Friendship agreement brings communities together in respect

National Aboriginal Day (June 21) was a day of coming together for the communities of Lac Seul First Nation, Slate Falls First Nation and Sioux Lookout, when the three communities signed the Friendship Accord.
Sioux Lookout municipal councilor Joyce Timpson called the agreement between the First Nations and Sioux Lookout a formalization of their intent.
“The intent of your elected leaders in Lac Seul, Slate Falls and the municipalities is a promise to work together in the future,” said Timpson.
Lac Seul Chief Clifford Bull said that it was a day of celebration, and that in his mind it brought First Nations communities and municipalities closer together, forging a deeper respect for one another.
“This agreement will address some of the issues we all have as communities that live near each other: social and economic issues,” said Bull. “Recently, we’ve gone through a lot of downturn in the employment sector, with the loss of the Hudson mill.”
Bull said he believes there is ways the communities can work together to get the mill started, get people working, and make the three communities prosper.
He said that the Friendship Accord is at the early stages, and that they’ll be dealing with “all sorts of issues and growing pains.”
“One of the issues we’re dealing with is racism, and how do we address it in a good way,” said Bull. “We’re all Canadians, we all live in the same country, and we all have to live and work together.”
Sioux Lookout mayor Dennis Leney said he views the Friendship Accord as a tool to bring the three communities closer together.
“We’ve always wanted to have a better relationship with Lac Seul and Slate Falls,” said Leney.
The planning for this signing had been going on for several months, stretching back to last fall when it was agreed to have it on National Aboriginal Day.
Leney said that in the early stages of the Friendship Accord, no joint-venture ideas have presented themselves, but he is looking forward to the possibility of working with the First Nations communities.
“Hopefully we can work with them to get our mill going,” said Leney.
Sarah Campbell, MPP for Kenora—Rainy River said that the signing that happened on Aboriginal Day was very important.
“I don’t know that it’s going to make a huge change in how we go forward, but I think it’s a very, very important and symbolic event,” said Campbell.
Chief Lorraine Crane of Slate Falls was not able to attend, but will attend the signing in Lac Seul on July 6. There is also a signing planned for Slate Falls later in the summer.