largest ice-fishing derbies in Northwestern Ontario.

Transportation

The community is served by Sachigo Lake Airport. It has

winter road A winter road is a seasonal road only usable during the winter, i.e. it has to be re-built every year. This road typically runs over land and over frozen lakes, rivers, swamps, and sea ice. Segments of a winter road that cross an expanse of flo ...

access south via

Muskrat Dam Lake First Nation The Muskrat Dam Lake First Nation () is an Oji-Cree First Nation band government in Northern Ontario. They reside on the Muskrat Dam Lake reserve, located on Muskrat Dam Lake in the Kenora District. The community of Muskrat Dam, Ontario, is ...

to the all-weather Northern Ontario Resource Trail and thereby to Ontario Highway 599.

Economy

The unemployment rate in 2006 was 22.9%.

References

External links

AANDC profileProfile at Windigo First Nations
{{authority control First Nations governments in Ontario Communities in Kenora District