Sagkeeng First Nation

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The Sagkeeng First Nation is an Anishinaabe First Nation which holds territory east of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada. Sagkeeng, which was once called Fort Alexander, has an on-reserve population of approximately 3,000 people. Ojibway is the name of the tribe that lives in Sagkeeng.

Contents

[edit] Chiefs

  • Phil Fontaine (1973-1977)
  • Ken Courchene
  • Jerry Fontaine (1989-1998)
  • Ron Fontaine (1998-2001)
    • Ron Fontaine became acting chief following Jerry Fontaine's resignation in September 1998, and was subsequently elected to the position.[1] He was in office during the Virginia Fontaine Addictions Foundation Scandal (see below), and blamed the resulting controversy on a "white media agenda" designed to undermine aboriginal self-government.[2] He was defeated in 2001.
  • Garry Swampy (2001-2004)
  • Joe Daniels (interim) (2004-2005)
  • Joan Linda Twoheart (2005-2007)
  • Donavon Fontaine (2007 - )

[edit] Treaty

Kakakepenaise (William Mann I) signed Treaty 1 on behalf of the Sagkeeng people in 1871.[3] Although Sagkeeng is a Treaty 1 nation, it is a member of the Grand Council of Treaty 3.

[edit] Virginia Fontaine Addictions Foundation Scandal

On October 18, 2000, Canadian Press organization reported that the Director of the Foundation, Perry Fontaine and 74 other persons attended a cruise to the Caribbean that was termed a "Staff Retreat". The cost of this trip was reported later to be over 135,000 dollars. Health Canada eventually investigated the financial books of the Center and found massive fraud and kickback schemes.

Sagkeeng First Nation now hosts a family treatment centre. Though there is still stigma attached to this community, the program has been successfully running for a few years.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Kevin Rollason, "Chief's quitting heartens protest Fontaine to focus on race to lead Grits", Winnipeg Free Press, 2 September 1998, A6.
  2. ^ Bill Redekop, "Sagkeeng chief decries 'white media agenda'", Winnipeg Free Press, 25 November 2000, A4.
  3. ^ Sagkeeng History and Timeline

[edit] External links


[edit] Footnotes