June 2019 Update

Aanii/Boozhoo,

Summer is finally here and warmer weather is upon us. The school year is coming to a close for elementary and they will be joining the secondary and post-secondary on their summer vacations. Please continue to be diligent and watch for children on the roadways as they will surely be enjoying the summer weather outdoors. 
Since we are on the topic of students, I would like to congratulate all our graduates from daycare to post-secondary. I hope everyone had an excellent school year and are looking forward to enjoying their summer. 

The Anishinabek Nation/Union of Ontario Indians and Chiefs of Ontario have held their recent general assemblies. The biggest highlight from the Anishinabek Nation Assembly is the desire to move forward with the Anishinabek Nation Self-Government Agreement which will require a community ratification vote. All 40 Anishinabek Nation communities have the option to participate in the ratification process and must do so adopt/enact/accept the Agreement. The ratification will be held during the fall and close in November. Mississauga First Nation will participate in the ratification process to have our community decide if we will adopt the Self-Government Agreement or not. The Self-Government focuses on four pillars: 

1. Leadership Selection (Elections)
2. Citizenship
3. Language and Culture
4. Operation and Management of Government (Fiscal Lawmaking)

More information on the Governance Agreement can be found on both the Mississauga Main web page as well as the Anishinabek Nation web page. Additionally, there will be upcoming community engagement sessions in Mississauga as well as Anishinabek Nation sessions held in the major cities in Ontario. 
The top highlight from the Chiefs of Ontario meeting was the restructuring of Chiefs of Ontario. The common theme and strongest suggestion from the plenary sessions held was that the Chiefs of Ontario return to being an advocacy organization and nothing more. 

Summer is upon us however and now is the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. As always I encourage Mississauga members to utilize our land and traditional territory. Each time you utilize it you're not only honouring your ancestors but you're maintaining the Mississauga connection to the land. Please speak with Elders, family members, myself and even Mississauga First Nation Lands Department if you're unsure of where the traditional territory is, we'll all be delighted to share. 

This month our largest summer celebration takes place. The Mississauga First Nation 38th Annual Traditional Pow-Wow occurs July 20-21st. This year's theme is "Reconnecting with the Land". We look forward to seeing everyone at this years gathering and enjoying many laughs and great memories with the celebration. 

I hope everyone enjoys their summer and creates many great memories and stays safe.  

Miigwetch,

Chief Reg Niganobe