January Update

Aanii/Boozhoo,

Greetings and Happy New Year from Chief and Council of Mississauga First Nation.

We are now into January 2019 with new challenges ahead. This year is an election year for the Parliament of Canada and several federal policies and legislation are forthcoming. The federal government is proposing Language legislation and child welfare services changes which will affect aboriginal communities. These announcements were made at the end of 2018 and have yet to be introduced into Parliament.

Organizations which Mississauga First Nation are part of are also undergoing changes. Soon the Anishinabek Nation/Union of Ontario Indians will propose a Self Government Agreement, which First Nations within the Union will have to ratify. There will be a year’s worth of consultation sessions which I encourage you to attend to decide if such an Agreement is compatible with MFN beliefs.

Finally, at the end of 2018 before Christmas, Superior Court Justice Patricia Hennessy, released her decision on the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation case. Lawyers for Robinson Huron and Robinson Superior successfully argued that the annuity clause in the Treaty should have been raised from the current $4 over the years. This is the first phase of the court case and no money has been awarded. Going forward there will be further discussion and negotiation which will take place in phase 2 and 3. Should the negotiation be successful or become stalled, the judge will render an amount. Therefore, there will be no room for “delay” tactics on either side of the litigation. Regular updates and details will be provided in the media and on community bulletins. The Robinson Huron Treaty litigation team will also visit Mississauga throughout the year to provide “in person” updates. Please attend those meetings with questions you may have and congratulate the team on this first phase of litigation.
Please have a great year and wishing you all the best.
​
Miigwetch,
Chief Reg Niganobe