Who We Are | Wenash Niinwind

We are the Chippewas of Georgina Island, an Anishinaabe Nation located on the southern shores of Lake Simcoe. Our ancestors were inhabitants of the Lake Simcoe region long before the arrival of settlers. Six years after a government experiment to colonize the Chippewa people in 1830, Chief Joseph Snake moved his people back to Snake Island, and then to Georgina Island as the community grew.

Georgina Island was the first community in Canada to ratify The Framework Agreement on First Nation Lands Management to reclaim stolen lands, and preserve our inherent rights to hunt, fish, and gather. As a Nation, we exercise our sovereignty through the Chi-Naaknigewin, our Nation’s constitution, that gives us the ability to make our own laws and govern ourselves.

Our sense of community is what makes us a strong and resilient people, and our culture is what connects us to our ancestors and to the land. Many of our traditions were lost, but we are in the process of re-vitalizing our traditional ways of knowing.

We follow the principles of the Seven Grandfather Teachings to live a good life – ‘Bemaudiziwin’ in our traditional language: Respect, Courage, Honesty, Wisdom, Humility, Truth, and Love.

Anishinaabe people of Georgina Island have a vision of well-being for the next seven generations. This includes economic prosperity; safe and convenient travel; a healthy environment; and language and culture revitalization. Our hope is that all people who walk with us on these lands, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, share in this vision as we all strive for and enjoy that good life – ‘Bemaudiziwin’.