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Hamilton Spectator
30-06-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Point Park returned to Northern Ontario First Nations after 27 year-long struggle
The smell of walleye and the sound of live music wafted through Point Park on Indigenous Peoples Day. Under the 30C sun, dozens of children ran between the beach and inflatable, bouncy castles. Susan Councillor took in the ruckus under a lone tree at the edge of the park. Across the mouth of Rainy River to her right, you could see International Falls, Minnesota. To her left, Couchiching First Nation was visible on the southern shore of Rainy Lake. And behind her, the highway met the Town of Fort Frances. All of this action right in the middle felt to her like the good old days. 'This is awesome. We haven't had something like this anywhere, (a place) to sit and enjoy music and visit with people. There used to be pow wows here, there used to be fairgrounds. There used to be baseball,' she said. 'It's such a beautiful piece of land but it wasn't being utilized for anything. When the organizers planned this, they didn't know about the verdict that came out on Wednesday. It just fell into place.' She was referring to a June 17 summary ruling 27 years in the making, which returns this sliver of land known as Point Park to the nearby Couchiching, Mitaanjigamiing, Naicatchewenin, and Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nations, collectively known as Agency One. A contested history The Point where Rainy Lake meets Rainy River has always been a landing point for trade between First Nations. Between 1871 and 1888, it was also home to Robert J.N. Pither, the Indian agent for Couchiching and one of two commissioners who signed Treaty 3 in 1873. The other commissioner of the agreement with 28 First Nations that covers a 55,000-square-mile area in northwestern Ontario and southeastern Manitoba, Simon Dawson, sent a report to Canada's Governor General on Dec. 31, 1874 in which he proposed guaranteed reserves. Those included Reserve No.1, also known as the Agency One Reserve. Dawson described it as follows:'At the foot of Rainy Lake, to be laid off as nearly as may be indicated on the plan. Two chains in depth along the shore of Rainy Lake and the bank of Rainy River, to be reserved for roads, right of way to lumbermen, booms, wharves and other public purposes. 'This Indian Reserve not to be for any particular chief or band, but for the Saulteuse tribe, generally, and for the purpose of maintaining thereon an Indian Agency generally with the necessary grounds and buildings.' Settlers surveyed roads through the area in the decade that followed, incorporating the township of McIrvine in 1894. McIrvine grew into Fort Frances, which became a township in 1903. Ontario was not only eager to recognize surveyed roads and townships in the district to encourage agricultural development, but it was also embroiled in a dispute over its border with Manitoba through the late 1880s and early 1890s. Laws recognizing settler property and Indigenous land rights moved quickly and inconsistently. The residents of Fort Frances, meanwhile, extensively lobbied senior levels of government to hand over the Agency One land to them for a park. Those efforts culminated in Canada signing a 99-year lease to the town in 1908. In 1998, the four First Nations that make up Agency One filed a statement of claim against Canada for breach of fiduciary duty, alleging maladministration. They added Ontario and Fort Frances as parties in 2008. The town issued a counterclaim the following year, asserting it rightfully owned the park. Justice Fregeau agreed with Canada and Ontario in the decision, ruling that the Agency One Reserve, 'was a validly created reserve' and that Canada, 'did not intend to publicly dedicate the land' when it leased the park to Fort Frances. Fregeau then dismissed the town's claims of $50-million for breach of promise as well as its $2-million reimbursement claim for 'unjust enrichment' over the capital improvements the municipality made. 'This land was always ours' Under the tent, Nigigoonsiminikaaning Chief Terry Allan held a microphone in one hand and an eagle feather in the other as he explained the decision's meaning to the assembled crowd. 'Every elder knew, every chief knew, every community knew — this land was always ours, and it will be for thousands of years,' Allan said. 'Just try to picture yourself here thousands of years ago. Picture these drums. Those songs, these drums, they don't change. They've been here for thousands of years. The ceremonies we're going to be doing once again here on these lands, picture the kids running around, picture people fishing, picture the canoes here. Picture all those things. They're going to come back here.' As a boy, elder William Yerxa remembers running to the beach to watch those canoes make the last leg of their journey across the bay. They'd come from communities as far east as Seine River, nearly 100 kilometres away. Yerxa is a member of Little Eagle Band, a descendent of the treaty signatory to the Point. He said his elders told him that the land rightfully belonged to him, that Pither was a thief, and that one day, he'd have to talk about it.'Somebody was here before me a long time ago and they watched over the land. They cared for it. They took care of the water, they took care of the land, they took care of the animals, they took what they needed. They belonged to the land – and we are the land. That's why it matters to me,' he said, tugging at his t-shirt that read 'It's All Indian Land.' 'We won the court case. We're different. You can feel that lightness flowing within them now. That's theirs, it's ours. It's who we are.' The case has carried on for nearly the entire life of Yerxa's 34-year-old granddaughter, Cheyenne Vandermeer. Vandermeer is now the Deputy Grand Chief of Grand Council Treaty #3, the territory's traditional government. Vandermeer remembers the four communities would hold spring and fall feasts from when she was too young to understand why the chiefs were meeting under a tent in the park. Yerxa took her to where Pither and the railroad had disturbed the burial mounds of her ancestors, along the riverbanks where shards of ancient pottery are still resting in the sand between the stones. Her job in politics keeps her on the road but every day she's home, she walks to the rapids to offer tobacco. 'He always said we never gave it to them, we said they could borrow it and now it's done and it's time for them to give it back,' she recalled of her grandfather's teachings. 'I think from our side of things, we were willing to share our territory, but we never did surrender it. I think they're going to have to learn to be in relationship with the chiefs and communities, who are caretakers of this land.' A long road to decolonization The small steps Fort Frances has taken toward reconciliation are visible from this spot. The sign that read 'Pither's Point' was removed in 2014. That sign was on the off-ramp from the waterfront street that used to be called 'Colonization Drive.' In 2021, it was renamed 'Agamiing Drive,' which is Anishinaabemowin term to describe the edge of the water. But some among the settler population resisted those changes and the city's stance during the case reflected that. The municipality's mailout leaflets in the late 2010s incorrectly informed Fort Frances residents the First Nations had 'surrendered' the park. They listed a number of other First Nations lawsuits and land claims framed as encroaching on private property interests, even inferring the price of electricity could be in jeopardy. In summation, they read, 'All the Town is looking for is to preserve the Point Park and roads for everyone to use and enjoy. The town has made many attempts to settle these matters. The town's proposals to date, have been rejected, however, the Town will continue to seek solutions that will preserve the park use as it has existed for over a hundred years' (original emphasis). Fort Frances Mayor Andrew Hallikas and his council bucked eight terms of their predecessors on Monday when they voted unanimously to abandon further appeals to ownership over Point Park. Their public statement says council members 'acknowledge and regret the damage done to our relationship with Agency One,' recognizing the toll the prolonged case took on residents, staff, and members of area First Nations.'I'm very proud of this council for putting an end to what seemed to me to be endless litigation,' Hallikas said. 'I'm pleased they took a position that will allow us to move forward toward our journey to reconciliation. I really want it to be a time of healing. I want to see a rebuilding of trust and it takes time to build trust, but it's a beginning.' The first meeting between the town manager and the CEO of Agency One resulted in a commitment to joint funding for fireworks on Canada Day at Point Park. Over the four decades Couchiching First Nation Chief Richard Bruyere has been fighting this battle, he said he's watched members of his community integrate with the town's young people in sports and school. He's watched more of his community's members working in the municipality and some choosing to live there. He has watched the political needle move slowly and he's hopeful over the Fort Frances' council's promise to improve the relationship across the park that has been allowed to come between them for so long. 'There seems to be a new way of thinking,' Bruyere reflected. 'It's a beautiful spot and it's going to go on being that way. It's incumbent on us as First Nations people to keep that beauty there. I don't know if 'pristine' is the right word or not but it has to be managed properly. It's new to us, we're going to stumble along the way. Not everything's going to be helping the linking of a lot of people, but we'll get there.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CBC
29-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
'Like seeing an old friend:' Beloved totem pole restored and relocated in St. Catharines, Ont.
Social Sharing About six years after it was removed from a St. Catharines, Ont., park, a beloved totem pole is once again standing tall in the community. Commissioned in 1966 for Canada's 100th birthday, the Centennial Totem Pole was carved by the late Doug Cranmer, a Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw artist and hereditary chief of the ʼNa̱mǥis Nation. Close to 13 metres tall, the totem pole, featuring carvings of figures including a thunderbird, bear and cedar man, stood in Richard Pierpoint Park in the Queenston neighbourhood until 2019 when it was taken down for restoration. Over its 50 years in the park, the piece of art took on significance locally, Six Nations Wolf Clan member Phil Davis told CBC Hamilton. "It has become a part of our fabric and has come to represent a place of hope and faith for our people to gather over the years," he said. Davis works as a cultural resource coordinator for the Niagara Regional Native Centre (NRNC) and said such spaces are important for a community trying to find its identity in an urban setting. "When we have something as magnificent as a totem pole, we start understanding it at a deeper level," he said. "That is something that's much needed these days in the crazy world that we live in." Totem poles are not customary of the region Despite its local significance, carving totem poles is not a tradition among Indigenous people in Treaty 3 land. Totem poles come from the Pacific Northwest. At the time the totem pole was commissioned, "it wasn't uncommon for municipalities and governments to celebrate the colonization of Canada through purchasing Indigenous art pieces," said St. Catharines culture coordinator Olivia Hope. Those were often Western works that conformed to "the idea of what Indigenous was at the time," Hope said, adding the city likely viewed it as something to represent the Indigenous community in Niagara. Hope is Oneida, Haudenausaunee, from Six Nations of the Grand River and also has Québécois and Polish heritage. Around 2017, Hope said, the city, NRNC and local community members began discussing what to do with the totem pole, which was in "rough shape," according to Bruce Alfred, the artist who would eventually restore it. She said Cranmer's family was contacted and were in favour of the totem pole being restored. They also suggested Alfred be the one to lead the process. Alfred is also an artist from the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw Nation, who lives in Alert Bay, B.C., and apprenticed with Cranmer. He agreed to restore it and the totem pole was reinstalled inside the Canada Games Park. 'He was such a character' Even though it might not have "the exact same connection" with community as it did before, Hope said the totem pole will still be accessible. "That way, generations upon generations could enjoy it," said Alfred. "Otherwise, in 10 years, it'll be right back to square one before we restored it." It took Alfred and two other Indigenous artists, Dominique Wells and Cole Speck, four weeks and long hours to restore the piece, he said. He said the piece needed "a lot of work" as, on top of the weather damage, the totem pole had been set on fire, which created a cavity inside it. Then someone filled it up with cement, which Alfred said was "a job and a half" to remove. "There ended up being a lot of concrete in there. We had to get a miniature jackhammer to break it apart," he said. It wasn't the first time Alfred was restoring a piece made by his mentor, but that didn't make it any less special or educational. "It's always a learning experience. You know, I just kept thinking, 'Okay, what would Doug do?'" he said. For Alfred, Cranmer was more than a teacher. "Doug was my chief, my uncle, my mentor, even a father figure to me, which meant a lot," he said. "He was such a character, gifted character." 'There's a lot of pride there' Hope said the restoration was a learning experience for the city and an opportunity for Indigenous people to share their knowledge. "I think also what has highlighted for the city and hopefully for other cities is the need for local Indigenous art to be made more public, to be created, to have a light shone on it," she said. Davis said his involvement in the restoration was made through his work, but "it expanded beyond that." He and Hope would have conversations about what the totem pole represents, he said, and even considered letting it "go back to nature." Alfred invited Davis to the totem pole's installation as a witness, which he said was "pretty amazing." "It was awesome to walk up and see it again, like seeing an old friend again," he said. Alfred said the totem pole was an art piece that "became ceremonial," because of how locals, Indigenous and not, embraced it. "There's a lot of pride there," he said.
CBC
27-05-2025
- Science
- CBC
'Water is sacred': Treaty 3 team deploys new water monitoring devices across territory
Laine Fyke says it's important to find out how climate change is affecting lakes and rivers across Treaty 3 territory. Fyke, environmental monitoring co-ordinator with Grand Council Treaty 3's Territorial Planning Unit, is helping oversee the organization's community-based monitoring program. The initial program dates back to 2018, when handheld meters were used to collect baseline water quality data in Treaty 3. The territory consists of 28 First Nations and spans west of Thunder Bay, Ont., to north of Sioux Lookout, along the international border, to the province of Manitoba. This year, the Territorial Planning Unit has deployed new, cylindrical devices, which measure short and long-term water temperatures, pH levels and dissolved oxygen in the water. "Climate change can affect water temperature. Of course, it can increase water temperature, which can decrease aquatic life, habitat, as well as decrease the amount of dissolved oxygen they need to survive," said Fyke. "These would be the kind of things that we'll be looking for in our data trends." So far, eight devices attached to large yellow buoys have been deployed, and the team is continuing to reach out to communities to gauge interest. "We'll work with these communities to find a community-identified site of importance to set it up — so this could be a sacred site, a site of ecological importance like a fish spawning habitat, or somewhere near water intake," said Fyke. The eventual goal, if funding can be secured for it, is to deploy devices in all 28 First Nations in the territory, she said. "With community permission, we could use [this data] to better advocate for changes in regards to natural resource development, climate change policies and human influences," Fyke said. 'It's connected to all of us' Scott Higgins is a senior research scientist with the International Institute for Sustainable Development's (IISD) Experimental Lakes Area. The institute has a research station based in northwestern Ontario, where it's currently conducting experiments related to microplastics, antimicrobials and algal blooms. The institute offered support to Grand Council Treaty 3 when it first launched its monitoring program, having done water quality work for decades. Community-based monitoring programs have a number of benefits, said Higgins, since they allow data to be gathered in more remote areas. "When you think about northwestern Ontario, it's huge and there's lots of water, and most of those locations do not have any monitoring," he said. "Community-based monitoring programs are critical for collecting data that wouldn't otherwise be collected." With the number of developments underway in the region, such as logging and mining, Higgins said it's important to establish a baseline for what conditions should look like, and how industrial activities may change them over time. Having this work done at the community level is also cost-effective, he added, mitigating the need for researchers to travel far distances to collect the data. "This is of huge value obviously to the local First Nations, to Treaty 3 in this case, but it's also of large value to Ontario as well, and so I would just like to see the support for these programs continue and grow into the future," said Higgins. Fyke said she hopes the project helps raise awareness about the significance of the territory's waterways — and reminds people not to interfere with the devices if they encounter them during the open water season.
CBC
16-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
First Nations leaders, candidates reach out to mobilize Indigenous voters
Tania Cameron is logging a lot of time in her 2023 Ford Explorer these days. "I'm already at 2,700 kilometres and 5,200 hours of drive time since the start of the campaign," Cameron said on a recent visit to Washagamis Bay First Nation, about 20 minutes southwest of Kenora, Ont. "I am doing my best to get to every little town, every big city and all the First Nations in the riding. That's my goal. Whether I can get to all of it, we'll see." Cameron is the NDP candidate for Kenora-Kiiwetinoong — the second-largest Ontario riding, covering one-third of the province. It's home to 38 First Nations, many of them remote. It's one of 36 ridings across the country where the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) says the outcome of this federal election could be determined by First Nations voters. In these ridings, the percentage of First Nations voters is higher than 2021's margin of victory or where they are 10 per cent or more of all eligible voters. But Indigenous people are less likely to vote than non-Indigenous people. Every province and territory saw a decline in Indigenous voter turnout in 2021, according to Elections Canada. First Nations leaders recognize that concern, and are encouraging community members to learn everything they need to get out and cast their ballots. And candidates like Cameron are reaching out to people who may be interested in voting, even if others in their communities may not want to take part at all. "If you want to participate in this colonized system of governance, then you are welcome to. If you don't want to, I totally respect that," said Cameron, a member of the Niisaachewan Anishinaabe Nation in Treaty 3. She acknowledges some Indigenous people don't vote, because they view First Nations as sovereign within Canada. To some, voting could be seen as casting their own governing systems as illegitimate. First Nations were granted the right to vote federally in 1960. Charles Fox, the Liberal candidate for Kenora-Kiiwetinoong, said there's a "hangover" from the time First Nations weren't allowed to participate in mainstream society. Many older Indigenous people have never voted, and young people haven't been taught the process, so he's also doing a lot of education on the doorstep. For some, part of the challenge is having appropriate identification. Fox is directing residents to a list of acceptable documents on Elections Canada's website. "I'm appealing to the leadership. I'm appealing to the younger generation.… We've got to participate. And that's my rationale for running. I'm not running for myself. I'm running for the future," said Fox, a member of the Bearskin Lake First Nation and former Nishnawbe Aski Grand Chief and Ontario Regional Chief. "If you're going to influence policies in this country, we have to participate in this exercise, get a Member of Parliament into the House — the big house, as I tell them, the big band office. And he's got to be or she's got to be part of that debate to influence policy with the governing party." 'First Nations votes matter' First Nations leaders recognize that concern, which is why they're encouraging Indigenous people to get educated on what they need, find out where to go, and then get out to cast their ballots. For example, in Manitoba, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, and Southern Chiefs' Organization (SCO) have joined together to launch "Rock the Vote" campaigns. The goal is "to show to the electorate in Canada that First Nations votes matter," said SCO Grand Chief Jerry Daniels. "We've got to show it through our vote. It's a sacred responsibility … so that when decisions are being made, they're made with your thoughts and your values in mind." SCO Youth Chief Billy Bird, 18, will be voting in his first election on Apr. 28. He's been researching his local candidates and the federal party platforms, and has already made plans to go to the polls with his friends. "It's up to us to empower the next generation to come and to get familiar with these positions and these opportunities. I think we have a really big influence in this election and I think that it's crucial that we get the youth to vote," he said. "You know, we're still strong. We're still resilient. And we're still rising as Indigenous youth." Daniels and Bird shared that message, and voting information, on the organization's podcast Fireside Chats. Indigenous issues at the wayside this election Although all three main parties have platforms on Indigenous issues, they haven't gotten much attention in this campaign. Daniels said that's making it difficult to generate interest for some First Nations people. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh conceded that in Timmins last weekend, as he unveiled his plan for northern Ontario. "I would say those critics are right," he said. "I challenge the other parties to make Indigenous issues a fundamental and important issue in this campaign because it is fundamental and important." WATCH | How candidates are engaging First Nation communities The push to put Indigenous issues front and centre in the federal election 5 minutes ago Duration 2:07 The riding of Kenora–Kiiwetinoong, in northwestern Ontario, is one of 36 identified by the Assembly of First Nations as being winnable based on the Indigenous vote. Cameron MacIntosh visits the region to see how candidates are engaging First Nation communities. The AFN is reminding federal politicians not to overlook Indigenous priorities, including economic reconciliation, the well-being of First Nations children, and community safety and security. Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre are offering similar-sounding energy development plans that would involve dealing with landholder rights, protected areas and Indigenous communities. "[Some leaders are] talking about wanting to start mines up north and stuff like that. And those natives don't want that," said John Wassaykeesic, a resident of Washagamis Bay. Back in Kenora, Fox says he's hearing many of the same concerns from Indigenous and non-Indigenous voters in his riding, including tariffs and sovereignty threats from the United States, the cost of living, health, homelessness and addiction, infrastructure, and resource development. "I can bring the two societies together to address common issues," he said. "I've been doing this for most of my life."
