Mishkeegogamang First Nation facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mishkeegogamang Ojibway Nation
First Nation
Mishkeegogamang First Nation
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Mishkeegogamang Ojibway Nation Location in Ontario Show map of Ontario Mishkeegogamang Ojibway Nation Location in Canada Show map of Canada
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Provincial Territorial Organization	Nishnawbe Aski Nation
District	Kenora
Area
• Total	18,696.4 ha (46,199.8 acre)
Population
• Total	2,100+ Registered Band Members
Postal Code	P0V 2H0
Area code(s)	807
Website	www.mishkeegogamang.ca

The Mishkeegogamang First Nation is an Ojibway community in Ontario, Canada. It's a self-governing group of First Nation people. Before 1993, this community was known as the Osnaburgh First Nation. You might have heard of places like New Osnaburgh or Osnaburgh House, which were also part of this group.

The Mishkeegogamang Ojibway people have a large traditional territory. This land stretches far beyond their main reserve areas. It includes many smaller communities like Bottle Hill, Poplar Heights, Sandy Road, and Doghole Bay. It also covers areas around Lake St. Joseph.

The main language spoken by the Mishkeegogamang people is Ojibwe (Anishinaabemowin), written as ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᒧᐎᓐ.

The community is located along Highway 599 in the Kenora District. It's about 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Pickle Lake. In March 2022, there were over 2,000 registered members. More than 1,000 of them lived on the reserve. The Mishkeegogamang First Nation is part of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, a larger organization that supports many First Nations.

Where Mishkeegogamang Lives

The Mishkeegogamang First Nation has two main land areas, called reserves. The smaller one is called Osnaburgh Indian Reserve 63A, and the larger one is Osnaburgh Indian Reserve 63B.

Their Land and Communities

• Osnaburgh 63A is located in the Thunder Bay District.
• Osnaburgh 63B is in the Kenora District.
• The Mishkeegogamang community does not follow daylight saving time.
• The First Nation is made up of several smaller communities that are spread out. On their main reserve, you'll find Bottle Hill, Poplar Heights, and Sandy Road.
• Other communities linked to the First Nation include Ten Houses (about 24 km or 15 miles south), Doghole Bay, Eric Lake, and Ace Lake.

Getting Around and Staying Connected

Life in Mishkeegogamang involves different ways of travel and modern services.

How They Travel

• The Mishkeegogamang First Nation can be reached by road all year long. It's right on Highway 599, about 20 km (12 miles) south of Pickle Lake.
• For longer trips, people use the nearby Pickle Lake Airport. This airport offers flights for both passengers and cargo.

Staying Healthy

• The Mishkeegogamang Health Centre is on Highway 599, within the main reserve. It works as a nursing station and manages health programs.
• Nurses, Community Health Representatives, and visiting doctors provide healthcare services.
• The Health Centre is part of a program that connects patients with critical care doctors in Thunder Bay using video calls. This helps people get expert advice before they might need to be flown to a hospital by air ambulance (Ornge).
• If someone needs a major hospital, they can go to places like Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre or Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Some might also go to hospitals in Winnipeg, like the Health Sciences Centre or The Children's Hospital of Winnipeg.

Daily Life and Services

• The Mishkeegogamang First Nation provides important services like Water, sewage, garbage collection, and snow removal.
• They also hire private companies for things like electrical, plumbing, and propane services.
• The community gets its electricity from the main power grid through the Wataynikaneyap Power line.
• For phones, cell service, TV, and internet, Bell Canada is the main provider. However, residents can also choose other companies like Starlink or Xplornet.

Their Leaders

The Mishkeegogamang First Nation is led by a Chief and five Band Councillors. They are elected every two years.

Chief and Council (2023-2025)

• The community's police services are provided by the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service. This is a police force for Indigenous communities. They can also work with the Ontario Provincial Police in nearby Pickle Lake.
• When it's time to vote, Mishkeegogamang residents vote in the Kenora area for federal elections. For provincial elections, they vote in the Kiiwetinoong area. Kiiwetinoong means "North" in Ojibwe and has a large Indigenous population.

A Look Back in Time

The history of the Mishkeegogamang people is rich and goes back many years.

Early Days

• The Mishkeegogamang people are Ojibway. It's believed they originally came from the Great Lakes region.
• They might have moved north when European traders from the Hudson's Bay Company started setting up trading posts. This move pushed the Cree people who lived there before them further north.

The Trading Post

Osnaburg House, a Hudson's Bay Company trading post in 1901.

• The Hudson's Bay Company wanted to build trading posts deeper inland. So, they sent John Best to find a good spot. He chose a place near Lake St. Joseph and named the post Osnaburgh House.
• This trading post lasted for about 200 years. Later, a settlement called Osnaburgh grew directly across the lake from the house.
• The trading post was closed in 1963 and eventually fell into ruins. Today, the site is a fishing camp called Old Post Lodge.

Modern Times

• In 1905, the Canadian government made Treaty 9 with the Mishkeegogamang and other groups. This treaty set aside two areas of land for reserves (Osnaburgh 63A and 63B). It also promised that the people could still use all their traditional lands.
• At this time, the community became more formally organized. Missabay was chosen as the first chief, and a system with a band and council was started.
• When Highway 599 was finished in 1954, it brought big changes. The highway was a few kilometres from the old Osnaburgh village. So, the government encouraged people to move to a new village called New Osnaburgh. This new village, on Doghole Lake, is now the Main Reserve.
• Mishkeegogamang still has strong connections with other First Nations, like Cat Lake First Nation, Slate Falls First Nation, and the Ojibway Nation of Saugeen.

Chiefs Since 1905

Images for kids

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  Osnaburg House, HBC post, 1901