Red Rock Indian Band hosts the 2022 Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Assembly
By Marci Becking
THUNDER BAY – Red Rock Indian Band hosted the 2022 Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Assembly in Thunder Bay. Chiefs-in-Assembly met from May 31 to June 2 at the Nor’Wester Hotel and Conference Centre, and also online; making it a hybrid event.
Two big announcements that came from the three-day event were the creation of a Men’s Nation Council and the mandate to establish a 2SLGBTQQIA+ Advisory Council.
Chief Brent Bissaillion of Serpent River First Nation acknowledged the Chiefs-in-Assembly for passing the resolution to create a 2SLGBTQQIA+ Nation Council.
“This is to celebrate the Two-Spirited in our communities and I am very excited and very thankful,” said Chief Bissaillion. “You can have pride every day in your life.”
Getzit Marilyn Netemegesic from Red Rock Indian Band and Getzit Donna Debassige, member of the Anishinabek Nation Getzidjig Council and Kwe-Wuk Council, started the Assembly in a good way.
The Assembly included various Chiefs’ Circles with topics such as Pandemic Recovery, and Mental Health and Addictions, respectively, along with corresponding resolutions.
The first resolution was in the Ajijaak Dodem – Recognition of Anishinaabe Giizhigad.
All Anishinabek Nation First Nations are encouraged to celebrate being Anishinaabe every year on June 6.
Resolutions passed at this year’s assembly were as follows:
Ajijaak Dodem: Support for Anishinabek First Nation Decision-Making Process; and the creation of the Anishinabek 2SLGBTQQIA+ Advisory Council.
Mukwa Dodem: Anishinabek Nation Long-Term Healing Strategy; Youth Detox and Treatment Centre for the Northern Superior Region; and Culturally-Appropriate Treatment Options for the Southeast Region.
Shiikehn Dodem: Advocacy for the Recognition of Policing as an Essential Service; Anishinabek Nation Justice System and Recognition of the Law-Making Jurisdiction of the Anishinabek First Nations.
Giigoon Dodem: Climate Change and Meeting Net-Zero Emissions by 2050; Invasive Species – Building Relationships and Capacity; and Mining Claims, Activities and Projects Infringing on First Nation Rights.
Maang Dodem: Development of an Anishinabek Nation Infrastructure Department; Safeguarding Anishinabek Sovereignty, Possession and Jurisdiction over Data, Genomics, and Artificial Intelligence.
Migizi Dodem: Advocation for Indigenous Languages and Content Equality; and First Nation ISETAs and the First Nation Inuit Child Care Initiative.
Waabizheshii Dodem: Climate Change and Canada’s Carbon Pricing System to Meet Net-Zero by 2050 and Indigenous Tourism Ontario.
Thunder Mountain Singers were the drum for this Assembly and helped open and close each day.
Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare and Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Derek Fox made remarks to the Assembly.
The Assembly heard from keynote speaker Dr. Carol Hopkins, CEO of the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation, about the importance of Harm Reduction.
“[It] moves us from thinking of ‘inputs’ for ‘individuals’ to seeing that these very things have a benefit to the whole — families and the whole community,” says Hopkins. “Think of the issues of increased violence, theft, and children living without anything in their homes – furniture, toys, and most importantly food— because of addictions, and all of this changes with access to buprenorphine and cultural interventions. So, through opioid replacement therapy, not only are harms reduced for the person who is addicted, they are also reduced for children, family, whole community.”
Other presentations included the review of the Regional Deputy Grand Council Chief position by Martin Bayer, and an address by Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller.
Kinoomaadizwin Education Body Senior Operations Manager Andrea Crawford and Legal Counsel Tracey O’Donnell gave an update on the KEB.
Patrick Madahbee updated the Chiefs-in-Assembly on the Ontario First Nations Limited Partnership and Sovereign Wealth Board.