Eabametoong First Nation

Eabametoong First Nation
Indian reserve
Fort Hope Indian Reserve No. 64, Eabamet Lake - (Postal Address)
Motto: As long at the sun shines, the grass grows, the river flows we are an Ojibway Nation
Eabametoong First Nation
Coordinates: 51°33′N 87°54′W / 51.550°N 87.900°W / 51.550; -87.900Coordinates: 51°33′N 87°54′W / 51.550°N 87.900°W / 51.550; -87.900
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Provincial Territorial Organization	NAN
District	Kenora
Tribal Council	Matawa First Nations Management
First Nation	Eabametoong First Nation
Government
• Chief	Elizabeth Atlookan
• Council	List of councilors Charlie Okeese Louie Sugarhead Steven Atlookan Wanda Sugarhead Harry Papah
• MP	Bob Nault
• MPPs	Sarah Campbell
Area[1]
• Land	244.29 km2 (94.32 sq mi)
Population (2016)[1]
• Total	1,014
• Density	4.2/km2 (11/sq mi)
Forward sortation area	P0T
Area code(s)	807
Website

Eabametoong, also known as Fort Hope or Eabamet Lake by Canada Post, is an Ojibway First Nation band government in Kenora District, Ontario, Canada. Located on the shore of Eabamet Lake in the Albany River system, the community is located approximately 300 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay and is accessible only by airplane to Fort Hope Airport or water, or by winter/ice roads, which connect the community to the Northern Ontario Resource Trail. Eabametoong First Nation Reserve is completely surrounded by territory of the Unorganized Kenora District.

History

Eabametoong came to be during the fur trade era when the Hudson's Bay Company set up a trading post by Eabamet lake in 1890. Canoe was used as the main source of transportation so the post had to be near water. The Fort Hope Band came into existence in 1905 when the treaty was signed by 500 people. The new community of Eabametoong started in 1982 with the official name of Eabametoong First Nation being adopted in 1985. The main draw for the people of Eabametoong before the fur trade was the multitudes of various fish including: sturgeon, walleye and whitefish which still inhabit the waters today.

On October 23, 2010, Chief Lewis Nate declared a state of emergency because of excessive community violence and crime, including the attempted arson of the reserve's only school. Since January, 2010, there had been three confirmed homicides and approximately 50 incidents of arson in the community. As of mid-2012 there have been no further arsons. Speculation from the local police force suggested prescription drug abuse amongst the youth was fueling the violence.^[2]

On April 7, 2016, the First Nation lost its community centre to fire which has been replaced.^[3][4]

Etymology

The name Eabametoong has a significant meaning in the Anishinaabe language; the name means, "the reversing of the waterplace." The water flow from Eabamet lake into the Albany River reverses each year, resulting from runoff water, such that water flows into Eabamet lake from the Albany River for a short period of time.

Geography and Climate

The community of Eabametoong First Nation (Fort Hope) is situated on the north shore of Eabamet Lake, which is part of the Albany River Drainage basin. ^[5]

Climate

Demographics

The population of Eabametoong First Nation is 2190, of which approximately 1300 members live in the community of Eabametoong ^[7].The total population of people living on the reserve include non-band members, such as teachers, nurses and members of other bands. The average household size is 4.3 with 110 households having 5 or more residents.

Source: Stats Canada^[8]

Government

Eabametoong First Nation governed by an elected Chief, 5 councillors. The current Chief is Elizabeth Atlookan. The Councillors are Wanda Sugarhead, Louie Sugarhead, Steven Atlookan, Charlie Okeese and Harry Papah. They are elected for a 2 year term but band members over that age of 18. ^[9] In addition to the Governance Council, boards oversea some the Council's operations: Education, Youth Council, etc.

The community and Matawa are represented by the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN). NAN is a political territorial organization that represents the 49 First Nations that are part of the Treaty No. 9 area in Northern Ontario. At the provincial level, the community, tribal council and political territorial organization participate in a province-wide coordinating body, the Chiefs of Ontario. The Assembly of First Nations represents the community along with other First Nations organizations and councils, as well as over 600 First Nations across Canada.

Eabametoong is policed by the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service, an Indigenous-based police service in Northern Ontario.

Partner City

Eabametoong First Nation has a partnership with the City of Markham through a partnership accord. Through the Cultural Collaboration Agreement the communities have agreed to:

• Promote social, cultural and economic collaboration in conjunction with Canada’s sesquicentennial celebration in 2017
• Promote harmony and goodwill for the betterment of their residents
• Stimulate public awareness^[10][11].

Education

John C Yesno Education Centre provides education for students from JK to Grade 9. The school was rebuild in the late 1990s, and can hold a maximum of 289 students (INAC guidelines). Secondary and Post-Secondary students attend schools in Thunder Bay, Sioux Lookout and beyond. ^[12] The school is modern, well-equipped, and has two computer labs, a library with a Smart Board, a science lab, weight room, woodworking shop, and a kitchen. ^[13]

Sites of interest

Miminaska is a tourist camp which is accessible by air or travel on a boat on the Albany river where every fall, hunters from Eabametoong will fly to Miminaska to hunt for moose and set nets for sturgeon.^[14]

Historical Old Fort Hope. The original settlement of Fort Hope, now called Old Fort Hope, is located on Eabamet Lake to the west of current Fort Hope. There are two churches still standing, a catholic and an anglican one. Access is by boat in the summer time and skidoo once the lake is frozen.

Recreational facilities include Hockey Arena, Community Hall, Pow-wow grounds, recreational trails and swimming spots. The school has a Gymnasium, which can be booked for evening and weekend use, sports fields and playgrounds. ^[15]

Language

The most of the population speaks or understands Ojibway. Many men and women, younger and to the age of fifty, are bilingual in Ojibway and English. Children are taught in Ojibway and English at John C Yesno Education Centre.

Sports

Many people in Eabametoong enjoy active lifestyles. In the winter time hockey and broom ball tournaments are organized at the local rink. In 2017 John C Yesno Education Centre started the first girls hockey team in Eabametoong. They went to their first tournament in Thunder Bay ^[16]

In the summer Baseball is the sport of choice. This past school year the JCY Wolves participated in two tournaments in Thunder Bay, in which they won both of them. It is the second year that the school has sent a team ^[17]

Infrastructure

Local roads are maintained by the First Nation, while the airport and main streets are maintained by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. The winter road connected to the provincial highway system in Pickle Lake. ^[18]

Health and medicine

Kevin S.C. Sagutcheway Nursing Station

Eabametoong Health and Social Services provides services that promote physical and mental health for community members. They provide health education regarding diabetes, cancer, and other serious aliments They also offer programs that help with addiction, pregnancy, parenting, drug awareness, and crisis intervention.

Transportation

Eabametoong is accessible by air year round by means of 3500 ft. gravel airstrip, Fort Hope Airport, with scheduled and chartered flights. Communities with road connections include: Thunder Bay, Sioux Lookout and Nakina. There are also flights to other fly-in communities. The airlines flying into Eabametoong are North Star, Wasaya and Nakina. Docking facilities are also available for floatplanes during the open water season.

Snowmobiles and trails are also in use between isolated communities during the winter months ^[19]

Media

There are two radio stations CBC Radio and Local Radio (101.5 fm). - Wawatay is present in the community, Wawatay radio is put over the local radio waves and Wawatay newspaper is delivered bi-weekly.

Notable Band Members

• Ruby Slipperjack - Author/Educator^[20]

References

External links

• Eabametoong First Nation
• Map of Eabametoong First Nation Reserve Lands (Fort Hope 64) at Statcan

Adjacent places of Eabametoong First Nation
		Unorganized Kenora
	Unorganized Kenora		Unorganized Kenora
		Fort Hope 64
		Eabamet Lake Unorganized Kenora

The Numbered Treaties: Treaty Nine
Numbered Treaties	Treaty 1 Treaty 2 Treaty 3 Treaty 4 Treaty 5 Treaty 6 Treaty 7 Treaty 8 Treaty 9 Treaty 10 Treaty 11
Treaty Nine Nations	Abitibiwinni First Nation (Quebec) Albany First Nation Aroland First Nation Attawapiskat First Nation Bearskin Lake First Nation Brunswick House First Nation Cat Lake First Nation Chapleau Cree First Nation Chapleau Ojibway First Nation Constance Lake First Nation Eabametoong First Nation Flying Post First Nation Fort Severn First Nation Ginoogaming First Nation Kasabonika First Nation Keewaywin First Nation Kingfisher First Nation Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation Marten Falls First Nation Matachewan First Nation Mishkeegogamang First Nation Missanabie Cree First Nation Neskantaga First Nation Nibinamik First Nation Mattagami First Nation Muskrat Dam Lake First Nation McDowell Lake First Nation Moose Cree First Nation North Caribou Lake First Nation Sachigo Lake First Nation Slate Falls Nation Taykwa Tagamou Nation Wahgoshig First Nation Wapekeka First Nation Wawakapewin First Nation Webequie First Nation Weenusk First Nation Wunnumin Lake First Nation

Kenora District, Ontario
Cities	Dryden Kenora
Towns	Red Lake Sioux Lookout
Townships	Ear Falls Ignace Machin Pickle Lake Sioux Narrows–Nestor Falls
First Nations	Animakee Wa Zhing 37 Asubpeeschoseewagong Attawapiskat Bearskin Lake Big Grassy Buffalo Point Cat Lake Deer Lake Eabametoong Eagle Lake Fort Albany Fort Severn Iskatewizaagegan 39 Kasabonika Lake Kashechewan Keewaywin Kingfisher Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug Lac Seul Marten Falls Mishkeegogamang Muskrat Dam Lake Naongashiing Naotkamegwanning Neskantaga North Caribou Lake North Spirit Lake Northwest Angle 33 Obashkaandagaang Bay Ochiichagwe'Babigo'Ining Onigaming Pikangikum Poplar Hill Sachigo Lake Sandy Lake Shoal Lake 40 Slate Falls Wabaseemoong Wabauskang Wabigoon Lake Wapekeka Wauzhushk Onigum Wawakapewin Webequie Weenusk Wunnumin Lake
Indian reserves	Agency 30 Attawapiskat 91 Attawapiskat 91A Bearskin Lake Cat Lake 63C The Dalles 38C Deer Lake Eagle Lake 27 English River 21 Fort Albany 67 (part) Fort Hope 64 Fort Severn 89 Kasabonika Lake Kee-Way-Win Kenora 38B Kingfisher 2A Kingfisher 3A Kingfisher Lake 1 Kitchenuhmaykoosib Aaki 84 Lac Seul 28 Lake of the Woods 31B Lake of the Woods 31C Lake of the Woods 31G Lake of the Woods 35J Lake of the Woods 37 Lake of the Woods 37B Marten Falls 65 Muskrat Dam Lake Naongashing 35A Neskantaga North Spirit Lake Northwest Angle 33B Northwest Angle 34C & 37B Obabikong 35B One Man Lake 29 Osnaburgh 63B Pikangikum 14 Poplar Hill Rat Portage 38A Sabaskong Bay 35C (part) Sabaskong Bay 35D Sabaskong Bay 35F (part) Sachigo Lake 1 Sachigo Lake 2 Sachigo Lake 3 Sandy Lake 88 Shoal Lake 31J Shoal Lake 34B1 Shoal Lake 34B2 Shoal Lake 37A (part) Shoal Lake 39 (part) Shoal Lake 39A (part) Shoal Lake 40 (part) Swan Lake 29 Wabaseemoong Wabauskang 21 Wabigoon Lake 27 Wapekeka 1 Wapekeka 2 Wawakapewin Weagamow Lake 87 Webequie Winisk 90 Whitefish Bay 32A Whitefish Bay 33A Whitefish Bay 34A Wunnumin 1 Wunnumin 2 Yellow Girl Bay 32B
Indian settlements	Kashechewan Kee Way Win Lansdowne House McDowell Lake Peawanuck Slate Falls Summer Beaver
Unorganized areas	Unorganized Kenora
Local services boards	Greater Oxdrift KeeMan Melgund Minaki Pellatt, Pelican, Umbach, Gidley Redditt Round Lake Wabigoon
Unincorporated communities	Alcona Balmertown Borups Corners Central Patricia Cochenour Dyment Eagle River Eton–Rugby Hudson Jaffray–Mellick Keewatin Madsen McKenzie Island Minnitaki Nestor Falls Norman Oxdrift Pelican Pickle Crow Rat Portage Sioux Narrows Starratt–Olsen Superior Junction Vermilion Bay
See also Communities in Kenora District Census divisions of Ontario