Curve Lake First Nation facts for kids
Curve Lake First Nation (also called Oshkiigmong in the Ojibway language) is a community of Indigenous people. They are part of the Mississauga Ojibway group. This First Nation is located in Peterborough County, Ontario, Canada.
The Curve Lake First Nation lives on three special areas of land called reserves. These are Curve Lake First Nation 35, Curve Lake 35A, and Islands in the Trent Waters Indian Reserve 36A. One of these reserves is shared with two other First Nations: Hiawatha First Nation and Scugog First Nation.
As of October 2019, there were 2,415 registered members of the Curve Lake First Nation. About 793 members lived on the Curve Lake reserve. The other 1,622 members lived in other places.
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The History of Curve Lake First Nation
The Anishinaabe people of Curve Lake, who are Ojibway, have lived in this area for a long time. Their community started around Curve Lake and Mud Lake in 1829. A small group of people settled there.
This community officially became a reserve in 1837. For many years, it was known as Mud Lake Band #35. In 1964, the name changed to Curve Lake First Nation. The Mud Lake 35 Indian Reserve then became the Curve Lake First Nation 35 Indian Reserve.
How Curve Lake First Nation is Governed
Curve Lake First Nation chooses its leaders using its own special rules. These rules were approved by the community in 2015. The leaders form a group called the First Nation's council.
The council includes a chief and eight councillors. The chief is like the main leader of the community. The current chief is Keith Knott. The councillors are Jeff Jacobs, Laurie Hockaday, Nodin Knott, Kenny Jacobs, Steve Toms, Arnold Taylor, Deborah Jacobs, and Sean Conway. Their term of leadership started in June 2022 and will last for three years.
Important Services for the Community
Curve Lake First Nation offers many services to its members. These services help the community grow and stay healthy. Some of these important services include:
- Education programs for students
- Health and Family Services to support well-being
- Economic Development to help the community's economy
- Capital Projects for building and improving things
- Public Works to keep the community running smoothly
- Membership services for community members
- Lands management for the reserves
- Curve Lake Community Gaming Revenue Fund, which uses money from gaming to help the community
- Employment Resource Centre to help people find jobs
- Cultural Centre to celebrate and share their traditions
Notable People from Curve Lake First Nation
Many talented people have come from Curve Lake First Nation. Here are a few of them:
- Elsie Knott: She was the first known woman chief in Canada. This was a very important step for Indigenous leadership.
- Albert Smoke (1894–1944): He was an Olympic long-distance runner.
- Drew Hayden Taylor: He is a well-known columnist and playwright. He writes plays and articles.
- Gidigaa Migizi (Doug Williams): He was a former chief of the First Nation. He also worked as a negotiator for treaty rights.
