Rick Garrick — Wawatay News

About 300 people marched through the Agency #1 reserve lands in Fort Frances during a June 21 unity walk.
The walk was intended to highlight the encroachment of the town of Fort Frances onto reserve land that was set aside for four First Nations after the signing of Treaty #3.
“Everyone just wanted to bring some attention to some of the struggles we have been having surrounding the return of Agency #1 land back to the four Agency #1 communities,” said

Pic Mobert is looking forward to construction of the Gitchi Animki (Big Thunder) Hydroelectric Project in the community’s traditional territory on the White River.
“It’s going to be a big boost to a lot of things that we lack in our community,” said Wayne Sabourin, Pic Mobert’s lead band councillor for energy projects. “It took a long time to get to where we are today, but I think the rewards are going to be very beneficial towards our First Nation.”

An Indigenous language texting app is now available as a free download for iPad, iTouch and iPhone.
“It is exciting when my daughter asks me to text words to her in our language,” said Samantha Etzel, one of eight SENĆOŦEN language apprentices at the LÁU,WELNEW Tribal School in Brentwood Bay, B.C. “To have the technology at our fingertips adds to ways of learning for our community members who live off-reserve, but still have a desire to learn.”

Whitesand First Nation recently celebrated the transfer of lands in their traditional territory along the northwestern shore of Lake Nipigon.
“All together, we have five additional parcels of land to be added to our reserve, but these are spread out throughout our territory,” said Clifford Tibishkogijig, a Whitesand band councillor.
“It allows us to have, what I call, small footprints throughout our territory. It signifies that we are not only living and occupying the land, but we are also continuing to utilize the land that we call our traditional territory.”

Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation is looking to build a casino, conference centre and hotel in Dryden.
“It’s at the request for information stage,” said Wabigoon Lake Chief Ruben Cantin. “So it’s going to take a while, maybe even this fall and even later on until they formalize a decision on who’s going to get licenses and who isn’t.”
Cantin said the community first became interested in developing a casino project in the mid-2000s but put it on hold after a moratorium on casinos was put in place in 2005.