Big Grassy First Nation

Big Grassy First Nation (Mishkosiminiziibiing Anishinaabeg in the Ojibwe language) is an Ojibwe or Ontario Saulteaux First Nation band government located in Rainy River District, Ontario near Morson, Ontario.

Together with the Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation, Big Grassy First Nation is a successor apparent to the former Assabaska Band of Saulteaux. Its registered population in February, 2012 was 721, of which the on-reserve population was 228. It is a member of the Anishinabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council, a regional tribal council that is a member of the Grand Council of Treaty 3.

Reserves

The First Nation have reserved for themselves six reserves:^[1]

3,615.10 hectares (8,933.1 acres) Big Grassy River 35G, which serves as their main reserve,
1,408.70 hectares (3,481.0 acres) Lake of the Woods 35J,
518 hectares (1,280 acres) Naongashing 35A,
712.30 hectares (1,760.1 acres) Obabikong 35B,
1,098 hectares (2,710 acres) Assabaska, which is shared with Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation, and
379 hectares (940 acres) Agency 30, which is shared with 12 other First Nations.

Historically, the Assabaska Band of Saulteaux had also reserved for itself:

640 acres (260 ha) Little Grassy River 35E

but it was not surveyed. On paper, two additional reserves were recommended to be set aside to augment Little Grassy River 35E:

1,600 acres (650 ha) Little Grassy River 35E1
640 acres (260 ha) Windy Point 35E2

but without consultation with the Assabaska Band, all three reserves were disposed upon creation of the Lake of the Woods Provincial Park. Other reserves of the Assabaska Band were parted to the Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation upon dissolution of the Assabaska Band.

Governance

Big Grassy First Nation is governed by Chief Lynn Indian and 5 councillors: Deborah Ludeman, Elvis Adams, Jeff Morison and Glenn Archie. Their elected two-year term ends on January 6, 2021.

History

Seven Generations Education Institute (SGEI) is an Aboriginal-owned and controlled post-secondary institution co-founded by the ten bands in the Rainy Lake Tribal area in 1985. The ten bands are: Big Grassy, Big Island, Couchiching, Lac La Croix, Naicatchewenin, Nigigoonsiminikaaning, Ojibways of Onigaming, Rainy River, Seine River and Mitaanjigaming. Each of the ten bands appoints one member to a board of directors of Seven Generations Education Institute, which works under the leadership of the executive director.

References

^ "First Nation Profiles". fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca. Government of Canada; Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. 14 November 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2024.

External links

official website
profile from INAC

The Numbered Treaties: Treaty Three

Numbered Treaties

Anishinabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council

Animakee Wa Zhing 37 (Northwest Angle 37)
Big Grassy
Naongashiing (Big Island)
Northwest Angle 33
Onigaming
Wauzhushk Onigum

Bimose Tribal Council

Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing Ne-Yaa-Zhing Advisory Services

Other Treaty 3 Nations

v t e Grand Council of Treaty 3
Anishinabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council	Animakee Wa Zhing 37 Big Grassy Naongashiing (Big Island) Northwest Angle 33 Onigaming Wauzhushk Onigum
Bimose Tribal Council	Asubpeeschoseewagong (Grassy Narrows) Eagle Lake Iskatewizaagegan (Shoal Lake) 39 Lac des Mille Lacs Naotkamegwanning (Whitefish Bay) Obashkaandagaang Bay Niisaachewan Shoal Lake 40 Wabaseemoong (Whitedog) Wabauskang Wabigoon Lake
Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing Ne-Yaa-Zhing Advisory Services	Couchiching Lac La Croix Mitaanjigamiing Naicatchewenin Nigigoonsiminikaaning Rainy River Seine River
Non-member Treaty 3 First Nations	Buffalo Point Lac Seul Sagkeeng (Fort Alexander) Saugeen

v t e Kenora District, Ontario
Cities	Dryden Kenora
Towns	Red Lake Sioux Lookout
Townships	Ear Falls Ignace Machin Pickle Lake Sioux Narrows–Nestor Falls
First Nations	Animakee Wa Zhing 37 Asubpeeschoseewagong Attawapiskat Bearskin Lake Big Grassy Buffalo Point Cat Lake Deer Lake Eabametoong Eagle Lake Fort Albany Fort Severn Iskatewizaagegan 39 Kasabonika Lake Kashechewan Keewaywin Kingfisher Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug Lac Seul Marten Falls Mishkeegogamang Muskrat Dam Lake Naongashiing Naotkamegwanning Neskantaga Nibinamik Niisaachewan North Caribou Lake North Spirit Lake Northwest Angle 33 Obashkaandagaang Bay Onigaming Pikangikum Poplar Hill Sachigo Lake Sandy Lake Shoal Lake 40 Slate Falls Wabaseemoong Wabauskang Wabigoon Lake Wapekeka Wauzhushk Onigum Wawakapewin Webequie Weenusk Wunnumin Lake
Indian reserves	Agency 30 Attawapiskat 91 Attawapiskat 91A Bearskin Lake Cat Lake 63C The Dalles 38C Deer Lake Eagle Lake 27 English River 21 Fort Albany 67 (part) Fort Hope 64 Fort Severn 89 Kasabonika Lake Kee-Way-Win Kenora 38B Kingfisher 2A Kingfisher 3A Kingfisher Lake 1 Kitchenuhmaykoosib Aaki 84 Lac Seul 28 Lake of the Woods 31B Lake of the Woods 31C Lake of the Woods 31G Lake of the Woods 35J Lake of the Woods 37 Lake of the Woods 37B Marten Falls 65 Muskrat Dam Lake Naongashing 35A Neskantaga North Spirit Lake Northwest Angle 33B Northwest Angle 34C & 37B Obabikong 35B One Man Lake 29 Osnaburgh 63B Pikangikum 14 Poplar Hill Rat Portage 38A Sabaskong Bay 35C (part) Sabaskong Bay 35D Sabaskong Bay 35F (part) Sachigo Lake 1 Sachigo Lake 2 Sachigo Lake 3 Sandy Lake 88 Shoal Lake 31J Shoal Lake 34B1 Shoal Lake 34B2 Shoal Lake 37A (part) Shoal Lake 39 (part) Shoal Lake 39A (part) Shoal Lake 40 (part) Swan Lake 29 Wabaseemoong Wabauskang 21 Wabigoon Lake 27 Wapekeka 1 Wapekeka 2 Wawakapewin Weagamow Lake 87 Webequie Winisk 90 Whitefish Bay 32A Whitefish Bay 33A Whitefish Bay 34A Wunnumin 1 Wunnumin 2 Yellow Girl Bay 32B
Indian settlements	Kashechewan Kee Way Win Lansdowne House McDowell Lake Peawanuck Slate Falls Summer Beaver
Unorganized areas	Unorganized Kenora
Local services boards	Greater Oxdrift KeeMan Melgund Minaki Pellatt, Pelican, Umbach, Gidley Redditt Round Lake Wabigoon
Unincorporated communities	Balmertown Borups Corners Central Patricia Cochenour Dyment Eagle River Eton–Rugby Hudson Jaffray–Mellick Keewatin Madsen McKenzie Island Minnitaki Nestor Falls Norman Oxdrift Pickle Crow Rat Portage Sioux Narrows Starratt–Olsen Superior Junction Vermilion Bay
See also Communities in Kenora District Census divisions of Ontario

v t e Rainy River District, Ontario
Towns	Fort Frances Rainy River
Townships	Alberton Atikokan Chapple Dawson Emo La Vallee Lake of the Woods Morley
First Nations	Animakee Wa Zhing 37 Big Grassy Couchiching Lac La Croix Mitaanjigamiing Naicatchewenin Naongashiing Nigigoonsiminikaaning Onigaming Rainy River Seine River
Indian reserves	Agency 1 Assabaska Big Grassy River 35G Big Island 31D Big Island 31E Big Island 31F Big Island 37 Big Island Mainland 93 Couchiching 16A Lake of the Woods 31H Lake of the Woods 34 Long Sault 12 Manitou Rapids 11 Naongashing 31A Neguaguon Lake 25D Rainy Lake 17A Rainy Lake 17B Rainy Lake 18C Rainy Lake 26A Rainy Lake 26B Rainy Lake 26C Sabaskong Bay 32C Sabaskong Bay 35C (part) Sabaskong Bay 35F (part) Sabaskong Bay 35H Saug-a-Gaw-Sing 1 Seine River 23A Seine River 23B Sturgeon Falls 23
Unorganized areas	Unorganized Rainy River
Unincorporated communities	Arbor Vitae Barwick Bergland Black Hawk Blue Burditt Lake Calm Lake Crilly Devlin Finland Flanders Gameland Glenorchy Government Landing Kawene McGinnis Creek Minahico Mine Centre Morson Off Lake Corner Pinewood Rocky Inlet Sapawe Shenston Sleeman Stratton
See also Communities in Rainy River District Census divisions of Ontario