Sagamok-Anishnawbek First Nation is no longer a member of the Union of Ontario Indians.

Chief Nelson Toulouse acknowledged that the union had a tremendous role in the First Nation’s development, but said that his community has since developed beyond it.

In a November 2019 community notice, the chief and council stated their decision to withdraw is based on two key facts: Sagamok has its own political authority, expressed (in part) through the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850, to stand on in its dealings with the Crown and it does not need a middle man to handle its affairs.

The notice states that while the union’s original function was the act as a body of political advocacy, it eventually became another layer of bureaucracy that siphons funding from First Nations and restricts the ways member communities can use allocated funds.

Most importantly, Sagamok made clear that it would not involve itself in the Anishinabek Nation’s implementation of the federal Inherent Rights Policy agenda.

In withdrawing from the Union of Ontario Indians, Sagamok has also withdrawn from the process of negotiating a self-government agreement with the Crown.

“We do not need a self-government agreement: our Treaty already protects our existing self-determination,” said the notice.

“As we move to remove ourselves from the Indian Act structure and into one of a Treaty-based structure, we would not position ourselves to move within another jurisdictional framework that restricts our ability to exercise our inherent rights.”

Since 1995, the Anishinabek Nation’s Grand Council has been working to negotiate a self-government agreement with the federal government through its Restoration of Justice department. Their mandate was to restore jurisdiction to First Nations in the areas of governance, education, social services, jurisdiction, economic development, language and culture, etc.

The problem, according to Chief Toulouse, is that the process has been seriously flawed.

“There was little community consultation when they were negotiating the agreement,” he said. “The union is acting as if it is a nation rather than a political advocacy group for its member communities. What they’re doing is replacing the Indian Act with themselves.”

Chief Scott McLeod of Nipissing First Nation is the Anishinabek Nation’s Regional Grand Council Chief for the Lake Huron Region.

He expressed respect for Sagamok’s decision, emphasizing its mandate has not changed.

“The union is an advocacy organization mandate to work on behalf of our member communities. Sagamok’s decision reflects the reality that (both entities) are not properly aligned right now,” he said.

The member communities of the Union of Ontario Indians are currently in the process of voting on the proposed self-government agreement developed in consultation with the federal government.

Chief McLeod said that it is up to individual communities to choose to adopt the agreement or not.

The union focused on four pillars during negotiations: elections, culture and language, band operations, and citizenship (which is different than status).

“This agreement is about giving individual communities the authority to make their own laws and begin to step out from under the Indian Act,” he said.

“I get the sense right now that the agreement is getting mixed responses from communities. We could have done a better job of communicating what this means exactly. But I believe this is our best step forward. I don’t believe status quo is the answer.”

Sagamok’s withdrawal from the union means that the union will no longer represent them in any capacity.

The First Nation will deal directly with the Crown on all matters relevant to the community. They have notified the relevant government bodies of their new position, and they are currently working to establish a new funding relationship that would see resources flow directly to the community.

This is not the first time that a community has chosen to leave the Union of Ontario Indians.

According to McLeod, Rama First Nation left the union back in late 1999-early 2000. In 2016, Rama decided to rejoin.

Sagamok-Anishnawbek First Nation is located along the north shore of Lake Huron, about 100 kilometres southwest of Sudbury. Its name means “two points joining.”

Sagamok’s culture and language is Anishinabek, and it is made up of the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Pottawatomi tribes. Also known as the Three Fires Peoples, there are more than 2,000 members in the community.

The region of Sagamok became a reservation in 1850 with the passing of the Robinson Huron Treaty.

According to its website, the First Nation is the first to employ language immersion in Ontario, teaching solely in the Anishnawbemowin from Kindergarten to Grade 3.

The Union of Ontario Indians was incorporated in 1949 to serve as a political advocate for the Anishinabek Nation across Ontario. Its head office is located at Nipissing First Nation near North Bay and it has satellite offices in Fort William First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation and Munsee Delaware Nation.

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