About the Algonquin Nation in present day Ontario, Canada.

The Algonquin Nation of Ontario has embarked on a journey of self-sufficiency, rebuilding and survival.  Through negotiations with the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario, the Algonquins are working towards the settlement of an outstanding land claim dating back to 1772.

Representatives of Algonquins living in nine communities in the area south of the Ottawa and Mattawa rivers and the Council of the Algonquins of Pikwàkanàgan First Nation have agreed on a protocol that, among other things, provided a unified approach to moving forward on negotiating with the two governments to reach a settlement of their land claim. 

The Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn received a Crown Patent in 1873 for a total of 1561 acres and became the Golden Lake First Nation. Algonquins also live in nine communities throughout the Traditional Territory:

	Shabot Obaadjiwan (Sharbot Lake)	Mattawa/North Bay
	Greater Golden Lake	Snimikobi (Ardoch)
	Antoine	Bonnechere
	Bancroft	Whitney
	Ottawa

The Algonquins have never signed a treaty or taken treaty benefits for their land claim area.  Since 1772, Algonquins have complained about this injustice to colonial officials in Canada from Britain, as well as representatives of the monarchy, including in 1983 to the then Governor General of Canada, Edward Schreyer.

Most of the words from the Algonquins 1983 petition echoed the words used in the many other appeals made during the 19th century.  Here’s an except from an 1835 petition:

            “…our Great Father George III, of glorious Memory, by his Royal Proclamation given at the Court of St. James the 17th Day of October 1763, promulgated to us … did expressly declare and provide, 'that the Lands claimed by the Indians as their Hunting Grounds are reserved to them for that Purpose, and that they shall not under any Pretence whatever be molested or disturbed in the Possession thereof …' ”

However, that didn’t stop officials of that period from undertaking sham transactions that took Algonquin land and provided it to Loyalists fleeing the American Revolutionary War, discharged soldiers and other new settlers. As time went on, the Algonquins found that their lands along the Ottawa River were being encroached by settlers, lumbermen, and non-Algonquin trappers and traders.

In addition to disputes with European settlers, the Algonquins had to deal with encroachments from other natives using their hunting and fishing grounds and competing for other resources.

Canada, in The Constitution Act, 1867, was assigned exclusive jurisdiction over “Indians and Lands reserved for the Indians,” which includes the power to make treaties with Aboriginal peoples.

The Protocol entered into in 2004 led to an independent election process to elect a team to represent the interests of the nine communities in the negotiations with governments.  In addition to the nine Algonquin Negotiation Representatives (or ANRs) chosen by electors, the Chief of the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn and six democratically elected councillors participate on the negotiating team.

Today’s Algonquins in Ontario share a history of common interests, traditions and needs arising from their common heritage. 

Top of page