Bemaadizijig Ganoonindwaa: Talking to People

Understanding the Robinson Huron Treaty with Mike Restoule

Mike Restoule, Chair of the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund, shares why the Anishinabek asserted the need for a treaty in the 1840s, how the Anishinabek First Nations came together to create the present-day Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund, and why our Treaty relationship will continue to be important in the future.In 1850, Anishinaabeg entered into two treaties with the British Crown: the Robinson Huron Treaty and the Robinson Superior Treaty.  In both Treaties, the Crown promised the Anishinaabeg signatories an annuity payment that would increase as resource revenues within the Treaty territory increased.  The annuity rose from $1.60 to $4 in 1875, where it has stayed ever since, even though billions of dollars have been generated from resource development in the territory since the treaty was signed.         
In 2010, 21 First Nations established the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund to seek compensation for the Crown’s failure to respect the Treaty augmentation clause. Legal arguments in the annuities case began in 2017. Justice Hennessy ruled in favor of the Anishinaabeg in stages one and two of the trial, asserting that both Canada and Ontario have a mandatory obligation to review the annuity amount and a responsibility in upholding the Treaty.  Stage three of the process would have dealt with the Anishinaabeg claim for compensation. Instead of returning to court, the Robinson Huron Treaty Anishinaabeg and the Governments of Canada and Ontario negotiated a settlement of $10 billion for past compensation. The settlement agreement was finalized in 2024, and the parties also committed to negotiating the implementation of the augmentation promise going forward. Mike Restoule is a citizen of Nipissing First Nation. His Ojibway name is Waashushk – Muskrat, and he is of the Turtle clan.  Mike worked for Ontario Northland Transportation for 31 years, first as a journeyman railway mechanic; he retired in 2001 as manager of labour relations.  He studied political science, law and justice at Laurentian University.  He has served on the Nipissing First Nation Band Council, as well as Director of the Restoration of Jurisdiction Department with the Anishinabek Nation. Mike has been involved with the Robinson Huron Anishinabek efforts for treaty justice since 1992. Mike is currently the Chair of the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund and one of the representative plaintiffs in the annuities lawsuit.
Learn more about the Robinson Huron Treaty: Anishinabek Nation: Robinson Huron Treaty https://www.anishinabek.ca/education-resources/gdoo-sastamoo-kii-mi/robinson-huron-treaty/
Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fundhttps://www.rht1850.ca/
Robinson Huron Waawiindamaagewinhttps://robinson-huron-a2117e.webflow.io/
Supreme Court of CanadaOntario (Attorney General) v. Restoule2024-07-26https://decisions.scc-csc.ca/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/20554/index.doRobinson Huron Treaty – Surrender by the Ojibewa Indians inhibiting the North Shore of Lake Huron http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=fonandcol&id=3963991&lang=engTreaty Text: Ojibewa Indians of Lake Huron https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100028984/1581293724401
Ontario Treaties Recognition Weekhttps://www.ontario.ca/page/treaties-recognition-week
This podcast is produced by the Communications Department at the Anishinabek Nation. 
Music: “Brothers” by Wolf Saga and Chippewa Travellers, “Soft Spoken” by Jacob Hoskins, “Time to Move” by Mimi O’Bonsawin and “Just Us” by Wolf Saga and David R. Maracle, licensed by Nagamo Publishing.Click here to download the transcript. 

Mooz Symposium Part 1: Traditional mooz harvesting and climate change

Perry McLeod-Shabogesic, Dale Benoit-Zohr, and John Paul Kohoko share their knowledge of mooz harvesting and how climate change is impacting the mooz.Perry, Dale and John Paul attended the Anishinabek Nation's first Mooz Maawanjiding, a Moose Symposium, in Ketegaunseebee, Garden River First Nation. The goal of this gathering, hosted by our Lands and Resources Department, was to create connections amongst mooz advocates, better understand mooz health concerns, explore management practices and learn about the connections between traditional ecological knowledge and western science research methods.Perry McLeod-Shabogesic of the Crane Clan is an Ojibway Anishinabe from Nbisiing First Nation.  Perry has been a recognized Traditional Helper, Oshkaabewis, Pipe Carrier, medicine harvester, artist, and cultural resource person in and around his community for many years.Dale Benoit-Zohr is a member of the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn. She currently sits on Council for her First Nation and has been recognized for her efforts to establish a food bank in the community.  John Paul Kohoko is a member of the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn and an electrician. John Paul has also served as a member of the council for Pikwàkangàn, and as a deputy conservation officer.This podcast is produced by the Communications Department at the Anishinabek Nation. 
Music:  “Brothers” by Wolf Saga and Chippewa Travellers, “For Eddie” by Don Ross, and “Highway” by Justin Delorme, licensed by Nagamo Publishing.
Click here to download the episode transcript. 

Truth and Reconciliation with Ookomis Donna Debassige

Ookomis Donna Debassige shares her experiences as a survivor of the Spanish Indian Residential School for Girls. We talk about the effects that residential schools, government policies and religion had on her community, and her advocacy work. Ookomis Donna also shares her hopes and expectations for the September 30th National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, for both her fellow survivors and for the community at large.
Ookomis Donna Debassige is a citizen of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, is a mother of three children and a grandmother to four grandsons. She is a fluent speaker of Odawa and a member of the Raindance Lodge.
Ookomis Donna is the Lake Huron Representative for the Getzijig (Elders) Council, and the Kwe-Wuk (Women's) Council.  Ookomis Donna is the lead Elder and Survivor providing guidance and direction for the Anishinabek Nation’s Reconciliation initiatives. She is an active member in the Anishinabek Nation Caring Community group, made up of lead communities and technicians doing the searches at previous residential school sites. She also does advocacy work on the provincial and national levels, including with Survivors Advisory Circle for the Office of the Independent Special Interlocutor for Missing Children and Unmarked Graves and Burial Sites associated with Indian Residential Schools.
Please be advised that listeners may be triggered by this recount of Indian Residential Schools. To access a 24-hour National Indian Residential School Crisis Line, dial 1-866-925-4419.
For emotional support resources, visit the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program at:  https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1581971225188/1581971250953
For more resources about Indian Residential, Day and Industrial Schools, visit the Anishinabek Nation’s website at: http://www.anishinabek.ca/irs
This podcast is produced by the Communications Department at the Anishinabek Nation. 
Music: “Brothers” by Wolf Saga and Chippewa Travellers, “Late Shift Paint for the Commissaries” and “A Glaring Falsehood” by Justin Delorme and “Winding River” by Bryden Gwiss Kiwenzie, licensed through Nagamo Publishing, and Feather Waltz, by Kevin MacLeod.
Click here for the episode transcript. 

Koganaawsawin with Stan Cloud

Stan Cloud, Director of the Anishinabek Nation Social Development and Koganaawsawin, shares how this organization is dedicated to reasserting Anishinabek ways of caring for our families and communities.     
Launched in 2019, Koganaawsawin is a collective body established by Anishinabek First Nations and Indigenous child well-being agencies to support and further enhance the delivery of child, youth and family well-being programs and services by the First Nations and the agencies.  Koganaawsawin supports the Anishinabek Child, Youth and Family Well-Being System in the areas of Child, Youth and Family Services, a Family Well-Being Program, First Nation Representative Support, Prevention, and Repatriation. Through Koganaawsawin, Anishinabek citizens can also access the Office of the Children’s Commissioner, and the Anishinabek Nation Circle Process. Learn more at: www.koganaawsawin.caThis podcast is produced by the Communications Department at the Anishinabek Nation. 
This episode was co-written by Victoria Racette, Manager of Communications and Information, Anishinabek Nation Social Development and Koganaawsawin. Music: “Brothers” by Wolf Saga and Chippewa Travellers, “Hard Beginnings” by Greyson Gritt, “Thoughts Will Wander” by Justin Delorme and “Waking State” by Jacob Hoskins, licensed through Nagamo Publishing.Episode transcript: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/t55pdd9kpcxt7bc9/Ep8_Koganaawsawin_Transcript_2024-09-23.pdf

Anishinaabemowin Revitalization with Barbara Nolan, Anishinaabemowin E-niigaanwidood

Barbara Ann Nolan is the Anishinabek Nation’s Language Commissioner, our Anishinaabemowin E-niigaanwidood. We talked about her extensive involvement in Anishinaabemowin revitalization, starting in the 1970s, to the community efforts she's seeing across Anishinabek territory today. As a vibrant first speaker of Nishnaabemowin, Barbara advocates for an uplifting approach to language learning, through immersion experiences, in-person or virtual classrooms, language videos, games and apps.
Visit her new children's video series at: Barbara Nolan - YouTube
Visit her website at www.barbaranolan.com
Download the 2024 Anishinabek Nation Giizisoo-Mzinigan 2024 Monthly Calendar:  https://www.anishinabek.ca/Flipbooks/ANCalendar2024.html
This podcast is produced by the Communications Department at the Anishinabek Nation. Episode transcript: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/65fmxnu96iaag5g7/Ep7_2024-08-26_Nolan_Anishinaabemowin_Revitalization_EN_Transcript.pdf
Music: “Brothers” by Wolf Saga and Chippewa Travellers, “Embracing Beauty: by Justin Delorme, licenced through Nagamo Publishing. “Vibing over Venus” by Kevin McLeod (incompetech.com, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License)
 

Learning Anishinaabemowin with Isadore Toulouse

Anishinaabemowin champion Isadore Toulouse talks about the state of Anishinaabemowin in 2024:  Are there enough fluent Anishinaabemowin speakers today to carry the language on? Is it important to know how to speak the language, and should we know how to write it too?  What are best ways to learn the language? 
Isadore Toulouse Bebamikawe has been involved in Anishinaabemowin promotion for over 40 years.  A member of the Turtle clan, from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, Isadore grew up immersed in an Anishinaabemowin-speaking environment. He was inspired to devote much of his life to championing the language. Isadore has taught Anishinaabemowin at all levels, including with Lakehead University’s Indigenous Language Instructors Program, and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians’ Culture Department.  He has created the Kidwenan Ojibwe language book and CD, co-translated several children’s books, and his community language classes can be found on YouTube. In 2022, Isadore was honoured with an Anishinabek Lifetime Achievement Award in the category of Culture. 
Isadore supports the Anishinabek Nation’s Anishinabemowin initiatives by teaching weekly language lessons to UOI staff, by providing simultaneous translation, and by serving as a member of the Anishinabek Nation’s Anishinaabemowin Revitalization Committee.
Access Isadore's language classes here:
https://www.gtbindians.org/anishinaabemowin.aspEpisode transcript: 
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/yt2958qygr76fpf9/Ep6_2024-08-08_Bemaadizijig_Ganoonindwaa_Toulouse_Anishinaabemowin.pdf
 

Biinaagami: Connecting with the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Watersheds

The Biinaagami Initiative is creating multimedia resources rooted in Indigenous knowledges to educate, connect, and promote action for the protection of the Great Lakes, which are under threat from pollution, climate change, and invasive species. 
Biinaagami is a collaboration between the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, and Canadian water advocacy charity Swim Drink Fish.  Our guests, Meredith Brown, Director of Special Projects at the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and Patrick Madahbee, co-chair of the Biinaagami Shared Circle, and a Swim Drink Fish ambassador, describe how Biinaagami is integrating Indigenous languages, ceremony and traditional knowledges to share ways that everyday people can learn and take action around the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence watershed. Biinaagami has created a room-sized floor map with Indigenous place names and augmented-reality storytelling. Their website includes an online version of the map and additional resources.  Home - BiinaagamiGiant Floor Maps – Overview | Canadian Geographic Education (cangeoeducation.ca)Biinaagami: A call to revitalize our waters | Canadian Geographic
Music: "Brothers" by Wolf Saga and Chippewa Travelers, licensed through Nagamo Publishing. "Curiosity" by Justin Delorme and Chippewa Travellers, licensed through Nagamo Publishing. "Deep Relaxation" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License"Magic Scout" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License"Flowing water with gentle wading" by Mechanical Wave
This podcast is produced by the Communications Department at the Anishinabek Nation. This episode was originally published on July 26, 2024.
 

A new vision for Health Transformation in Anishinabek First Nations

Our Anishinabek Nation Health Transformation team has been meeting with First Nations' leadership and our health care community to talk about a vision for an Anishinabek health care system that’s controlled by our First Nations, where we make the decisions about how money is spent and what kind of health services and programming are offered.
In this episode, Phyllis Williams and John Scherebnyj update us on the work of the Health Transformation team, and what they're hearing in conversation with Anishinabek First Nations.
The Anishinabek Nation Health Transformation Initiative goes back to 2016, as the Anishinabek Nation Health Secretariat looked for opportunities to develop a First Nations Local Health Integration Network (or LHIN).
The Ontario government has since restructured the LHIN model across the province but in the meantime, work towards an Anishinabek-lead health system continued.
In April 2018, the Anishinabek Nation, Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, and Indigenous Services Canada signed a "Tripartite Health System Transformation Relationship Document," which provided the forum for all three levels of government to engage in a Health Transformation process – with the Anishinabek Nation First Nations taking the lead in developing a system that’s culturally appropriate, meets the needs of our citizens and communities, and addresses gaps in the current health system.
To ensure the process is First Nation driven, the Health Transformation Team is involving leadership, front-line workers and community members.  Engagement Sessions are being conducted throughout the Anishinabek Nation territory to discuss comprehensive system change.
For more information about Anishinabek Nation Health Transformation, visit:  Anishinabek Nation - Health Transformation | First Nation Healthcare by The People for The People (health-transformation.ca)
 

2024 Grand Council Assembly and Traditional Election Process

The Anishinabek Nation Chief-in-Assembly recently elected a new Grand Council Chief and Deputy Council Chief.  For over two decades,  Anishinabek Elders and Knowledge Keepers have been reclaiming and refining the Nation's Traditional Stand-up Election process.  In this episode, listen in to how Anishinaabemowin, songs, teachings and ceremony are woven into the process that played out on the Grand Council floor.  The Assembly also passed two resolutions impacting Anishinabek Nation Governance: a political office manual, and a restructuring of the Regional Deputy Grand Council Chief system back to the Regional Chiefs system.  
Links: Anishinabek Nation Chiefs in Assembly elect new Grand Council ChiefAnishinaabe Governance - Grand Council About Anishinaabe Giizhighad
Anishinaabe Giizhighad Education Resources 
Watch the full 2024 Grand Council Assembly on YouTube: Day 1: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qvj72_TfrrsDay 2: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hzHYTeM8zz0

Lands and Resources, and Mining in Anishinabek Nation territories

What does the Anishinabek Nation’s Lands and Resources Department do? And how is critical minerals mining impacting Anishinabek Nation member communities?In this episode, Lands and Resources Department Director Jason Laronde shares how this department supports Anishinabek Nation member First Nations to use and manage their lands and natural resources in ways that benefit them.A global transition from fossil fuels to green energy sources depends on "critical minerals." With a lot of these minerals located in Indigenous territories, First Nations are under pressure.Anishinabek Nation Mining Policy Analyst Jenny Lou Campbell, and Melvin Hardy, Deputy Grand Council Chief for the Northern Superior Region, describe how they’re supporting community responses to increased mining claims and pushing for changes to Ontario’s online mining exploration staking system, MLAS. Visit the Anishinabek Nation's Lands and Resources GeoHubs at:  https://aki-gittagim-magoon-anishinabek.hub.arcgis.com/Theme music: Brothers by Wolf Saga and Chippewa Travelers, licensed through Nagamo Publishing. Background music: Boogie Party, Loopster and Beauty Flow, by Kevin McLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.