Aundek Omni Kaning First Nation

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The Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation is located on Highway 540, 5 km west of Little Current, the main access point to Manitoulin Island. The Greater City of Sudbury is approxamately 154km west  in Northern Ontario.

 

 

Tribal Name: Aundek Omni Kaning First Nation

Address: RR#1 Box 21 Little Current, Ontario P0P 1K0        
Phone: (705) 368-2228
Fax: (705) 368-3563        
Email:
Official Website: https://www.aundeckomnikaningfn.com/

Band No. 180
Traditional Name: Aundeck Omni Kaning, meaning “Where the crows nest.”
Alternate Names: Sucker Creek,  Ojibways of Sucker Creek

Province: Ontario
Geographic Region:
Aboriginal Status:
Tribal Affiliation: Ojibwe

Governance: United Chiefs & Councils of Manitoulin Island        
Political Organizations: Union of Ontario Indians

Reserve No. 23
Name: Sucker Creek Indian Reserve 
Location: Located on the shores of Georgian Bay in Northern Ontario.
Size: 897ha (2214acres) of which 59% is managed by the Band Council while the remaining 49% is held by individual Band members by Certicate of Possession. 
Established:
Communities:

The name Sucker Creek Indian Reserve was given by Indian and Northern Affairs because of a creek that flows through the community into the North Shore of Lake Huron which contains an abundance of suckers and smelts.

Treaties: Manitoulin Island Treaty

Population: About 700 with an average 340 members residing within the community. 
Language: Ojibway is the mother tongue but due to the influence of residential schools on the older population, many of the band members cannot understand or fluently speak the mother tongue of Ojibway today. However, the community has begun a language and cultural revitalization program.

Tribal Culture:

There are many talented artists in the community still practicing the woodland style of native art, antler carvings, leather and beadwork while other community members excel in other areas of furniture making and wood burning artwork.

 Many of the favorite past times such as swimming, fishing, family camping, sports, social gatherings, and recreational activities are spent on the lakeshore or around the many islands surrounding Manitoulin Island.

The Aundeck Omni Kaning Traditional Pow Wow and Gathering remains one of  the most anticipated and well attended events for the community, held on the first weekend of June at the beach park.

The community members still practice their traditional wildlife harvest of deer, moose and smaller animals such as rabbits and partridge. Many still practice the harvesting of vegetables, herbs and various flowers for private use while a traditional seasonal harvest of maple syrup, moral mushrooms and other non-timber products is carried on by descendants of the early community members.

The Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation have begun its own tradtional events to mark various seasons and to promote community unity through the Kings Day Feast, Fall Harvest Feast, Aboriginal Solidarity Day and events to mark other non-native tradtional holidays such as Halloween, Christmas, Canada Day, etc.

A variety of social affairs and events that celebrate men’s day, women’s day, diabetes awareness and other programs sponsered by the Health and Wellness programs, recreation and church programs are held throughout the year.

The Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation involvement in sports on Manitoulin Island almost becomes legendary when one considers the exceptional number of athletes who have excelled in their sports or the number of Championships won on many age levels.

From sweeping every youth and teen category in fastball in the early 1970’s at the Haweater Weekend tournament to the string of island and Espanola-North Shore championships by the men and women fastball teams right up to the all Ontario Women’s Championship in 1982, this small community has shown their versitality in hockey, volleyball, bowling and continues to become a leader in all sports and recreaional activities in the area.

Tribal History:

George Abotossaway is believed to be the founding forfather of the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation. It is documented that in 1852 George Abotossaway and his family started the settlement of Wabejiwong or Little Current as it is known today.

In 1855, an appraisal was done when the Shaftsbury (to be renamed Little Current) town plot  was surveyed as a means of placing value on the “improvements” which the Indians had made on the land.

The value of the land was to be reinbursed to the community members upon relocation to the land known as the Sucker Creek Indian Reserve when the former homestead in Little Current was sold to a white settler.

Records do not indicate when the relocation actually happened, although there is no record of families living on the Sucker Creek Indian Reserve prior to 1874.

It was not until about 1880 that the First Nation people were relocated and this land was not registered with Indian Affairs in Manitowaning until March 16th, 1886.

Original families who were moved to the new reserve were the Abotossaway, Columbus, Esquimaux, Zack, Muckdabin and Shokan’s while other families to move there in later years were Corbiere, Kaysheyonge, Kokoko, Madahbee, Nahwegahbow, Weindabense and Salisquainess.

George Jr. Abotossaway was the first Chief of the reserve from 1882-1889 the chieftainship  followed the hereditary line until elections for the position were held every two years.

The Indian Act from the elections followed until 1991 when the Audeck Omni Kaning First Nation passed their own band custom policy, which included the term of office being extended to three years for Chief and Council.

Economy:

The implementation of economic initiatives has rewarded the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation with a number of ventures that have led to employment opportunities and becoming a leading model for achieving self-sufficientcy for the community and its members. A few of the successful economic ventures are:

Wabuno Fish Farm and Processors was established as a production facility for farm raised rainbow trout in 1992, which eventually led to the construction of a  processing plant in 1994.

Endaa-aang Tourism is an eco-tourism business which opened its doors in May 2001.  With cabins and teepees on the mainland and the traditional occupied island on the North Shore and through the cooperation of other Manitoulin Island facilities, such as the Ojibway Cultural Foundation in M’Chigeeng, Endaa-aang Tourism will be another successful adventure for the Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation.

There are also smaller venues such as Gunners Gas Bar, Snedzy’s, Renz and Dillmar’s.  A newly estabished contracting business is called MCI Construction.

People of Note:

In the News:

Further Reading: