Misplaced Pages

#738261

47-750: Deer Lake First Nation ( Oji-Cree : ᐊᑎᑯ ᓴᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ) is an Oji-Cree First Nations band government in Northern Ontario , located north of Red Lake , Ontario Canada. It is one of the few First Nations in Ontario to have signed Treaty 5 . It is part of the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Council (Northern Chiefs) and the Nishnawbe Aski Nation . As of December, 2007, the First Nation had 1,072 registered members, of which their on-reserve population

94-833: A colonized people. In some ways, traditional structures and cultural practices broke down, while in other ways they were maintained or modified. In 1985, the Deer Lake First Nation formally split from the Sandy Lake First Nation with each achieving full band status. The two reserves maintain close relations, however, given the shared history and amount of family connections. The leadership of their customary electoral system of government consists of Chief Roy Dale Meekis, Deputy Chief Corey J Meekis and six Councillors: David Meekis, Leonard Mamakeesick, Albert Mamakeesic, Carolyn Meekis, Saulas Meekis and Gary Meekis. Their two-year terms for Deer Lake began on July 15, 2015. In 1985

141-580: A layer of vocabulary items in Severn appears to be of Plains Cree origin, despite the fact that Severn speakers are at a significant distance from Plains Cree speakers. Valentine has suggested that "The logical means by which Plains Cree could exert an influence on Severn Ojibwe is through the Cree Bible, and other liturgical materials, which are used widely and extensively in the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches in

188-760: A northern tier consisting of Severn and Algonquin; a southern tier consisting of "Odawa, Chippewa, Eastern Ojibwe, the Ojibwe of the Border Lakes region between Minnesota and Ontario, and Saulteaux; and third, a transitional zone between these two polar groups, in which there is a mixture of northern and southern features." It has been noted that, along with Algonquin and Odawa , Severn Ojibwa "…show[s] many distinct features, which suggest periods of relative isolation from other varieties of Ojibwe." However, while each of these dialects has undergone innovations that make each of them distinctive in some respects, their status as part of

235-659: A series of adjacent settlements: Garden Hill , Red Sucker Lake , St. Theresa Point , and Wasagamack First Nation , referred to collectively as Island Lake. As with Severn Ojibwa communities in northwestern Ontario, "According to Canadian Government sources (Canada, 1970), the Island Lake people speak "Cree" and they are in no way distinguished from the Cree of Oxford House, Gods Lake, or Norway House." Island Lake speech has been described by residents and outsiders alike as containing features of Ojibwe and Cree. A dialect study conducted in

282-667: A short counterpart. Oji-Cree words are shown in both Oji-Cree syllabics and Saulteaux-Cree Roman (with the Hybrid Double Vowel Roman in parentheses). Along with the Oji-Cree words, for comparison, Swampy Cree in Western Syllabics and Salteaux-Cree Roman, and Northwestern Ojibwa in Eastern Ojibwe Syllabics and Saulteaux-Cree Roman (with Fiero Double Vowel Roman in parentheses) are also shown. Translations of

329-522: Is a group that recently broke off from the main Sandy Lake community; their dialect is the same as Sandy Lake. A number of communities around the periphery of the core Severn Ojibwa area share some Severn features, but also share features of other dialects and have been described as transitional communities. These include Round Lake , Lansdowne House , Ogoki Post , Fort Hope , and Summer Beaver . The Island Lake community in northern Manitoba consists of

376-442: Is also emphasized by the local school and churches. Since the coming of Christianity and syllabic bibles in the early 20th century, Deer Lake has used its own version of the western variant of syllabics in which the "s", "sh", "z", and "zh" sounds are combined into one set of characters and some of the finals are different from the more commonly found versions in Ontario and Manitoba. The 1,653.6 ha (4,086 acres) Deer Lake Reserve

423-469: Is also used and accepted by Severn speakers. The term Anishininiimowin is the general word used in Severn Ojibwa to refer to the language itself (noun Anishinini 'ordinary person,' suffix -mo 'speak a language,' suffix -win 'nominalizer'). A similar term Anishinaabemowin with the same structure would be expected but has not been documented in published sources. Anishininiimowin

470-509: Is becoming the most popular self-designation, while Cree remains popular as well. Ojibway is rarely used except to refer to the Native people to the south. Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada data from 2001 reported that 68% of Deer Lakers learned their native language as their first language with the rest speaking English first. Public conversation is heard in both languages with the oldest members using native language almost exclusively, and

517-511: Is now northwestern Ontario . His arrest in 1906 for the alleged murder of a wendigo and his suicide before trial marked the beginning of the imposition of Canadian law on the Sucker People. Until then, Fiddler's people had been among the last aboriginal peoples living in North America completely under their own law and custom. Zhauwuno-geezhigo-gaubow was born in the boreal forests of

SECTION 10

#1733085771739

564-638: Is within the boundaries of the territory described by Treaty 5 . The community of Deer Lake is located on this reserve. It is connected to Pikangikum First Nation , Sandy Lake First Nation , and North Spirit Lake First Nation by winter / ice roads . Regularly scheduled flights to and from the community are provided by Wasaya Airways . Traditionally, the people of the Deer Lake area were semi-nomadic and like all Anishinaabe peoples organized themselves by doodem (clan). Small groups maintained seasonal camps based on family and clan and moved around according to where

611-607: The Big Trout Lake area and the other the Deer Lake area. The Big Trout Lake area is divided into two subgroups, Western, composed of communities situated in the Severn River system, and Eastern, made up mostly of communities in the drainage area of the Winisk River." (A) Big Trout Area (i) Western Big Trout (Severn River System) (ii) Eastern Big Trout (Winisk River System) (B) Deer Lake Area The Keewaywin community

658-682: The Cranes as well. The clans spoke a unique form of the Oji-Cree dialect of the Anishinaabe language and had contact with the Ojibwa at Lake Winnipeg and the Oji-Cree farther to the north and east. Zhauwuno-geezhigo-gaubow grew up during a period of difficulty. Over-trapping for the fur trade of the previous centuries had left the boreal forests of Northern Ontario depleted of animals. With declining numbers of furs, lower demand abroad, and more opportunities in

705-618: The Deer Lake-Favourable Lake area and approximately 25% in the Sandy Lake-Big Trout Lake areas of northwestern Ontario. A complex migration history includes the return of a number of these migrants to their original communities with a subsequent migration of some back to Island Lake. Stop and affricate sounds /p t k tʃ/ and fricatives /s ʃ/ can have fortis and lenis variants. Preaspiration can often occur among fortis sounds. The mid-front vowel /eː/ , does not have

752-610: The First Nation gained full band status and has worked to take control over its own services. Today the band operates most of its community services or shares them through the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Council or the Nishnawbe Aski Nation . The community is served by Deer Lake Airport . Oji-Cree language The language is often referred to in English as Oji-Cree , with the term Severn Ojibwa (or Ojibwe ) primarily used by linguists and anthropologists. Severn Ojibwa speakers have also been identified as Northern Ojibwa , and

799-856: The HBC returned toward the end of the 19th century, they assigned family names to each of the clans. The Pelican clan became the Meekis family after their patriarch Meekis (Shell). The Sucker clan became the Fiddlers and later the Quills). Many members of the Caribou and Sturgeon clans were given the surname Rae, while other Sturgeons were designated Mamakeesic after their patriarch. The Cranes were either Kakegamic or Kakepetum after their leaders, two brothers known by those names. At this time, these names were only used in trading, but they would later become official with census records and are now

846-541: The Island Lake post, and Zhauwuno-geezhigo-gaubow emerged as one of the leaders of the Sucker people. At his brief visits at the posts, he developed the ability to fiddle and built quality instruments. HBC traders frequently gave English nicknames to individual Natives and designated whole clans by the name of a primary leader or an arbitrary English surname. Thus, the Sturgeons were known to traders (and later Canadian authorities) by

893-596: The North, the Mounties went to the Sucker camp at Deer Lake and arrested Jack and Joseph Fiddler for murder. Before leaving, they took an eyewitness and declared that each man must give up any extra wives. For most of the Sucker people, the Mounties were the first whites they had ever seen. The elderly brothers were charged with murdering Wahsakapeequay, Joseph's daughter-in-law, the year before. They were held at Norway House to await trial. Meanwhile, newspapers across Canada picked up

940-587: The Ojibwa language complex is not in dispute. Many communities adjacent to these relatively sharply differentiated dialects show a mix of transitional features, reflecting overlap with other nearby dialects. Cree has historically had a significant cultural influence on Severn Ojibwa and its speakers. Cree Anglican catechists evangelized Severn Ojibwa speakers in the late nineteenth century. For example, Cree missionary William Dick established an Anglican mission in Severn Ojibwa territory at Big Trout Lake, where he served from

987-514: The Severn region." The liturgical language of many of these communities is Plains Cree, a separate mutually unintelligible language. A number of core Severn speaking communities have been identified. Dialect research in the 1970s suggested a relatively shallow set of differences that distinguish a core Big Trout Lake subgroup (itself further divided into two minor subgroups), and a Deer Lake area subgroup. "Nichols 1976 determined that there exist two minor subdialects of Severn Ojibwe, one designated

SECTION 20

#1733085771739

1034-506: The Wendigo legend, though they often explained it as mental illness or superstition. Regardless, several incidents of people turning wendigo and eating human flesh are documented in the records of the company. Jack Fiddler's reputation also grew among these groups, and he was approached multiple times by Cree ministers at Island Lake and asked to bring Christianity to his people. Though he respectfully heard their requests, Fiddler did not convert. By

1081-490: The beginning of the 20th century, the Sucker people were among the only Indigenous people in North America living in a traditional manner with almost no government imposition on legal and religious matters. In early 1907, two members of the North-West Mounted Police visiting Island Lake heard of Jack Fiddler's power against the wendigo from Norman Rae, an in-law of the Fiddlers. Seeking to introduce Canadian law in

1128-587: The early 1970s concluded that "the speech of Island Lake is Ojibwa with an admixture of Cree." Available information indicates as well that Island Lake Ojibwe shares Severn features: "The dialect affiliation of Island Lake Ojibwa is with Severn Ojibwe. Consistent informant responses indicate almost complete intelligibility with Severn Ojibwa on the one hand, and reduced intelligibility with Berens River, Bloodvein, Little Grand Rapids, and Pikangikaum…". A review of Island Lake family history indicates that approximately 50% of families listed in 1909 documents originated in

1175-559: The entire band at all three locations at this time was 78 individuals, but this number grew with an influx of newcomers from Island Lake in Manitoba and numbered over 300 in 1929. It was that year that commissioners representing the Government of Ontario (the province of Ontario had absorbed the area from the District of Keewatin in 1912), determined that the Sandy Lake settlement was actually in

1222-449: The hunting and fishing was best. When the Hudson's Bay Company established fur trade posts at what is now Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation on Big Trout Lake and Island Lake on Island Lake in the 18th century, traditional patterns of living changed little with an increased emphasis on trapping for trade. The Deer Lake area remained inaccessible to white traders, however, and only

1269-497: The late nineteenth century until the early twentieth century (approximate dates 1887–1917). Although their language is clearly a dialect of Ojibwe, in the late 1970s, it was noted that "The northern bands of Northern Ojibwa prefer to be called Cree, a usage that has confused students and government officials: the Trout Lake, Deer Lake, and Caribou Lake bands of Northern Ojibwa are not distinguished from their Cree-speaking neighbours to

1316-402: The latter case, Fiddler was usually asked by family members to kill a very sick loved one before they turned wendigo. In some cases, the "Wendigo" him or herself would ask to be euthanized according to the necessary rites. Fiddler's own brother, Peter Flett, was killed after turning wendigo when the food ran out on a trading expedition. HBC traders, Cree , and missionaries were well aware of

1363-458: The men who brought fur to the distant posts had any contact with whites. By the 19th century, overtrapping and changes in the economics of the fur trade had devastating effects on the people of the area. With the boreal forests largely depleted of fur-bearing animals, the Hudson's Bay Company closed their posts and game remained scarce. Starvation and disease were all too common during this time. When

1410-417: The most common surnames found in Deer Lake. By 1900, the people of the area were among the last Indigenous peoples in North America living with virtually no colonial influences. Christianity, which by that time had come to most Oji-Cree communities, and Canadian law had almost no influence in the communities. Under Jack Fiddler a powerful ogema (chief and shaman) of the Sucker doodem, the people survived in

1457-672: The north in Canadian government publications …". Referring specifically to grammatical features in Severn Ojibwe, research indicates that "… the amount of Cree influence on Ojibwe grammar actually appears rather small. The common designation of northern Ojibwe linguistic varieties [i.e. as 'Oji-Cree'] is profoundly misleading in terms of the relative grammatical representation of each language in that these varieties are decidedly Ojibwe in structure." Several different Cree dialects appear to have been sources of Severn Ojibwa vocabulary. For example,

Deer Lake First Nation - Misplaced Pages Continue

1504-467: The outside. Cree missionaries brought Methodism and Anglicanism , and local people led by Adam Fiddler built and maintained churches. As Jack Fiddler foretold in a vision, airplanes came and took children away to residential schools . An HBC post with a store and post office was established, and Canadians Oscar and Jeanette Lindokken established a nursing station. In this period, the people of Deer Lake were largely denied their sovereign rights and became

1551-405: The same term has been applied to their dialect. Severn Ojibwa speakers use two self-designations in their own language. The first is Anishinini 'ordinary person' (plural Anishininiwag ) This term has been compared to Plains Cree ayisiyiniw 'person, human being.' The term Anishinaabe 'ordinary man,' which is widely used as a self-designation across the Ojibwa dialect continuum,

1598-500: The son of Jack, signed Treaty 5 at the east end of Deer Lake, and the Deer Lake First Nation began its formal relationship with the Government of Canada and the British Crown . The Fiddlers and many others soon left for better farming lands at Sandy Lake and others still went to settle at North Spirit Lake, and the only members of the "Deer Lake Band" still living at Deer Lake were the Meekis, Rae, and Quill families. The population of

1645-443: The story and printed sensational headlines of murder and devil-worship. Across the country, people demanded convictions, while the police conducting the trial saw an opportunity for fame and advancement. On September 30, Jack Fiddler escaped captivity during a walk outside. He hanged himself nearby and was found dead later in the day. Joseph Fiddler still went to trial, however. Angus Rae, the eyewitness, testified that Wahsakapeequay

1692-574: The surname Rae or Mamakeesick, the Pelicans after their leader Meekis , and the Cranes after their leaders Kakegamic and Kakepetum . Zhauwuno-geezhigo-gaubow and his brother Pesequan became Jack and Joseph Fiddler, and the Suckers often appear in the records as the Fiddler tribe. Jack Fiddler took five wives: Kakakwesic, Nakwasasive, Nocome, Kaopasanakitiyat, and Kayakatopicicikec and had 13 children. Polygamy

1739-525: The territories covered in the adhesions to the James Bay Treaty ( Treaty 9 ), and created a reserve for the Deer Lake Band at Sandy Lake Narrows ignoring the fact that a significant portion of the band still resided at Deer Lake and had yet to have a reserve formally designated under the terms of the 1910 treaty. As the 20th century progressed the people of Deer Lake came more and more into contact with

1786-423: The traditional way. This, however, began to change. The arrival of North-West Mounted Police officers in 1906 to arrest Fiddler and his brother Joseph marked the first time most Deer Lakers had ever seen a white person. The elderly Fiddler brothers were charged with murder for killing a windigo (an evil cannibalistic spirit that possesses a person during times of famine) and taken away. In 1910, Robert Fiddler,

1833-488: The upper Severn River near Sandy Lake , Deer Lake , and North Spirit Lake in the 1830s or 1840s. His father Peemeecheekag (Porcupine [Standing] Sideways), a mysterious figure from the east who was adopted into the Sucker clan during the previous century, was a respected political and spiritual leader. The Suckers were not the only group in the area, as they were allied with the Pelican and Sturgeon clans, and had contact with

1880-446: The west, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) abandoned their post at Island Lake for much of the early 19th century, forcing the Suckers to travel to Big Trout Lake or Little Grand Rapids for trade. As a young man, Zhauwuno-geezhigo-gaubow likely worked on the York boats bringing furs to York Factory . By the 1860s, the number of fur-bearing animals increased enough for the HBC to re-open

1927-455: The words are also given. Jack Fiddler Jack Fiddler , also known as Zhauwuno-geezhigo-gaubow (from the Oji-Cree : Zhaawano-giizhigo-gaabaw meaning "He who stands in the southern sky") and as Maisaninnine or Mesnawetheno (in Swampy Cree meaning "Stylish man") (c. 1839-September 30, 1907), was an ogimaa (chief and shaman) of the Sucker doodem among the Anishinaabe in what

Deer Lake First Nation - Misplaced Pages Continue

1974-409: The youngest members using almost only English. Most adults comfortably navigate between the two, while younger adults and teenagers comprehend the language but rarely speak it. To reverse the trend of language loss, local education efforts have implemented native-language immersion programs in the preschool, kindergarten, and early-elementary grades. Literacy in the native language using Cree syllabics

2021-510: Was 868. Deer Lake is policed by the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service , an Aboriginal-based service. The people of Deer Lake are closely related to the people of Sandy Lake First Nation and North Spirit Lake First Nation . The three reserves speak a unique dialect of the Anishinaabe language commonly known as Oji-Cree language . In the local language, the people of Deer Lake call themselves Anishinawbe . In English Oji-Cree

2068-702: Was common, out of necessity if for no other reason, as young men died often in the dangers of the times. Like his father before him, Jack Fiddler became a famous shaman for his alleged ability to conjure animals and protect his people from spells. Most importantly to the people of the region, he could allegedly successfully defeat the wendigo , a cannibalistic spirit that would possess people during all-too-frequent bouts of famine and disease. In his life, Jack Fiddler claimed to have defeated fourteen wendigos. Apparently some were sent against his people by enemy shamans, and others were members of his own band who were taken with an insatiable, incurable desire to eat human flesh. In

2115-471: Was convicted and sentenced to death by Aylesworth Perry , the stipendary magistrate. Further appeals secured his release, but the order came three days after his death in 1909. Without their most prominent leaders, the people of the upper Severn River had no choice but to accept government rule. Robert Fiddler, Jack's son, signed an addition to Treaty 5 as "chief of the Deer Lake Band" in 1910 and chose to settle at Deer Lake. Later, several families including

2162-418: Was killed while in deep pain and incurably sick according to the custom of the people who were not aware of Canadian law. Pressed on the wendigo issue, Rae admitted that it was a belief among his people and that Jack and Joseph were the ones who were usually asked to euthanize the very sick and prevent wendigos. Despite some other unreliable testimony from Rae, and the pleas of missionaries and HBC traders, Joseph

2209-552: Was one of only six aboriginal languages in Canada to report an increase in use in the 2001 Canadian census over the 1996 census. Although sometimes described as a separate language, Severn Ojibwa is most accurately described as a dialect of the larger Ojibwe language complex with a number of distinctive innovations in addition to an increment of vocabulary borrowed from Cree and a modest amount of Cree morphology. Valentine has proposed that Ojibwe dialects are divided into three groups:

#738261