Mishkeegogamang First Nation

Mishkeegogamang First Nation, also known as New Osnaburgh, Osnaburgh House, or Osnaburgh for various settlements, or "Oz" for short, is an Ojibwa First Nations band government in the Canadian province of Ontario. Until 1993, the band was called the Osnaburgh First Nation.

It is located along Highway 599 in the Kenora District, approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Pickle Lake. In September, 2007, its total registered population was 1,835, of which the on-reserve population was 909. At one time a member of the Windigo First Nations Council, Mishkeegogamang First Nation is not part of any regional tribal councils as of February 2015; however, they have retained their membership with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.

Boundary Sign

Geography

The Mishkeegogamang First Nation's landbase consists of two reserves, the smaller 5,018.6-hectare (12,401-acre) Osnaburgh Indian Reserve 63A and the larger 13,677.8-hectare (33,799-acre) Osnaburgh Indian Reserve No. 63B. In addition, Oz is made up of separate and somewhat geographically disconnected communities. On their main reserve are the communities of Bottle Hill, Poplar Heights and Sandy Road. A community about 15 miles (24 km) south of the reserve called Ten Houses is also associated with this First Nation. Additionally, few other small communities called Doghole Bay, Eric Lake, Ace Lake and a few others are also associated with Oz.

History

Early history

The Mishkeegogamang are Ojibways who are believed to have originated in the Great Lakes region.[1] The tribe might have moved north with European Hudson's Bay Company traders with the previous Cree occupants being pushed northward.[1]

Osnaburgh House

As the Hudson's Bay Company sought to establish interior trading posts to compete with rival companies, it sent John Best along the Albany River to find an appropriate location for such a post.[1] He chose a spot near the northeast end of Lake St. Joseph called Osnaburgh House (51°08′14″N 90°16′00″W / 51.13722°N 90.26667°W).[1] The house itself survived for around 200 years and it later gave its name to the settlement of Osnaburgh (51°07′30″N 90°15′14″W / 51.12500°N 90.25389°W).[1] which was directly across the lake from the house. After the house was abandoned in 1963, it fell into ruin.[2] Since the 1980s, the site, which is not inside the boundaries of the first nation, has been the Old Post Lodge fishing camp.[2] The house gave its name to the "Osnaburgh House" postal code of P0V 2H0.

Twentieth century

In 1905, the Government of Canada sent commissioners to the area to attain the land for the Crown. Treaty 9 between them and the Mishkeegogamang (among other groups) set aside two pieces of land for reserves (Osnaburgh 63A and 63B) with the promise that the people would not necessarily have to live on the reserves and would have full use of all of their traditional lands.[1] The tribe was formalised at this time with Missabay chosen as the first chief and a band and council system was instituted.[1]

The completion of Highway 599 in 1954 from Savant Lake to an earlier mine road brought great social change to the Mishkeegogamang.[1] The highway was several kilometres from Osnaburgh village (in Osnaburgh 63A), so the government encouraged people to move a new village, New Osnaburgh (51°14′06″N 90°14′20″W / 51.23500°N 90.23889°W), on Doghole Lake (Osnaburgh 63B) which today is the Main Reserve.[1]

On 15 November 1993, the Band Council changed the name of the group from Osnaburgh First Nation to its current name.[3]

Governance

Mishkeegogamang First Nation is governed by a Chief (Connie Gray-McKay) and five councillors (Thomas Spade, Tommy Wassaykeesic, James Bottle, David Masakeyash and Maryanne Panacheese-Skunk).[4] The Council meets at the Council Building in Ten Houses.[4] Mishkeegogamang is not affiliated with a tribal organization, but is associated with Nishnawbe Aski Nation lobby group.[4]

Mishkeegogamang is policed by the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service, an aboriginal-based service.[5] Mishkeegogamang does not observe daylight saving time.

The area is in the Kenora federal riding and the Kenora—Rainy River provincial electoral district.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "History". Mishkeegogamang First Nation. 2010. Retrieved 2004-02-15.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "History". Old Post Lodge. 2013. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
  3. ↑ "Mishkeegogamang and its People". Mishkeegogamang First Nation. 2010. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Administration". Mishkeegogamang First Nation. 2010. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
  5. ↑ "Police". Mishkeegogamang First Nation. 2010. Retrieved 2014-02-15.

External links

Coordinates: 51°14′06″N 90°14′20″W / 51.23500°N 90.23889°W