Mississauga First Nation

Mississauga First Nation
Band No. 200
Misswezahging
PeopleOjibwe
TreatyRobinson Huron
HeadquartersP.O. Box 1299, Blind River
ProvinceOntario
Land[1]
Main reserveMississagi River 8
Land area160.75 km2
Population (2024)[1]
On reserve389
On other land5
Off reserve1117
Total population1511
Government[1]
ChiefBrent Niganobe
Council
Denise Boyer-Payette
Jubilant Sky Cada
Crystal Dawn Chiblow
Chance Counsell
Gloria Daybutch
Kenneth Macleod
Laura Mayer
Peyton Pitawanakwat
Nancy Whitehead
Tribal Council[1]
Anishinabek Nation
Mamaweswen, The North Shore Tribal Council
Website
https://www.mississaugi.com/
Mississagi River 8
Misswezahging
Mississagi River Indian Reserve No. 8
Mississagi River 8 is located in Ontario
Mississagi River 8
Mississagi River 8
Coordinates: 46°13′N 83°00′W / 46.217°N 83.000°W / 46.217; -83.000
Country Canada
Province Ontario
DistrictAlgoma
First NationMississauga
Area
 • Land18.41 km2 (7.11 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Total
390
 • Density21.2/km2 (55/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Websitewww.mississaugi.com

Mississauga First Nation, also spelt Mississaugi, is one of the six First Nations that make up the Mississauga Nations. It is located directly west of Blind River, Ontario, Canada, on the Mississagi River 8 Reserve.[3]

Name

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The word Mississauga is an anglicized version of the Ojibwe word Misswezaagiing, which means ‘a river with many outlets.’ This name comes from the Mississagi River, which is a bird-foot delta, a haven for fish and waterfowl and is currently a jointly managed Provincial Park.

The people of Mississaugi have resided there since time immemorial.

The sign for the Mississauga First Nation on Ontario Highway 17

Governance

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The Mississauga First Nation created a Land Code in 2019 governing land use in the community. In 2015, it also adopted the Misswezahging Constitution, which noted that the community had the "inherent right given by the Creator to enact laws necessary in order to protect and preserve Anishinaabe culture, to protect our lands, our language, customs, traditions and practices." Later, in 2019, a Community Protection Law was passed.[4]

In October 2024, the Mississauga First Nation became the first First Nations in Canada to successfully prosecute someone based on its own legal code. A court in Elliot Lake accepted a guilty plea from an individual for trespassing and failing to comply with an order to leave the community. Police had refused to prosecute using the community's legal code, so a lawyer was hired using funds from a government pilot project for private prosecution of Indigenous communities' legal codes.[4]

Notable members

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References

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  1. ^ "Mississauga First Nation - First Nation Detail". Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Mississagi River 8 census profile". 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  3. ^ "Mississisauga 8", First Nation, Canada Archived July 22, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ a b Jackson, Kenneth (October 30, 2024). "Trespassing conviction makes history for First Nation law in Ontario". Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
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