Buffalo Point First Nation

The Buffalo Point First Nation is one of Canada's First Nations. It belongs to the Anishinabe and lives on the shores of Lake of the Woods, in southeastern Manitoba on the border with the United States. According to information from the base consists of 125 members, of which 54 are recognized as Indians ( Status Indians ). Their language is the Chippewa. The census of 2006 recorded 141 residents in the reserve (Indian band- area), which comprised 22.8 km ².

Buffalo Point is a peninsula in the north -lying Buffalo Bay is considered one of the best fishing for walleye American ( walleye ) in the lake. About 12 kilometers north of the Reed River empties into the lake. The south bank of Buffalo Bay is already looking towards the U.S..

The tribe is economically for 30 years on tourism, so the hunt in the traditional territory is severely restricted, a management program used to maintain the landscape and its plants and animals, as well as advertising. White -tailed deer, wolves, red and silver fox, black bear, beaver, porcupine, muskrat and can be found in the area, as well as numerous bird species such as the great gray owl (gray owls ), bald eagles, woodpeckers. There are also many plants, such as the extremely rare Habenaria fimbriata.

Despite the economic successes of the current Chief John Thunder is controversial because it legitimized by no vote prevails as Erbhäuptling, despite twice deposed by the tribe. Critics accuse him of using the reserve and its culture to enrich his family while he employs only a few of the Indians and reigns as a dictator.

History

Buffalo Point has long been a meeting place of different Anishinabe groups. The Sioux under Chief Red Cloud held occasionally in the region to meet their needs for wild rice and buffalo meat.

La Verendrye built Fort St. Charles in 1732 with a first trading post. Since the beginning of the 18th century the Ojibwa were coming from the east, displaced the Sioux. 1857 visited George Gladman, Henry Youle Hind and Simon James Dawson the region with the help of the Ojibwa. Simon Dawson found the later named after him Dawson Trail.

Chief Ayashwash signed the Treaty Number Three of the so-called Numbered Treaties in 1873. For the Indians, the farmers should be, an area was fenced off and they bred a decade cattle.

1900 to 1906 was chief Little Thunder, the son of Ayashwash. Old Jim Thunder was his successor until 1941. Followed him " Shorty" Warren Thunder, who resigned in 1969 after he had his adopted son Jim Thunder designated as chief. Finally, in 1997 was raised for the sixth Erbhäuptling John Thunder ( hereditary chief ) of the Buffalo Point First Nation.

1916 the Tribe had 57 members, which already has the highest number of the first decades was achieved. The families of the tribe were the Thunder, Lighting, Cobiness, hand organ and Powasen. Buffalo Point was flooded in 1890, as the entire Lake of the Woods. Around 1930, the tribe had almost resolved, because most were now working on the mainland, many in the U.S..

Old Jim Thunder succeeded in 1930, to supplement the 1670 acres of the reserve to secure land at the Reed River, so that the tribe had two reserves. Old Jim's main motive was to protect the traditional way of life, because the proximity of the Reed River allowed the hunting of musk.

Already in the 1950s the members of the Thunder family discussed above, expand the reserve into a tourist attraction. At the same time, there were offers to buy out the reserve. 1967 offered the government of Manitoba $ 72,500 for the primmest site, an area of ​​968 acres in the southeast. Tom Thunder reported this to his adopted son Jim Thunder, who was stationed with the Air Force in Africa. After a short absence, he forbade the sale.

Chief " Shorty" Warren Thunder, who was ill, consulted with his adopted son, Jim, who was White, about his successor because he was never married and had no children. Jim agreed and with support from the municipality of 1969, he was chief. " Shorty" died in 1972 after his third heart attack.

In 1970, the community at a meeting to launch a development plan, so that in 1973 and 1974, a master plan came about. Chief Jim, who was elected vice president of the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood alongside Dave Courchene, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development convinced of the need for a road to the reserve, but the road construction failed due to financial problems of the ministry. Against his trailer house, his followers and his boat as collateral him but personally lent a bank money, not the trunk. With this money, the good 1.5 km of road could be built. Several investors, such as K -Tel International, and Jim found additional investors for a tourism company.

These included a marina, which had to occur within two years, otherwise the Steinbach- investors would receive their own plot of 100 acres, which would have allowed them to build such a ship harbor. To obtain additional capital, part of the land was leased. The Thunder family opened the Marina timely addition to a resort, as otherwise expressed no interest. In 2009, there were 320 boats create, so this constituted the largest marina on the lake.

From the revenue a fire station, a police station was built, and an administration wing were added. 1992 a golf course was opened, which is called by the older name of the lake Lake of the Sandhills Golf Course. 1998, a program for the construction of sewers and water protection plan was started. In 2000, the chief received the 2000 CANDO Economic Development Recognition Award.

However, the plant had grown prepared to significant environmental problems. In contrast, the root of the Manitoba Hydro 's Spirit of the Earth Award in 2004 in partnership with Eastman Recycling Services for a particularly successful recycling system.

Only 64 of the 274 buildings in the reserve were occupied by the residents, the rest served as a weekend house. Therefore, the strain is considered to be relatively wealthy, although the few Indians now live on the outskirts of the village. 2001 complained a part of the tribe in court that the leading family should disclose their books. Also, was accused of the chief, he assumed no voting or some celebrations and also do not speak Ojibwa. 1998 tried to prevent some of the elders, that the golf course was built on a sacred site, as Helen Cobiness reported. But the enemy did not have enough money for a lawyer, so that Bulldozer einebneten the terrain.

Since Thunder was not selected as Erbhäuptling, and is also regarded as White in many, you throw in front of him, he used the advantages of the Indian laws for the benefit of his family. Back in 1995, 35 tribal members elected from him, but the Indian Ministry said the dispute to an internal matter. In 1999, a re- deselection, but the police cleared the area occupied by the opponents of tribal office. Terry Nelson, chief of the Roseau River First Nation neighboring, accused the government, they support a dictatorship by force of arms. He offered to solve the problem if necessary, but the tribal elders Helen Cobiness, Florence Kakaygeesick and Sam Gibbons rejected this out of fear of violence.

In September 2009, the five children of Ernie Cobiness occupied the top of the Manitoba Legislative Building and unfurled a banner with the words " Buffalo Point First Nation Youth Walk for Democracy" (marching for democracy in the youth of Buffalo Point First Nation ). With the support of the Roseau River, Sagkeeng Dakota and the case is now in Washington DC be worn. Here, however, human rights are at the center.