Aroland, Ginoogaming, Long Lake #58 join forces

Three Matawa First Nation communities have agreed to work together on common interests in their shared traditional territories about 350 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay.
“This is our land, this is our traditional territories, this is how we became to be so we want to make sure that it is controlled right, it is done right,” said Aroland Chief Sonny Gagnon. “We have companies that are up in our territory that are into the advanced stages of their early exploration. So they are moving along and they are just moving along without talking to us.”
Gagnon said the communities have formed a technical committee to look at how development is happening in their shared traditional territories. 
“Our First Nations are all going to be impacted by development happening in the area – not just one of the communities,” Gagnon said. “These are our shared territories ... this isn’t about divide and conquer.”
Gagnon said the communities want to be part of development, not just stakeholders.
“We want to be part of it,” Gagnon said. “We all want to make sure what our forefathers signed as a treaty becomes a reality, in terms of when they said share.”
Gagnon said his community is looking for it’s fair share after having to stand by in the past and watch as trees from their traditional territory were hauled away on logging trucks.
“We watched trees go by, but this time around we’re saying you took all the trees and got away with it,” he said. “Now (with) the minerals and the riches from the ground, they’re not going to take those out without having to hear us out and be meaningful partners in any development that happens.” 
Aroland, Ginoogaming and Long Lake #58 signed a letter of intent Sept. 7 to unite the First Nations and prevent industry from plotting communities against each other.
“Currently companies and industry are approaching our First Nations individually and we don’t have the resources,” said Long Lake #58 Chief Veronica Waboose. “Working together as three First Nations, we can assist each other and guarantee we are all in the know about projects happening within our traditional territories.”
The communities identified the absence of a government-to-government process for consultation and accommodation between First Nations and the federal and provincial governments as a major issue.
Michael Gravelle, minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry said he works with each of the Matawa communities on an individual basis as well as working with the Matawa First Nations organization.
“The federal and the provincial governments are working together on putting some agreements in place whereby the communities can build their capacity in order to have the negotiations and the discussions they need to have for this project,” Gravelle said.
The three chiefs said the letter of intent is the next step after the nine Matawa chiefs signed a Unity Declaration in July to protect the natural resources and territories of member First Nations.
“If you look at the history, these three communities are all interconnected,” said Ginoogaming Chief Celia Echum. “All of our membership has ownership of the lands – it is shared territory.”