About Us
OUR NATION
Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg (NET-MI-ZAAG-GAMIG NISH-NAA-BEG) is a small Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) community on the North Eastern interior of Lake Superior located on Netmizaaggamig (White Lake).
Netmizaaggamig translates to ‘The First Lake’ past the big lake as you paddle north from Lake Superior on the White River. It is part of an old route that our ancestors traveled, which we still use.
Our Elders refer to White Lake as a warehouse for food, medicines, and an important place for our ceremonies. It is the heart of our territory and a core aspect of our identity. We have been hunting, trapping, fishing, and caretaking these lands and waters since time immemorial and continue to do so today.
White Lake has always been central to Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg. The Lake has been the nexus of travel, trade and occupation for our Nation.
Our community has over 1,000 members. Our on reserve homes include 136 units. They are built across two parcels, referred to as Pic Mobert North and Pic Mobert South, located where the White River enters White Lake. We purchased
our original reserve for ourselves in 1922, which was 35 acres.
As of 2024, Netmizaaggamig has gained 16.2 sq kilometers of reserve land through the Land and Larger Land Base process run by the Province of Ontario, which took 32 years in total. This is a different process than NN’s ongoing Aboriginal Title Claim.
The original reserve of Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg (NN), 35 acres that was purchased by our own members in 1922.
NETMIZAAGGAMIG AKI
Aki means ‘earth’ or ‘land’. When we say Netmizaaggamig Aki we mean our Nation’s unceded territory.
Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg has never ceded or surrendered our lands and we maintain unextinguished Aboriginal title to our territory. We are the rightful stewards and owners of our homeland, Netmizaaggamig Aki.
We have occupied Netmizaaggamig Aki since time immemorial and we will continue to carry out the responsibilities that come with inheriting this birthright from our ancestors.
Our ancestors employed a traditional Anishinaabe governance system based on family hunting territories (Nindibenjigewin); where a head hunter (Gichi-Anishinaabe) would have an established and defined hunting and trapping territory for his and his family’s sole use; this hunting territory was passed down the male line for generational use. One would need permission to be able to harvest game within this family territory. While these territories were largely managed by the head hunter, the Ogimaa (Chief) had the authority to redraw boundaries if fires or other factors made some territories unproductive. The head of family hunters and the Ogimaa would meet seasonally to settle disputes, develop plans, deploy conservation strategies, take tally of game, have ceremonies etc. They also administered land and water areas in the territory called Indinaakonigewin, available to all members for harvesting of natural resources.
Many modern trapline boundaries found in Netmizaaggamig Aki today are a direct reflection of these family hunting territories. The breakdown of this traditional land tenure system began in 1886 when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) came through our lands. The reserve system, natural resource exploitation and the restrictive Indian Act further degraded our family hunting territory system. Ontario’s trapline system was built on the family hunting territory system enabling Crown actors to assert control over NN’s territory and of natural resource and wildlife management.
ANCESTORS
​
One of Netmizaaggamig’s most influential Chiefs was Gegishkwaub, also known as Little Chief. He had his own hunting territory well into the 1850s over an expansive area. In the 1800’s the Hudson Bay Company agents regarded him as one of the important and successful hunters of the region. In fact, Gegishkwaub was so skilled at hunting and trapping that he was given the nickname ‘The Spring Captain’ by Hudson’s Bay post staff because of the size and quality of spring fur hauls. The Hudson’s Bay Company even built a post closer to his hunting territories to trade with him. We can trace Gegishkwaub’s lineage down to current day band members, many of whom continue to be community leaders today.
Little Chief listed on an 1852 Hudson’s Bay Company paylist.
RECLAIMING OUR NAME
Our Nation went by Pic Mobert for many years, though this imposed name was not our true name. “Mobert” comes from a shortened name of a siding that Canadian Pacific Railway named Montizambert. The “Pic” part comes from the misconception that we were part of a single larger “Pic” Band. However, Netmizaaggamig has always been a separate and distinct Nation with our own customs, dialect, and exclusive territory. We reclaimed our original name, Netmizaaggamig in 2021 and in 2024 we added “unsurrendered” to our name to acknowledge the reality that we never sold or gave away our lands, or jurisdiction over our homeland territory.
*There was a semi-famous Canadian Frederick Montizambert - 1843-1929 - Director General of Public Health in Canada. *other sources say he was a conductor
Chi-Naaknigewin
Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg
Constitution
Nokiiwin Tribal Council
Anishinabek Nation