Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation
Encyclopedia
Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation (or "Pic River" for short) is an Ojibwa
(Anishinaabe
) First Nation band on the north shore of Lake Superior
at the mouth of the Pic River
. Pic River is not a signatory to the Robinson Superior treaty. The community is located on 316.6 ha Pic River 50
Indian reserve
. In November, 2007, their total registered population was 964 people, of which their on-reserve population was 480.
Local First Nations
peoples traded furs with the French as early as the 1770s. A French fur trade
r set up a permanent post around 1792. The Hudson's Bay Company
set up a permanent post in 1821 until encroaching settlement let to its relocation in 1888. In 1914, their Pic River 50 became a treaty-established reserve.
in late August. The First Nation is active in economic and workforce development, with interests in nearby hydroelectric generating plants on the Kagiano
and Black river
s.
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
(Anishinaabe
Anishinaabe
Anishinaabe or Anishinabe—or more properly Anishinaabeg or Anishinabek, which is the plural form of the word—is the autonym often used by the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Algonquin peoples. They all speak closely related Anishinaabemowin/Anishinaabe languages, of the Algonquian language family.The meaning...
) First Nation band on the north shore of Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
at the mouth of the Pic River
Pic River
The Pic River is a river in the east part of Thunder Bay District in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It flows from McKay Lake southeast of the community of Longlac and empties into Lake Superior southeast of the town of Marathon.-Course:...
. Pic River is not a signatory to the Robinson Superior treaty. The community is located on 316.6 ha Pic River 50
Pic River 50, Ontario
Pic River 50 is an Indian reserve on the north shore of Lake Superior at the mouth of the Pic River, near Marathon, Ontario, Canada. The reserve is 316.6 ha within its exterior boundaries. The reserve contains the community of Heron Bay, Ontario. It serves as the land-base for the Ojibways of...
Indian reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
. In November, 2007, their total registered population was 964 people, of which their on-reserve population was 480.
History
The mouth of the Pic River has been a center of native trade and settlement for thousands of years. It was a strategic location in the region's water transportation network because it offered access to northern lands and a canoe route to James Bay. The halfway point for canoers travelling the north shore of Lake Superior, "the Pic" first appeared on European maps in the mid-seventeenth century.Local First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
peoples traded furs with the French as early as the 1770s. A French fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
r set up a permanent post around 1792. The Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
set up a permanent post in 1821 until encroaching settlement let to its relocation in 1888. In 1914, their Pic River 50 became a treaty-established reserve.
Culture
Pic River hosts an annual pow wowPow woW
Pow woW is French musical group. Their biggest hit was "Le Chat" in 1992. Their next single was the French version of song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", titled "Le lion est mort ce soir".- Albums :* Regagner les plaines...
in late August. The First Nation is active in economic and workforce development, with interests in nearby hydroelectric generating plants on the Kagiano
Kagiano River
The Kagiano River is a river in the east part of Thunder Bay District in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is in the Lake Superior drainage basin and flows from an unnamed lake south of the community of Longlac on Ontario Highway 11 to the Pic River north northeast of the town of Marathon on...
and Black river
Black River (Ontario)
Black River may refer to several rivers by that name in the province of Ontario, Canada.*The Black River in Hastings County, Ontario joins the Moira River near Tweed, Ontario....
s.
Governance
The current electoral leadership of the council consists of Chief Arthur Fisher and nine councillors: Jerald DesMoulin, John DesMoulin, Simone DesMoulin, Joseph Goodchild, Kenneth Lees, Arnold Michano, Duncan Michano, Jamie Michano and Wayne Twance. Their two-year term began on October 1, 2007.Notable people
- Rod MichanoRod MichanoRod Michano, is a noted Canadian First Nations HIV/AIDS activist and educator...
, a prominent HIV/AIDS awareness activist among First Nations in Canada.