The future of Indigenous relationships in Sault Ste. Marie

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First Nations leaders in Sault Ste. Marie share what challenges they face as they adapt to the modern world, keeping Chief Shingwauk’s vision alive.

Growing up, it was drilled into Cole Nolan’s head how significant his great-great-great-grandfather, Chief Shingwauk, is — not only to Garden River First Nation (GRFN), but for all the Anishinaabe and Ojibway Nations.

Chief Karen Bell of GRFN said when she goes to either coast of Canada, and tells Indigenous people where she’s from, they bring up Chief Shingwauk.

As a historian and direct descendant of Shingwauk, Nolan takes “a huge amount of pride” in embodying his ancestor’s vision.

“When we look at Shingwauk as this monumental figure, just towering over the course of our community and the history of our community — and he’s my ancestor — I’ve always felt that I wanted to be part of that in some small way,” said Nolan.

From education to partnering with non-Indigenous leaders, Chief Bell and Chief McCoy of Batchewana First Nation (BFN) are carrying the torch that Shingwauk lit when he led negotiations of the Robinson-Huron Treaty in 1850. Now, generations later, Bell and McCoy are ensuring the treaty’s settlement secures their Nation’s future.

Who was Chief Shingwauk? (also known as Chief Shingwaukonse and Little Pine)
Shingwauk’s early life saw the upheaval of the American Revolution, which permanently split the homelands of the Ojibwe and Anishinaabe with the establishment of the Canada-U.S. border.

He later fought in the War of 1812, earning medals for his service.

“When the war was over and America wasn’t as big of a threat anymore, then we weren’t quite so useful as allies anymore, and so that’s when you really start to see a shift in how the British colonial structure approached relations with the Anishinaabe people,” said Nolan.

Once valued as military partners, Indigenous nations were now treated as dependents.

Knowing that the Anishinaabe and Ojibwe didn’t have the military strength to fight back, Shingwauk shifted towards understanding the European way so his people could adapt.

“He saw the way the wind was blowing,” said Nolan.

Shingwauk’s vision for education
This understanding led Shingwauk to develop the concept of a “Teaching Wigwam” to give Anishinaabe students the tools to navigate the modern world while preserving their cultural identity.

He snowshoed to Toronto to advocate for its creation, which led to the construction of Shingwauk Indian Residential School. The school was operated by the Anglican Church from 1873 to 1970. Shingwauk Hall was built on the grounds in 1935 and now stands at the site of Algoma University.

“We all know about the tragedies and terrible things that went on in there,” said Bell, though she added that elders also speak of receiving a formal education and experiencing periods of “bliss.”

Still, the poor treatment and health conditions of the children far overshadowed those moments, said Bell.

The school left its students unprepared for life outside of the institution, and separated them from their families, community, language and culture, said Bell — which was Shingwauk’s original vision.

Nolan spent eight years at Algoma University to complete his undergraduate degree in history.

“I think a lot of First Nations students who attend Algoma University do get a kind of a weird sense about the place,” said Nolan. “There were lots of times when I was wondering what the hell I was doing there, thinking about all the kids that had been forced to be there.”

This internal conflict led Nolan to drop out a few times before eventually graduating. “Perseverance kind of led me through,” he said, adding that Algoma University is moving forward in a positive way.

Today, Algoma University continues to evolve, aligning more closely with Shingwauk’s true vision by expanding language programs, cultural initiatives, and Indigenous-led education.

In partnership with the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association, an award-winning public exhibition has claimed a permanent spot within the school.

Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig (SKG), across from the former residential school site, opened in 2022 and aims to fulfill the vision of Chief Shingwauk’s Teaching Wigwam through Anishinaabe teachings.

Bringing Education Back to the Community
Still, a major challenge remains: getting people to accept education, pursue it, and then stay or return to use their knowledge for the betterment of the community.

“Because I know a lot of people like myself got educated and stayed away,” said Bell.

She moved to Ottawa for 13 years to pursue education and start her career as a corrections officer. She then joined the Toronto Police Service for a couple of years, but the high cost of living, long work hours, and lack of family support led her to apply for a position with the Anishinabek Police Services in GRFN.

Bell became the first female police officer in her community, moving up the ranks to become an inspector, overseeing five detachments.

Meanwhile, after six years on council, she decided to run for Chief. “I knew the community was looking for change,” said Bell.

Creating economic opportunities
Both GRFN and BFN are creating economic opportunities to support education and provide members with a stronger foundation to return and contribute to their communities.

Bell is looking into a large complex off Highway 17 East, perhaps with a hotel, convention centre, and Tim Hortons.

That highway is due for maintenance this year, and Bell is advocating for members to be mentored and fill higher-level positions.

Under McCoy’s leadership, BFN took full ownership of the Bow Lake Wind Farm.

Both nations are also negotiating multi-million dollar deals with Hydro One, with a 50-50 equity model.

One way Bell is striving for financial sovereignty is through participation in a by-law pilot, which will allow GFN to collect fines, producing additional revenue.

“The government may not always be able to provide us the core funding that we’re getting” warned Bell.

Bell and McCoy both emphasized the need for self-determination, so that their communities can generate their own incomes and rely less on core funding for economic stability.

Investing the RHT Settlement
This is where the distribution of RHT money becomes key for McCoy and Bell to plan for the next seven generations. Neither GRFN nor BFN escaped controversy over how the funds were spent.

Despite initial concerns, both leaders noted that members handled the distributed funds better than anticipated.

GRFN members received $110,000 each, while BFN members received $117,000 through the RHT settlement. Many used the money to pay off mortgages and other debts.

BFN set aside 25% of its settlement into a legacy fund, held at arm’s length to generate interest while decisions are made on its future use. GRFN has yet to decide on a second payment.

Both Chiefs have made sure there are funds set aside for people yet to become members.

Addressing on-reserve housing shortages
Even with the RHT settlement and growing opportunities close to home, pay disparity and housing remain significant barriers for educated members looking to return.

In GRFN, every house is occupied, while in BFN, 125 people remain on a waitlist to live on Rankin. To address the demand, McCoy is spearheading a new pilot project to build more housing on the backside of Bawating Street and is also exploring the construction of apartment buildings both on and off reserve to support members.

In 2023, GRFN addressed housing challenges by constructing 12 tiny homes as short-term rentals for single youth. Now, the community is expanding further with a new housing subdivision behind the bingo hall, aiming to provide more long-term solutions for members seeking to return home.

Urban-Indigenous populations and the Indigenous Friendship Centre
Another barrier McCoy and Bell identified is keeping off-reserve members involved in the community, given that core funding is based on the members that live on reserve.

BFN has about 3700 members, with 750 on reserve. Bell guessed that of roughly 3500 GRFN members, 1000 live on reserve.

The Indigenous Friendship Centre (IFC) has been supporting off-reserve members since 1972 and has 32 locations in Ontario. Cathy Syrette, executive director at the IFC, provides supports for urban-Indigenous populations, which she says are “often overlooked.”

Over 88 per cent of Indigenous people in Ontario live in urban settings, and that number is climbing. Between 2016 and 2021, the Indigenous population grew by 9.4 per cent, nearly double the growth rate of non-Indigenous population over the same period.

“At least 14 per cent of the total population of the Sault is Indigenous, which is quite significant,” said Syrette, adding that it outweighs the populations of BFN and GRFN combined.

A BFN member herself, Syrette is also a direct descendant of Chief Shingwauk. Through her work at the IFC, she continues to uphold his vision, ensuring that Indigenous people in urban settings have access to services, education, and cultural connections.

“We call it the life cycle of services,” said Syrette, with programs ranging from prenatal to elder support and everything in between. The centre provides cultural programs, mental health and addictions, as well as an alternative learning school for youth struggling in mainstream classrooms. “Everything is culturally based,” said Syrette.

The IFC has a program, Homeward Bound, that helps mothers gain secondary school education with the intent to help urban Indigenous people to return to their communities.

In the program’s first cohort, Syrette said they helped a lawyer return to the Thunder Bay area and sent a nurse home to Wawa.

Creating non-Indigenous relationships
IFC has also pushed the needle forward with civic relations, starting with former Sault mayor, Christian Provenzano. His dream, said Syrette, was to put the Sault on the map in terms of the Indigenous and non-Indigenous work towards truth and reconciliation.

That work continues with the Sault’s current mayor, Matthew Shoemaker, and MP Terry Sheehan.

Syrette said MPP Chris Scott has hold the IFC he will visit, and she said, “I plan to hold him to it.”

McCoy said he can call Shoemaker up anytime, and that he offered BFN guidance when they received the RHT settlement.

Bell said she has the mayor on speed dial after the two signed the Friendship Accord last month, which created new pathways for economic partnerships, property ownership and collaboration.

“It’s so unheard of to ever have had that kind of relationship,” said Bell.

The City of Sault Ste. Marie also recently hired an Indigenous Policy and Process Advisor to help maintain relations.

Some potential projects include extending the city transit route into GRFN, and partnering with public works to bring the city’s water lines further into the reserve, which mainly relies on a well system.

Shingwauk’s legacy
Shingwauk died four years after leading negotiations for the Robinson-Huron Treaty to ensure Indigenous land and resources were protected and fairly compensated for. For over a century, the Crown neglected to uphold its promises — only recently gaining justice with the RHT annuity payout.

Shingwauk had a vision for an education that honoured both Indigenous and European worldviews. A residential school was built in his name, contradicting what he strived for. In recent years, Algoma University has taken significant steps toward reconciliation, while SKG has established a Teaching Wigwam in his memory

Now, his descendants, Nolan and Syrette, are applying their education to serve Indigenous communities.

“We’re slowly moving forward in this whole, big, global worldview now, whereas before, we were so constrained in our little square box,” said Bell.

“We can’t say our elders and our ancestors came from anywhere else, but here.”

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