Saugeen, Ontario: Getting to know Saugeen, a First Nation Community
Saugeen, Ontario: Getting to know Saugeen, a First Nation Community.
The Ojibwa Nation of Saugeen First Nation. (Not to be confused with the Saugeen First Nation community on the Bruce Peninsula on the shores of Lake Huron towards Toronto.) The Ojibway Nation of Saugeen is an Ojibwa First Nation. The Nation is located in the Thunder Bay District, approximately 20 kilometres northwest of Savant Lake. In December, 2007, its total registered population was 206, of which the on-reserve population was 72. The Ojibway Nation of Saugeen’s land base consists of a 5986 hectares. Though a signatory to Treaty 3, Saugeen is not a member of the Grand Council of Treaty 3. At one time Saugeen was member of the Windigo First Nations Council and the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, but withdrew from their memberships in 1995. Ever since, the council has been a politically independent First Nation and is not a member of any of the Regional Chiefs Council or their Tribal Political Organizations. Link to article Contact:
Ojibway Nation Of Saugeen
Savant Lake, ON P0V 2S0, Canada
Saugeen is a First Nation community with a small population that is road accessible. The community is located about 1 and a half hours drive northeast of Sioux Lookout. The school has a population of about 20-30 students from Grades K-8 and Internet High school.
Enrollment: 14 students
No. of Schools: 1 Link to article
Protest at Lawyer’s office in Kenora 2013 Demographics of the Ojibwe Nation of Saugeen
Homeless’ First Nations walkers take fight to Ottawa
Activists say people living off reserve deserve equal rights
CBC News Posted: Aug 23, 2012 12:29 PM ET
A group of activists from northwestern Ontario that built a house themselves for an elder in desperate need is taking its fight for First Nations housing to Ottawa.
Members of Saugeen First Nation, about 400 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, are walking to Ottawa in an effort to gain equal rights for First Nations people who live off reserve.
“We are walking as homeless people, impoverished people,” Darlene Necan said. “We tent out [and] we camp out while we are doing this walk because we can’t afford rooms.”
Darlene Necan and Andrew Belmore are two of seven people from Saugeen First Nation who will walk more than 1,800 kilometres from their community to Ottawa. Once there, they will petition the government for equal rights for First Nations people who live off reserve. (CBC)
Necan said building a house for a community elder this spring was only the first step in her battle — it’ll take millions more to get to Ottawa and deliver her message.
She said at least 10 other families need homes too. All of them are First Nation members, living off-reserve in Savant Lake, next door to Saugeen First Nation — often in small, make-shift shacks.
Andrew Belmore is one of them. He joined Necan on the walk to Ottawa.
“I hope they can actually realize what we’re doing this for, so everyone can get the same funding that we’re suppose to get,” he said.
‘We gotta do something’
Belmore and Necan were part of a small group of people who, last year, decided a 74-year-old elder needed a new home. The elder was living in what was once a chicken coop. In Savant Lake, about 400 km northwest of Thunder Bay, there are no homeless shelters or nursing homes.
With little money of their own, the group headed into the bush to cut logs. When the shell was nearly complete in the spring, they held up placards and collected money on the side of the highway to pay for nails and shingles.
Necan said the housing crisis in First Nations across Canada made her realize other solutions are needed.
“We gotta do something,” she said. “We can’t just sit and wait for Indian Affairs to do this by their rules. We cannot do that anymore. We have to stand up on our own feet.”
So now she’s trading her hammer for a pair of walking shoes.
Necan added that years of writing letters to politicians haven’t improved the housing situation. She hopes walking to parliament hill will prove First Nations people are dedicated to finding — and being part of — the solution.
Melanie Necan is one of the seven people who will make the trek to Ottawa to find a way out of the dilemma.
“I think all these issues have to be recognized with the government and the reserve and the chief,” she said.
“I just think it’s very important and everyone should be treated equally, [whether they are an] on- or off-band member.”
The group hopes to make it to Ottawa by the end of September.
Another article: link to original article
Members of Saugeen First Nation, located about 400 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, are walking to Ottawa to gain equal housing rights for First Nations people who live off reserve, CBC reports. Darlene Necan was among those who built a house this spring for an Elder who was living in an old chicken coup. Now she says there are others who need her help and are living in make-shift shacks next door to the Saugeen First Nation. And Ottawa, she said, needs to hear about it. Last year, she and a group of others decided to build a home for a 74-year-old. The cut the logs from the bush and raised funds for nails and shingles by accepting donations on the side of the highway. Necan said the housing crisis in First Nations across Canada made her realize a need for other solutions. “We gotta do something,” she said. “We can’t just sit and wait for Indian Affairs to do this by their rules. We cannot do that anymore. We have to stand up on our own feet.” Necan said years of writing letters to politicians haven’t improved the housing situation and maybe her walk to Parliament Hill will show government that First Nations are dedicated to finding—and being part of —the solution. The group hopes to be in Ottawa by September’s end.
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