Political Quarterly Update: Fall 2022
The fall season is upon us with a full gust of activities over the past season. Many communities have spent time during the past months hunting and harvesting, wintering gardens and we’ve witnessed the migration of the birds going south. With the harvest season now past us, we have settled into our routines of preparing for the upcoming winter. The season also brings with it an increase of meetings with regional and national assemblies.
There has been a steady stream of activity in tandem with planning and coordinating for our Fall Assembly, which we held on November 1-2, hosted by Zhiibaahaasing First Nation in Sudbury. We have taken account of the many priorities of Anishinabek First Nations over the course of the past two months with a series of regional meetings leading into our Assembly.
The end of September marked the 2nd annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th. We were inspired to witness the numerous activities, events, and ceremonies throughout Anishinabek Nation territory honouring our ancestors and Survivors of Indian Residential Schools. Members of our executive were honoured to attend events throughout our regions. Southeast Regional Deputy Grand Council Chief Jimbob Marsden attended a special flag-raising at Queen’s Park alongside Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare. Grand Council Chief Reg Niganobe and Northern Superior Regional Deputy Grand Council Chief Mel Hardy attended a charity run for Mazinaajim Children’s Foundation. It was a meaningful way to show our respect to our ancestors and be with the community to support a good cause supporting children and youth.
On October 1, we commemorated the passing of Bill S-10: Anishinabek Nation Governance Agreement Act at the Anishinabek Nation Head Office in Nipissing with the signatory communities and the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Indigenous-Crown Relations. It was our first opportunity to meet in-person since the Bill received Royal Assent. It was a ceremonious event and we were able to exchange gifts and appreciate the collective effort to reach this milestone achievement. Chief Lloyd Myke and the community of Magnetawan First Nation later held a community celebration, inviting all signatory communities and their citizens to partake in marking this momentous occasion in history.
All of our regional meetings also took place in October and were offered in a hybrid format. The first of the series was in the Southeast Region on October 4 hosted by Chippewas of Rama First Nation. On October 6, our Southwest Regional meeting took place in London. The following week on October 13, saw our Lake Huron regional meeting on Manitoulin Island, hosted by Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. Our final regional meeting was for the Northern Superior Region and took place in Thunder Bay hosted by Long Lake #58 on October 20. We appreciate the hospitality of being welcomed into each region and thank the leadership for their engagement. We know that it is a commitment to take time away from community responsibilities and we are grateful for their participation.
Each regional meeting had tailored agendas to suit the needs and priorities of each region. We are enthusiastic to have these opportunities to hear directly from leadership on current successes and challenges. There are a number of communities in COVID-19 pandemic recovery mode, and we have been reminded by our leadership that the pandemic is not over. Continual support and monitoring remain a top priority as long-term impacts have yet to be realized.
During our dialogue sessions, many communities have expressed how their economic and social infrastructure endeavours are being impacted by lack of land-base. Communities that have been able to acquire land are then subjected to a lengthy federal process to return the land to reserve status, also known as addition to reserve. It is well-known that this process is inefficient and impedes First Nation’s abilities to create their own source revenue and housing needs for their citizens. It is also a costly undertaking as communities must comply with municipal fees and taxes for years while navigating through a sluggish process. We are ensuring that this issue remains a top priority in our advocacy approaches. The secretariat has allocated technical expertise and support to work with our regional organizations in the larger effort to reform this policy. We will continue to update at our regional meetings and Grand Council Assembly as work progresses.
We are also aware of the urgent need for increased mental health support, resources, and funding to assist in the ongoing wholistic needs of communities. We have recently recruited an Opioid Strategic Planning Specialist and a Mental Health Addiction System Specialist to guide and lead the work in creating and implementing a strategy that will provide options and solutions for Anishinabek communities in their service and care needs. We wholeheartedly understand that existing needs were exacerbated by the pandemic. We are hopeful that the work being undertaken will advance the coordination and strategic approach to addressing the current state of mental health, addictions, and life promotion needs in all Anishinabek First Nations.
These themes were also prevalent at our Fall Assembly where we also discussed a range of additional priorities, updates on special projects and discussion on policing and governance. It was our first Fall Assembly offered in hybrid format. We sincerely appreciate the participation of the leadership who attended in-person as well as those who participated online. Zhiibaahaasing First Nation Chief Irene Kells and the entire council were generous hosts and we all felt warmly welcomed into the territory. We also send our utmost appreciation to Chief Craig Nootchtai and the council who hosted us for a social round dance and feast at their community centre on November 1. It was a wonderful experience to come together in the spirit of honouring our ancestors during a very meaningful time. The drumming, singing, and feasting was festive and lively and a wonderful way for us to get together as we always have as Anishinabek.
The coming months will see our regional and national assemblies at the Chiefs of Ontario and the Assembly of First Nations. We will ensure that our communities’ priorities remain at the forefront of our efforts. We look forward to providing an update in our next edition and we send our best wishes to everyone as they prepare for the upcoming winter season.
Notable Meetings and Events:
- Evening of Excellence, Chippewas of Rama First Nation – August 24
- Band Representative Conference, Chippewas of Rama First Nation – September 13-15
- ATR Strategic Roundtable – September 14
- Eagle Staff Gathering, Sheguiandah First Nation, September 23-25
- Great Lakes Forum, Niagara Falls – September 26
- 21 First Nations Meeting – September 29
- Survivors Gathering, Sault Ste. Marie – October 13
- Final Settlement Agreement Committee – October 12
- Centralized Services Meeting – October 18
- Indigenous Services Canada Joint Gathering – October 25-27
- Treaty Recognition Week Launch – November 7