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August 9, 2012 Northern Ontario’s First Nation Voice since 1974
www.wawataynews.ca
Native pride at Eagle Lake
Weagamow Lake members fight large forest fire Band councillor frustrated with MNR’s lack of fire fighting response Christian Quequish Wawatay News
Weagamow Lake First Nation members have taken fire fighting into their own hands after a fire near Windigo Lake destroyed a number of cabins and other band members’ property. The fire, which started in mid-July, had burned over 6,000 hectares when the community sent its members out to fight the blaze. Paul Johnup, band councilor for Weagamow, said he kept in contact with MNR officials about the fire as it got bigger and bigger, but with little response from the province, the band was forced to send its members to fight the fire themselves. “Yesterday we mobilized our own people to go there and fight the fire,” said Johnup on Aug 1. Band councilors flew by plane to check on the fire, as property such as vehicles, trap line cabins and a fish plant building were in the vicinity of the fire. “They (MNR) said there were other fires that were a priority,” said Johnup. “But last week they put sprinklers at the fish plant.” Johnup said the sprinklers that Weagamow fire fighters saw by the trailer that had burned down did not seem to do much to prevent the fire
from destroying the building. Jake Williams, band councilor for Weagamow, said he was very frustrated that the MNR did not react to the fire as well as they could have. “Their use of sprinklers didn’t really help at all,” said Williams. He said the heat at the base of the fire was very intense. Ryan Fawcett, fire operations supervisor for Sioux Lookout fire management headquarters, said that the fire burning in Windigo Lake (Sioux Lookout fire #74) was classified as ‘being observed’ by MNR. “We did a values-assessment. We knew that Windigo had a fish plant that obviously was high value,” said Fawcett. Fawcett said they decided to try and implement some values protection in the form of sprinklers. “We did that on the fish plant and some other identified values, and after our third assessment we found that the fire was 370 hectares,” said Fawcett. According to Fawcett, due to a change in weather the fire grew overnight and overtook some property of Weagamow residents. “The fire at present is just over 12,000 hectares,” said Fawcett on Aug. 2.
Chris Kornacki/Special to Wawatay News
Eagle Lake First Nation held their 30th annual traditional powwow August 3, 4 and 5th at Eagle Lake First Nation in Migisi Sahgaigan, ON. The annual powwow is one of the largest in Ontario and hundreds of people camped at the First Nation over the weekend to watch and participate in the powwow. Above: Roger Fobister Sr. dancing during an inter-tribal song.
ᐊᐧᐃᐧᔦᑲᒪ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᐃᐧᓇᐊᐧ ᐱᑯ ᐅᑭᑲᑫᐧ ᐊᑕᐁᐧᐦᐊᓇᐊᐧ ᑲᑭᓴᑭᑌᓂᐠ ᑯᕑᐃᐢᑎᔭᐣ ᑭᐧᑭᐧᐡ ᐊᐧᐊᐧᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐃᐧᓇᐣ
Submitted photo by Jake Williams
Weagamow Lake First Nation had to take fire fighting into its own hands after a fire burned down trappers’ cabins near the community.
ᐃᐧᓇᐊᐧ ᐱᑯ ᐊᐧᐃᐧᔦᑲᒪ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᑭᑲᑫᐧ ᐊᑕᐁᐧᐦᐊᒪᓱᐊᐧᐠ ᑲᑭᓴᑭᑌᓂᐠ ᐯᔓᐨ ᐃᐧᐣᑎᑯ ᓴᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᐠ ᐁᑲᐧ ᐊᐱᐣ ᒥᔑᐣ ᑲᑭᔭᓂᒐᑭᑌᓂᑭᐣ ᐅᐊᐧᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᐊᐧ ᒥᓇ ᐅᑕᐸᒋᒋᑲᓂᐊᐧ ᐃᒪ ᑲᑭᐃᔑᓴᑭᑌᓂᐠ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᑲᔭᓂᐊᐱᑕᐊᐧᑭᓱᐨ ᐅᐸᐡᑯᐃᐧᐱᓯᑦ ᒥᐊᐱ ᑲᑭᔭᓂ ᒪᒋᓴᑭᑌᑭᐸᐣ, ᐊᐊᐧᔑᒣ 6,000 ᐦᐁᐠᑐᕑᐢ ᒥᓂᑯᐠ ᑭᔭᓂᐊᐱᑕᑭᑌ ᐃᒪ ᑲᑭᐅᐣᒋᒪᒋᓴᑭᑌᐠ ᒥᑕᐡ ᑫᑲᐱ ᐊᐱᐣ ᑲᑭᐃᔑᓂᔕᐊᐧᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᑕᓂᔑᓂᓂᒥᐊᐧ ᒋᐊᐣᑕᐃᐧ ᑲᑫᐧ ᐊᑕᐁᐧᐦᐃᑫᐊᐧᐨ. ᐸᐧᓫ ᒐᐧᐣᐊᑊ, ᐯᔑᐠ ᐅᓇᔓᐁᐧᐃᐧᓂᓂ ᐃᒪ ᐊᐧᐃᐧᔦᑲᒪᐠ, ᐃᑭᑐ ᐁᔭᓇᑭ ᑲᑲᓄᓇᐨ ᐊᒥᑯᑭᒪᐣ ᐁᔭᓂᐱᒥᑭᒋᓴᑭᑌᓂᐠ, ᐁᑲᐧ
ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᒋᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᐸᐸᒥᑕᐊᐧᑲᓂᐃᐧᐨ, ᒥᑕᐡ ᐃᑯ ᑕᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᐃᓯᓭᓂᐠ ᐃᐧᓇᐊᐧ ᐱᑯ ᒋᑲᑫᐧ ᐊᑕᐁᐧᐦᐃᑫᐊᐧᐨ. “ᐅᓇᑯ ᐣᑭᒪᐊᐧᐣᑐᓇᒥᐣ ᐣᑕᓂᔑᓂᓂᒥᓇᓂᐠ ᒋᐃᔕᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᐃᔑᓴᑭᑌᓂᐠ ᒋᐊᐣᑕᐃᐧ ᐊᑕᐁᐧᐦᐃᑫᐊᐧᐨ,” ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᒐᐧᐣᐊᑊ ᒣᐧᑲᐨ ᐃᐁᐧ ᐅᐸᐅᐃᐧᐱᓯᑦ ᑲᐅᐡᑲᑭᓱᓂᐨ. ᐅᓇᔓᐁᐧᐃᐧᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᑭᐅᐣᒋᐃᔕᐊᐧᐠ ᐱᒥᓭᐃᐧᓂᐠ ᐁᑭᐊᐣᑕᐃᐧ ᓇᓇᑲᒋᑐᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᐃᔑᓴᑭᑌᓂᐠ, ᑲᐃᔑᐊᐱᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᑕᐸᓇᐠ, ᑲᐃᔑᐸᑕᑭᑌᑭᐣ ᐊᐧᓂᐦᐃᑫᐃᐧ ᐊᐧᑲᐦᐃᑲᓇᐣ ᒥᓇ ᑭᓄᔐᑫᐃᐧᑲᒥᑯᓂ ᐃᒪ ᐯᔓᐨ ᑲᑭᐸᑕᑭᑌᐠ ᑲᑭᔭᓂᔑᐯᔓᓇᑲᐧᐠ ᑲᓴᑭᑌᐠ. “ᓂᐣᑭᐃᑯᒥᐣ ᐊᒥᑯᑭᒪ ᑯᑕᑭᔭᐣ ᓂᑲᑌᐦᐃ ᑲᐃᔑᓴᓴᑭᑌᑭᐣ ᓇᐊᐧᐨ ᐁᐸᐸᔐᐣᑕᑲᐧᑭᐣ ᒋᑲᑫᐧ ᐊᑕᐁᐧᐦᐃᑲᑌᑭᐣ,” ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᒐᐧᐣᐊᑊ. “ᐁᑲᐧ ᔕᑯᐨ ᐅᑕᓇᐠ
Summer Festival season is here! Here are just some of the exciting events happening around the North this Summer: Blueberry Festival Aug 3-12 in Sioux Lookout CLE Family Fair Aug 8-12 in Thunder Bay KI Homecoming Aug 6-11 in Big Trout Lake Michikan Lake Homecoming Aug 17-27 in Bearskin Lake
Call Wasaya for availability and specials! 1.877.492.7292 • www.wasaya.com
ᑲᐱᒥᑯᓇᑲᐠ ᐅᑭᐊᑐᓇᐊᐧ ᓯᓱᐸᒋᑲᓇᐣ ᐃᒪ ᑭᓄᔐᑫᐃᐧᑲᒥᑯᐠ.” ᒐᐧᐣᐊᑊ ᐃᑭᑐ ᐊᐧᐃᐧᔦᑲᒪᐃᐧᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᑲᑭᐊᐣᑕᐃᐧ ᐊᑕᐁᐧᐦᐃᑫᐊᐧᐨ ᐃᓂᐁᐧᓂᐊᐧᐣ ᓯᓱᐸᒋᑲᓇᐣ ᑲᑭᐊᐧᐸᐣᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᑭᐊᒋᑲᑌᓂᑭᐣ ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᒋᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᓇᐣᑕ ᐃᓇᐸᑕᑭᐣ ᒥᐱᑯ ᐊᐱᐣ ᑲᐃᔑᒐᑭᑌᐠ ᐃᐁᐧ ᑭᓄᔐᑫᐃᐧᑲᒥᐠ. ᒉᐠ ᐃᐧᓫᐃᔭᑦᐢ, ᑯᑕᐠ ᐊᐧᐃᐧᔦᑲᒪ ᐅᓇᔓᐁᐧᐃᐧᓂᓂ, ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᒥᑐᓂ ᐱᑯ ᐅᑭᔑᐊᐧᐦᐃᑯᐣ ᐊᒥᑯᑭᒪᐣ ᐁᑲ ᑲᐧᔭᐠ ᑲᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᐊᓄᑲᑕᒥᓂᐨ ᑲᑭᓴᑭᑌᓂᐠ. “ᐃᓂᐁᐧᓂᐊᐧᐣ ᑲᔦ ᑲᑭᐊᑐᐊᐧᐨ ᓯᓱᐸᒋᑲᓇᐣ ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᑭᑭᓇᐊᐧᐨ ᒋᑭᐅᐣᒋᐊᓄᑭᒪᑲᑭᐣ,” ᐃᑭᑐ ᐃᐧᓫᐃᔭᑦᐢ. ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᒥᓇ ᐃᒪ ᑲᑭᑕᔑᓴᑭᑌᐠ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᐃᑯ ᐁᑭ ᑭᒋᐊᐦᑯᑭᔑᑌᐠ. ᐃᓇᐱᐣ ᐸᑭᑭᓂᑲᓂᐠ 7