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Thursday, 16 July 2009 07:50

Algonquin_09-28

Back to HomeFeature Article - July 16, 2009 A history of the Algonquin Land Claim Part 1/2By Julie Druker

Glenn Tunnock at the Kennebec Hall spoke about the history of the Algonquin Land Claim

On Saturday July 11 at the Kennebec Hall The Kennebec Lake Association and the Kennebec and District Historical Society presented a talk by Glenn Tunnock titled “The Algonquin Land Claim: A Return to Self Determination“.

Tunnock is the planning consultant for North and Central Frontenac townships, and also has a bent for Canadian history, geography and the settlement patterns of the people who live here.

He currently resides in Perth and is pursuing a master’s degree in history from Queen’s University.

His talk focused on the last 200 years of the Algonquin First Nation’s 11,000 year history. He was quick to clarify the Algonquin understanding of land, an idea that has been passed down orally through the ages and he quoted the words of Bob Lovelace to make this point. “It’s an understanding that begins with creation and… does not centre on human beings… (and) is shaped by vision which gives spirit form.”

Tunnock pointed out that the essence of the Algonquins’ “self determination has always been tied to their understanding of the land, Mother Earth - who takes care of them by providing the resources that sustain them as a society and how they in turn take care of the land.”

Tunnock highlighted the last 200 year history of the dispossession of Algonquin land, primarily the lands west of the Ottawa River commonly known as the Ottawa River watershed, the resulting erosion and tentative rebuilding of the Algonquin people’s right to self determination.

Here is a summary of his talk.

Historically the erosion began with Champlain’s arrival to eastern North America in 1646, with the onset of commercial trade, most notably the fur trade, and the establishment of settlements around present day Kingston, Montreal and Quebec City.

According to Tunnock, Champlain’s arrival changed the geo-politics of the region forever after.

One of the seminal documents that affected Aboriginal land rights was the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which mapped out 2 separate blocks of land, one, the Indian Territory that covered the Appalachians and most of the Great Lakes down to the Mississippi River and the second, government or crown land. The document set out to establish a number of things, namely, British common law, good government and peace. It also provided a mechanism for the government to pay for the cost of administrating these lands by promoting commercial trade with the First Nations.

The intent of the document was to allow the government, through colonization, to gradually acquire all of the Indian territory over time by setting out a prescription for the surrendering of aboriginal lands and setting up the treaty process. Paradoxically it also recognized Indian territory and the First Nations’ interests in it.

According to Tunnock, “The Royal Proclamation is said to be a Magna Carta for Aboriginal land rights today in Canada.”

In 1783 the movement of United Empire Loyalists from Upper New York into Ontario and Quebec initiated the first of a series of land treaties concerning the Algonquin, the Crawford Purchase of 1783. Although it was negotiated by the Chippewa and Mississauga groups without the Algonquins’ consent, some Algonquin territory was still signed over to the government.

Tunnock pointed out that the description of lands in these early treaties demonstrates how vague and fraudulent the terms of these treaties often could be. The Crawford Purchase describes the land purchased as “extending from the lake back as far as a man can travel in a day”. No deed of this purchase survives in the public record.

Payments for land in these early treaties were often made to the aboriginal groups with goods only, namely, guns, ammunition, and in the case of the Crawford Purchase “as much coarse red cloth as will make them a dozen coats and many laced hats”.

The Rideau Purchase, 1816-1819, which included lands located on the southern part of the Ottawa River Valley and according to Tunnock “the land that the Kennebec Hall in Arden now sits on” was a similar kind of treaty in that the Algonquin also did not participate in the negotiations. Part of the logistical reasons for this was that in some cases traditional Algonquin lands were used by the Algonquin only during certain times of the year and this fact was not recognized by the government.

From 1820-1870 the Algonquin pursued their land “interests through petitions to the the British and Canadian governments” but Tunnock explained, “there was never any movement to acknowledge any title or claim to these lands by the government.”

The British North America Act of 1867 further complicated matters by splitting responsibility between the federal and provincial governments.

According to Tunnock the only land compensation granted by the government in the 1800s to the Algonquin was the Golden Lake Reserve granted in 1873, a relatively small reserve given in compensation for mining and timber lands which had been taken by the government arbitrarily before then.

In 1897, Algonquin Park, another very large parcel of land, was taken from the Algonquins’ land base and, ironically, named after them.

The 20th Century and beyond: more losses and a fledgling land claim

Tunnock described the Williams Treaty of 1923 as “another slap in the face“. It was negotiated, once again without Algonquin presence, with the Mississauga First Nation.

From 1923 to 1960 very little was done to resolve native land claims. In 1927 the Canadian government passed a law making it illegal for Aboriginal groups to raise funds for court challenges.

The 1960s brought about some positive changes affecting land claims. A government White Paper proposed a system for dealing with land claims. Most of the White Paper’s recommendations were rejected by the First Nations, but the seed of introducing a land claim system in Canada was planted at that time.

A period of successful litigations then began in the 1970s. In 1973 the Calder Decision set a precedent, stating that Aboriginal title stems from native people’s historic occupation of their land. For the first time since 1763 a formal acknowledgement was made that native people had a legitimate interest in acquiring title to the lands that they have traditionally occupied.

The Constitutional Act of 1982 entrenched within the constitution the rights of Aboriginal people. It also established their right to a settlement process, which is the one we have in Canada today.

In 1983 the federal government set up a formal comprehensive land claims policy, or what is commonly referred to as a negotiation model. As a result, in 1983 the Algonquin filed their first land claim.

The Sparrow Case of 1990 established the right of Aboriginal people to resources, particularly hunting and fishing rights.

In 1991 the provincial government agreed to enter into negotiations with the Algonquin, at the same time refusing to assume any liability for past actions.

The Algonquin Land Claim of 1991 covers 8.9 million acres or 20,000 square miles and extends from North Bay to the St. Lawrence River. It includes the lands that make up the Ottawa River watershed west of the Ottawa River.

The signing of the Statement of Shared Objectives between the three negotiators, the federal and provincial governments and the 10 groups of Algonquins was signed in 1994. It contains seven objectives, among them: to establish a land base suitable and exclusive for the Algonquins’ use; to determine and establish their rights; to provide a mechanism for improving their economic situation through access to resources; to make sure that Algonquin Park remains accessible to them; and to provide a consultation process.

A second negotiations document was also signed in 1994 that set out the procedures of the negotiation process.

So why has no agreement been signed yet, 15 years later?

The reasons are many. The area is huge and the negotiations involve 10 different Algonquin groups spread throughout the area. The process is also very complicated and often the skills and resources necessary to carry out negotiations have had to be built up and or brought in.

The issue of financing is also an issue where funding is not adequate enough to allow the Algonquins to hire people to allow the process to properly take place.

Also the fact that agreements are to reached by consensus can take more time. The process also has broken down in the past.

One of the positive affects that has come out of the process is a “culturation process”, wherein the government is taking the time to understand cultural issues of the Algonquin while the Algonquin themselves are rediscovering them too.

According to Tunnock, “The question remains: ‘Have the Algonquin, through the negotiation model and process, achieved self determination?’”. Of course there are many varying opinions here.

Tunnock pointed out one important aspect missing from the negotiation process, namely the issue of self-governance. He stated, “There is nothing in the land claim process that talks about self governance.”

So how close is the 1991 Algonquin Land Claim to being finally settled?

Tunnock explained, “As I understand it a proposed agreement (AIP) in principle has been set out to be completed by March 2010, so they are pretty close but that may be delayed depending on resources available to carry on the process. Although they may have the AIP almost in place, I personally feel that its still deficient in that they have not dealt with the sovereignty issue.” 

Published in 2009 Archives
Thursday, 11 June 2009 07:12

Anti-uranium_art

Back to HomeFeature Article - June 11, 2009 Anti-uranium art show in MaberlyBy Jeff Green

Paul Gervin and Wolfe Ehrlichman presented a skit with Dumbglo the $28 billion (and counting) elephant

The protest against uranium exploration in North Frontenac has taken many forms, and on May 31 it was the turn of the artists, as a group of activists/artists - or perhaps artists/activists presented a diverse set of works at a one-day show at the Maberly Hall.

The art was as varied as the political struggle has been, taking on Aboriginal issues, issues of social justice, and the question of uranium mining in addition to the protest against exploration.

Sulyn Cedar presented a spoken word piece that sprang from her tangles with the police at the Robertsville site. Among the 20 or so varied pieces on display, woodcarver Mickie Mackie showed a carved Osprey he spent a year making as a gesture in support of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, who have an Osprey on their own flag. The Sullivan family took photographs of No Uranium signs from the surrounding countryside and mounted them on a background. Students from Sharbot Lake High School made a large puppet, with the assistance of artist Cheryl Matson, to be used in protests. Other artists, including Sandy McNulty, Isidora Spielmann, Carol Pepper, Martina Field, and Sheila Macdonald also presented pieces, and Dave Dawson read a poem about the struggle, followed by an appearance by Dwayne Scudder.

Filmmaker Liisa Rissanen presented a 30-minute film about a group of canoeists who traveled from Mud Lake at Ardoch all the way to Parliament Hill to present water to Scott Reid and declare a moratorium on uranium prospecting on Algonquin territory. And in the realm of theatre, Paul Gervin and Wolfe Ehrlichman presented a skit with Dumbglo the $28 billion (and counting) elephant that they have prepared for use at political gatherings this summer as a protest against Ontario's plans to build new nuclear reactors.

All in all, the art show was an opportunity for the varied currents of thought and action about the uranium process and the local struggle to be expressed.

To mark the second anniversary of the start of the occupation of the Robertsville mine site, the Community Coalition Against Mining Uranium (CCAMU) is planning their next event on June 28. A potluck dinner and dance will be held, also at the Maberly Hall, featuring the popular Perth dance band BeatleJuice. Tickets are $20 for the fundraising event. For information, call Sulyn Cedar at 613-268-2424.

Published in 2009 Archives
Wednesday, 22 January 2014 19:00

Gathering in the name of community unity

 

A small gathering was held on January 18 at the Oso Hall in Sharbot Lake. Elder Donna Hollywood, who has been involved in educational, cultural and political Aboriginal pursuits for decades, called people together in the name of unity.

A pipe ceremony brought the gathering into focus, and it was followed by some spirited music and dancing courtesy of a young drum made up of members of the St. Pierre family.

The gathering had a clear unity theme, and this was exemplified by the pipe ceremony, which was presided over by Martin Rennick. He made reference to the divisions that have plagued the Aboriginal community locally for many years, which have led to a small number of inter-related families affiliating themselves with three different First Nations. A further division was fomented last year when the 500 members of the Shabot Obaadjiwan were removed from the voters' list for the ratification of the Agreement in Principle for the Algonquin Land Claim.

“What I wanted to do was to cut through all those politics and bring people together to eat and dance and talk about what they have in common,” Donna Hollywood said of the event, “and I felt it was a success in those terms.”

 

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Thursday, 19 March 2009 13:07

Shewell_mitchell

Back to HomeFeature Article - March 19, 2009 Local artist inspired by his native heritageby Julie Druker

Native artist Mitchell Shewell with a "swing bustle" he made

A deep interest and involvement in his native roots and ancestry inspire the art and craft of Mitchell Shewell, who belongs to the Ardock Algonquin First Nation. Shewell has been working at his craft for 15 years and is both self-taught and taught by native elders.

His work consists of two types. The first consists of traditional native objects: sweet grass baskets, smudging feathers, traditional buck skin bags, medicine bags, moccasins, vests, beadwork, hand drums, drumsticks, rattles and dream catchers. For these Shewell likes to use traditional materials as much as he can. For example, he prefers to make his dream catchers from red willow and grape vine. “I can use those little gold rings that you can buy but I try not to; I prefer to use traditional materials.” These items range in price from $10 -$500 and are sold at shows and pow wows as well as from Shewell’s home in Sharbot Lake.

The second type of work that Shewell makes is regalia, traditional native costumes worn at celebrations such as pow wows and weddings. He has acquired his skills from elders with whom he has come into contact through his involvement in various native groups and associations.

Shewell has been the Healing Wellness Co-coordinator at the Katarokwi Native friendship Centre in Kingston for five years, the head dancer at the Silver Lake Pow Wow for the last four years and currently sits on the Heads of Family council of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation.

Bustles, head pieces, roaches, chaps and leggings, buck skin shirts, breast plates, shields and feathered fans are all regalia pieces that Shewell makes. He says, “ If I don’t know how to make it I go to the elders and ask them”.

He enthusiastically showed me a "roach", one part of a head piece commonly worn by traditional grass dancers, that he made from porcupine hair and sweet grass. “I drove all the way to Ottawa and picked up an old man at the bus station to learn how to make this” he recalled.

Next, Shewell showed me a “swing bustle”, another traditional piece worn by male dancers on their backs. It resembles a fan and swings as they dance. Made from owl, osprey, turkey and vulture feathers, and deer antlers, it also incorporates a picture of bears made of woven beads. Shewell explained, “Running Wolf showed me how to make bustles and head pieces, almost everything, including the mechanical workings of certain pieces. He was a Lakota Sioux and I met him at the Friendship Centre in Kingston.”

Some of the regalia worn by dancers can weigh upwards of 30 lb. though 50 lb. is not unheard of.

Regalia making brings Shewell a sense of joy, pride and satisfaction. It is not work that Shewell does for financial gain. Payment can take various other forms as Shewell explained. “Regalia making is done from the heart. You do it for members of the community and for the enjoyment of watching someone wear something that you’ve made. You make something for them that they take care of and that you will see handed down to the next generation.”

The topic of regalia is infectious. Shewell’s daughter Cory, who has been dancing at pow wows since she was young, showed me the beaded bib that she wears when she dances, a piece made for her by her mother Allison.

Much more than mere objects, Mitchell Shewell‘s creations are an intrinsic part of his work, life and heritage. Watch for Mitch and his work at the Silver Lake and Ardoch pow wows, and the Verona Festival. Also watch for the sign at his home at 1024 Robert Street in Sharbot Lake. He can be reached at (613) 279-2071.

Published in 2009 Archives
Thursday, 12 March 2009 13:07

Uranium_09-10

Back to HomeFeature Article - March 12, 2009 New blood Gives life to uranium  resistanceBy Julie Druker

A large crowd of new and old faces discuss uranium exploration at Maberly meeting

After a hiatus of many months, local community groups and concerned citizens joined forces at the Maberly Hall on March 8 to discuss the ongoing issue of uranium exploration at the Robertsville mine site. The meeting was called by Sulyn Cedar, who felt a need to get together and discuss the issues and to find out where everyone now stands. Though related websites have managed to keep the issues up to date, a formal meeting has not happened for quite a while.

Present at Sunday’s meeting were some who have been involved since the issue began, including Bob Lovelace, Mireille Lapointe, Donna Dillman, members of the Community Coalition Against Mining Uranium (CCAMU) and many other concerned citizens.

Dillman commented before the meeting, “From my perspective we’re hoping to get more people involved. A lot of people have put literally thousands of hours into this and it would be really great to get more people involved”.

New to the meeting and of note was a large contingent of students from the Ottawa area. Bob Lovelace had spoken the week before to a group of Ottawa students, which no doubt resulted in this high turnout. Also of note were recent settlers to the area looking to explore the uranium issue.

A few of the new faces included Ramsey Hart of Mining Watch Canada, Nancy Ducette ,who works for the Centre for Sustainable Watersheds on Big Rideau Lake, and Rev. Gary Jones, one of two newly appointed ministers of the Centary Pastoral Charge, which includes the United Church in Maberly.

Throughout the close to 70 introductions, many of the long-term key players confirmed a growing public awareness around the Robertsville uranium issue.

Bob Lovelace, recently back from a world conference in Toronto commented, “Two things struck me when I was there: First people know about this area and the issues and we’re on the front line of a really important struggle. And second, they believe we have accomplished a tremendous amount already. And that reminds me that this is true”.

Mireille Lapointe, co-chief of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation, confirmed the feelings of a growing awareness. She stated, “We are known all over the world right now for all of this work that each and every one of us have done. There is a ground swell that is building. It takes a long, long time for things to seep into the public consciousness, but it’s getting there”. She added, “Even though Frontenac Ventures has drilled some holes, it’s not over; we’re still here and they still have to meet us”.

Linda Harvey, a retired family physician who lives in the area, has been researching the effects of radiation on human tissue. “This is not a backyard issue. The pathways that this contamination takes is through the biosphere, through every organism on the planet, every organic molecule in our bodies”.

Following the introductions, facilitator Randy Weekes joked that he was ready to end the meeting and call it a victory due to the impressive turn out. Instead, he and co-facilitator Christine Perringer got down to business and outlined the plan of the meeting, which included raising questions, defining needs and generating ideas. A brief summary of what’s happened so far was given by Donna Dillman (For a history go to Uranium Mining in North Frontenac at www.frontenacnews.ca).

Other issues raised included: power relationships between government and the aboriginal community, political support around the issue, the current mining act and the agreement that the Shabot group made with the government and Frontenac Ventures.

Suggestions and new ideas were brainstormed and after time ran out it was agreed that another meeting should be held soon.

Sulyn Cedar was thrilled with the turnout. “Retired professionals and students can be the backbone of a social movement. There are diverse skills and interests and a lot of intelligence. You saw a real commitment with the people here today to keep the uranium mine away”.

When asked about his plans from here on in, Bob Lovelace answered, “The Ardoch Algonquin First Nation will continue to resist the (uranium) exploration and to petition mining and we will stick to our strategy of community education and research and direct action and continue to work with other groups and do what we can to stop it”.

CCAMU’s website is www.ccamu.ca or www. uranium defence.ca 

Published in 2009 Archives
Thursday, 05 March 2009 12:06

Algonquin_09-09

Back to HomeFeature Article - March 5, 2009 Cultural workshop timely and informativeBy Julie Druker

Chief Doreen Davis (centre) with guest speakers l to r Kim Meisel and Aimee Bailey

The Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation hosted a cultural workshop on Saturday at St. James Major Hall in Sharbot Lake and two special guests had a chance to speak on topics they know intimately.

Kim Meisel of Golden Lake, an Algonquin Anishnabe Kwe, was invited to the workshop by Chief Doreen Davis to introduce a homemade Anishnabe first-aid kit that uses bush medicines that grow within their own community.

Davis explained that the purpose of the workshop was “to try to revive the medicines and our culture and get it back for our people and start to relive it again and walk that path.”

Davis said that her own grandmother had taught her some of what Meisel spoke of at the workshop. “I never realized until today that I knew so much about this stuff”.

Meisel is a sought-after healer who has received her knowledge about natural medicines and healing techniques from “mishmakaanjgo” which she describes as “little spirits”. As a child she was encouraged to dismiss her gift; thankfully her grandmother stepped in and protected Meisel and her gift.

On display were two tables covered with bags and jars filled with various natural products and remedies. Meisel identified their origins, described their uses and passed them around to participants to be studied more closely. She was careful to speak generally since prescribing medicines is an individual one-on-one practice. Some natural medicines are very strong and can be harmful if administered by someone who does not possess the correct knowledge.

Aimee Bailey, also an Algonquin Anishnabe Kwe, was also invited by Chief Davis to the workshop and spoke earlier in the day. As executive director of the Algonquin Way Cultural Centre in Golden Lake, Bailey is well versed in native traditions. She has studied and participated in aboriginal culture and traditions for over 25 years.

She spoke about the historical migration of the Anishnabe. She explained, “We all came to Turtle Island (North America) from the great salt water in the east (the Atlantic ocean) and then migrated west to the Great Lakes and further to the mid west.

She also spoke in length about the Anishnabe Clan system, the teaching of the seven grandfathers and the emerging models of governance.

“The reason that I was asked to come and talk about the clan system is because of the Algonquin Land Claim situation,” she explained.

Bailey was recently invited to a local governance meeting where elders are considering a new constitution for the governance of the resurgent Algonquin nation. “As it grows, they want to adopt the clan system as the method of government,” Bailey said.

The workshop was timely and offered plenty of information to aboriginal as well as non-aboriginal participants. John Davis and Earl Badour attended the workshop and found it interesting and very beneficial.

“It’s a great opportunity to be taken back to where we should be. It’s getting to know things that were taken away from us - that really puts things in perspective for us. These things still do exist, can still be used and it helps our people,” said Badour.

Published in 2009 Archives
Thursday, 14 January 2010 09:53

New centre marks push for Algonquin Land Claim

A new Consultation Office for the Algonquins of Ontario was officially opened today by the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians, and the Honourable Brad Duguid, Ontario Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. At his final meeting as a member of Frontenac County Council in 2003, former North Frontenac Mayor Stan Johnston handed over a thick set of binders to be given to the next North Frontenac member of county council, who happens to be current Mayor Ron Maguire.

“These are my files about the Algonquin Land Claim, which started in 1991. It won’t likely be completed in any of our lifetimes,” Johnston said at the time.

A bit later, when Robert Potts, a Toronto-based lawyer, took over as principal negotiator for the land claim, he said he was working towards an agreement in principle in two years. A year later he said the same thing, and the next year he said it again.

With the establishment of a consultation centre in Pembroke, the Algonquins of Ontario, which is what the negotiating team on the Algonquin side now calls itself, are marking two things.

Firstly, the negotiators on all sides now expect to reach an agreement in principle next year, in 2011, and secondly, there is a need to resolve issues of concern before an agreement is reached.

Three such issues that were referred to at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new centre on Monday, January 11 in Pembroke are:

Working with the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry to establish new protocols for mining exploration and development activities on land where Aboriginal rights have been asserted;Engaging in consultations with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and other stakeholders in response to the report “Lightening the Ecological Footprint of Logging in Algonquin Provincial Park;” andContinuing discussions with regards to redeveloping the Rockcliffe and Lansdowne Park sites in Ottawa.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by Chuck Strahl, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs for the government of Canada and his Ontario counterpart, Brad Duguid, as well as Chief Kirby Whiteduck of the Algonquins of Pikwakànagàn First Nation.

The Algonquins of Ontario include the Pikwakànagàn First Nation, the only Ontario Algonquin community whose members have official “status” under the Indian Act of Canada, along with nine other Algonquin communities, including the Shabot Obaadjiwaan, based in Sharbot Lake, and the Snimikobe, formerly known as the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation.

There are other Algonquin communities, such as the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation under Honorary Chief Harold Perry of Ardoch, which remain outside of the Algonquin Land Claim talks. 

 

Published in General Interest

Shabot Obaadjiwan Chief Doreen Davis presenting former Ontario minister of Aboriginal Affairs Brad Duguid with a memento of his attendance at the opening of the Algonquin consultation office in Pembroke on January 11th.

The Algonquin Land Claim process is 20 years old. While there are many who think it will never be resolved, the establishment of the Algonquin Consultation Office in Pembroke as well as the fact that the target date for a Memorandum of Understanding has been set for March of 2011, suggests that there may actually be a deal in the works.

Information about the claim that has been released to the media has been so general as to give little insight into the details of the deal that may be in the works.

We do know, however, that the deal will likely include an amount of land, as well as money for economic development that will be shared among the “communities” or “First Nations” that are at the negotiation table. There will also be provisions for hunting rights and a consultation and/or royalty agreement for resource extraction, such as mining or forestry.

Land Claims in general, and this one in particular, are complicated, unruly enterprises. Two of the major contradictions that are inherent in the process are the fact that 'land' itself is not something that can rightly be claimed. It is jurisdiction over the land that is the issue, and there is a complicated set of economic and legal relationships that have developed between governments and individuals related to land use in Ontario and Canada that are not going to be altered by this, or any land claim.

The governments involved in the Algonquin Land Claim are being pushed by Supreme Court of Canada rulings to accomplish a deal that will solidify their jurisdiction over the 8.9 million acres that are included in this particular claim.

The question of who this deal must be done with is problematic because the land was appropriated over a period of time, starting up to 400 years ago, and there are no written records about who used what piece of land for what purpose over the preceding 1,000 years or more.

This reality is underlined by the fact that a treaty was signed in the 1800s with the Mississauga First Nation for much of the land that is now under negotiation as the Algonquin Land Claim – land which turned out never to have been Mississauga territory. That treaty as it pertains to these lands has since been discarded.

Court rulings and government decisions have established the Ottawa Valley as Algonquin Territory for the purposes of seeking an agreement over jurisdiction. The next problem is:

“Who are the Algonquins?”

The Federal Indian Act assigns “native status” to certain people, based on several criteria, the major one being “blood quantum”, the percentage of native blood that courses through the veins of an individual.

Blood quantum is more than problematic. Over time as First Nations peoples marry people of other genetic backgrounds, the blood quantum will continue to thin and the numbers of people who are eligible for “native status” will inevitably decrease.

To paraphrase what an elder from the Alderville reserve near Peterborough once said to me, “Canada is a nation that takes people in and grants them citizenship. That is how a nation grows. How can First Nations grow and prosper if we as First Nations deny citizenship to our children because of who we marry. What other nation on earth does that?”

As far as the Algonquin Land Claim is concerned, the only native “status” community in the territory is the Pikwàkanagàn reserve, which includes about 400 residents and 1500 off reserve members.

All of the other communities, including the Shabot Obaadjiwan, which is based in Sharbot Lake, and the Snimikobe, which also has a number of members in Frontenac County, are “non status” communities in terms of the Indian Act.

Membership criteria in these First Nations is only restricted to “direct descendants” from an individual who is listed on a schedule of names that was developed in 1987.

The schedule, known as “Schedule B”, includes names that were taken from the Algonquin petitions, speeches and Council proceedings that relate to or refer to Algonquin Territory lying in Ontario prior to that time.

Direct descent is a less onerous requirement than blood quantum, and it creates a larger number of people in the Algonquin Nation.

It also does not provide an end of the line and allows for the possibility of a growth in Algonquin population over time.

It does, however, provide for the possibility that people with some pretty tenuous connections to their Algonquin ancestry, perhaps a single great-great grandfather, 1/64 or 1/128 by blood, becoming a beneficiary of the Algonquin Land Claim.

Ultimately the blood quantum criteria and the direct descent criteria each have difficulties associated with them: one is too restrictive and the other may be too open.

These contradictions are not exclusive to the land claims process. Any public discussion that centres on questions of bloodlines and race issues is destined to lead to difficulties, particularly in light of the fact that people in our society are less and less inclined to stay within their own culture when finding a mate.

Recent projections released by Stats Canada say that “visible minorities” will be in the majority in major Canadian cities within 20 years.

It turns out that visible minorities are defined by Stats Canada as “persons who are identified according to the Employment Equity Act as being non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour. Under the Act, Aboriginal persons are not considered to be members of visible minority groups.”

Visible minorities are defined in the report as South Asians, Chinese, Blacks, Filipinos, Arabs and West Asians. Latin Americans, as well as Aboriginals, among others, are not considered visible minorities.

But just as Algonquin communities have seen their “blood quantum” diminish over time, so will all the other ethnic groups in Canada, and around the world.

As societies develop, skin colour and racial backgrounds will inevitably become diminishing issues (at least that is the hope). As we move forward as a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society that recognizes not only the foreign roots that people have, but the native (Aboriginal) roots as well, racial idiosyncrasies will cease to define anything of importance.

In this context the Land Claim process must be a way of honouring not only the heritage of people who can claim Algonquin roots, but also the cultural legacy of the Algonquins. The genetic connection to the past will inevitably be diluted over time, but the cultural connection need not follow.

Ultimately the success of the Land Claim will be measured not in the amount of money or land or hunting or resource rights that are achieved, nor even in who gets what share of the spoils.

What is at stake in this process, is whether two, three or seven generations down the road there will be any kind of cultural memory of how people lived on this land 500 years ago, what that land meant to them, and how that past can be honoured and what it can teach.

The Algonquin profile in Sharbot Lake, and in the region as a whole, remains fragile even after 20 years of land claims talks and the concerted efforts of numerous people.

If the Shabot Obaadjiwan or the Snimikobe, or the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (which opposes the land claim for a variety of reasons) are not able to establish themselves as active communities that maintain and foster Algonquin traditions and bring this heritage to the forefront of the local scene, then the Land Claim will be nothing but a legal exercise that expunges Aboriginal rights over this territory forever.

Further information about the land claim can be found at Tanakiwin.com and at http://www.aboriginalaffairs.gov.on.ca/english/negotiate/algonquin/algonquin.asp 

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

In late April this year a delegation of eight Algonquin chiefs from communities in Quebec appeared at Parliament Hill to present a declaration that was written on a piece of buckskin. The chiefs said they were not making any kind of a land claim; they were just making a statement of fact. "We will not be entering into the current land claim process devised by the government," Grand Chief Lucien Wabanonik said in a statement, "because these lands are ours."

Wabanonik told Newstalk 1010 radio station that the government land claims process is not about recognizing rights but extinguishing them. He did not refer directly to the Ontario Algonquin Land Claim, but the territory that is covered in the statement stretches from Sault St. Marie through North Bay and Ottawa to the City of Montreal, encompassing part, if not all of the lands that are included in the Ontario Algonquin Land Claim.

The Algonquins of Ontario are immersed in land claims negotiaions with the Ontario and Canadian governments and work on an agreement in principle is slated to be completed within a year, as the land claim process reaches its 20th birthday.

The Algonquins of Ontario are represented at the land claims table by the Chief and Council of the Pikwakanagan First Nation an Algonquin Nation Representatives from nine off-reserve Algonquin communities.

Published in General Interest
Thursday, 15 April 2010 08:45

Drum Awakening Ceremony at SLHS

All Eyes focused on the awakening drum.

Danka Brewer and the Sisters of the Drum helped to initiate some students and staff from Sharbot Lake High School into the world of Algonquin drumming at a ceremony held on a brilliant spring day behind the school on Monday.

Six students and three teachers at the school brought out drums that they have been building since January, in a program that was supported by the Limestone District School Board's Aboriginal Education initiative.

“This is a wonderful day,” said Danka Brewer as she welcomed the participants, “and it has taken a lot of patience from all of you.”

The students not only had to wait through the drum making process, they also had to learn several songs in advance of the ceremony, and they were not able to use their drums at all until they were awakened at the ceremony.

The ceremony requires other drums, and that's where the Sisters of the Drum came in. As the first drummer came forward with his drum, he passed out tobacco to the Sisters, and then placed a stone and a small amount of tobacco on his drum, which he held up like an offering. The sisters surrounded him with their drums and began to sing and drum. The proximity of the drums to the one being initiated caused the pebble and the tobacco to begin bouncing, and as the song continued the pebble moved in one direction. At the end of the song the drum was identified by the direction the stone had travelled (north, east, south, or west).

That drummer then joined in with the Sisters to initiate the second drum, and so on until 8 new drums and the Sisters of the Drum were involved in the naming of the final drum in the ceremony.

By the time all of the drums, 15 or more, were involved, the ceremony for the final few drums did not last a long time because the vibrations were great enough to send the small stones to the edge and even off the drums in short order.

The Algonquins believe that all drums are connected to the great drum, which represents the heartbeat of the earth. “This ceremony gives each of the drums a voice of their own,” said Danka Brewer.

This connection with mother drum is symbolized by the literal cutting off of an “umbilical cord”. When the drum is made, one hide string is left hanging out at the bottom of the drum, and that string is cut at the end of the ceremony. With the cord now cut, the independent life of the drum can begin, but the connection to the mother drum is never completely severed.

Although the atmosphere at the ceremony was decidedly casual, the level of excitement among the participants was palpable. The visual and emotional impact of the Sisters of the Drum initiating a group of young people into the drumming community was also apparent to all.

In the Algonquin tradition, the ceremony was followed by a feast.

Among the observers at the ceremony was Kevin Read, the program consultant for Aboriginal education with the Limestone District School Board. He said that the drum-making project was one of several that are taking place at schools in the board this year. Others in Frontenac County include sponsoring a Srawberry Moon Festival and Aboriginal play days.

There will also be a student conference in Kingston in May with participants from schools throughout the board, which will focus on Aboriginal culture and history.

Read’s mandate includes enhancing the skills and knowledge of Aboriginal students as well as increasing the awareness about Aboriginal issues and culture among all students at the board. 

 

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Page 10 of 13
With the participation of the Government of Canada