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Missanabie Cree First Nation [Treaty land entitlement]

The Missanabie Cree First Nation is a distinct group of Mushkegowuk Cree whose traditional territory is centred on Missanabie Lake, Dog Lake and Wabatongushi Lake, about 120 kilometres north of Wawa, Ontario, and within the Chapleau Crown land preserve. The First Nation has no land base and the roughly 300 members are scattered throughout Ontario and the rest of Canada.

In 1993, the Missanabie Cree First Nation submitted a claim to Canada alleging that, under the terms of Treaty 9, a reserve should have been set aside for its members. Following Canada’s initial review, the First Nation and Canada jointly undertook research in support of the claim, and in 1999, Canada accepted the claim for negotiation. A year after submitting its claim to the Province of Ontario, the First Nation was issued a land-use permit for lands within the Chapleau Game Preserve. This permit allowed the First Nation to set up trailers to accommodate a band office, housing for temporary workers and facilities for band gatherings. An application to purchase these lands remains outstanding. Tripartite negotiation meetings are ongoing.

The ICC is at the negotiation table as study coordinator, acting as the liaison between the negotiating parties and independent consultants hired to complete research and loss-of-use studies. A natural resource study, which will include minerals, forestry and water, a traditional activities study, a mapping project, and loss-of-use studies covering tourism, recreation and agriculture are currently underway with draft final reports nearing completion.