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BIIGTIGONG NISHNAABEG — Chief Duncan Michano says Saturday will be an emotional day.
That’s the day the chief of Biigtigong Nishnaabeg is scheduled to meet Martha Mason, the representative of a southern Ontario family that is formally donating to the community 165 acres of land in the North Shore First Nation’s traditional territory, which has been owned by her and her relatives for over a century.
Michano told Newswatch on Thursday this is what reconciliation looks like in action.
“They did that out of the kindness of their hearts,” he said. “I love those people — I haven't met (Martha) yet, but I'm probably going to cry when I meet her.”
“That is true reconciliation.”
The Mason family will be honoured on July 12 during Biigtigong Nishnaabeg’s powwow.
According to a media release from the community, also known as Pic River First Nation, the land was originally deeded by the federal government in 1909 to a man named Alexander Young, who was a distant relative of the Mason family. It was reportedly in recognition of Young’s service to Canada, defending against the Fenian Raids — a series of armed incursions into British territories in North America by a group of Irish patriots who had emigrated to the United States.
Martha, Peter and Dan Mason were subsequently gifted the property in 1992 by their father, the community’s release said.
Michano said the ceremony to celebrate the family will refer to the military history through which they acquired the land in the first place.
“One of the things that we normally do is we hang out all our veterans' flags for the duration of the powwow,” Michano said. “We're going to give her a flag for her veteran, and she'll hang that as well at the Grand Entry on Saturday afternoon.”
That will be followed by a separate ceremony later the same afternoon to celebrate the land transfer.
The parcel of land itself is landlocked and undeveloped, and will remain that way as per a promise between the family and the community, Michano said, adding that it is rough terrain with a number of ridges and an inland lake. It sits northeast of nearby Pukaskwa National Park, just outside the park’s border, he said.
And while this piece of land won’t be touched, Michano said the First Nation is actively interested in acquiring other privately-owned properties in the area “strategically.” The community’s reserve lands only total 800 acres, Michano said, adding that additional property would be used for a number of purposes.
“You need a land base, and we're going to be around for the next two, three, four, five hundred years and our population is going to grow,” he said. “So, we need a hell of a lot more (of a) land base for economic reasons, or cultural reasons, (or) for the protection of water.”
“We're really having a hard time this year in trying to find space for new houses — suitable space for new houses,” he added.
Biigtigong Nishnaabeg is also in a decades-long land claim dispute, which includes litigation, with the federal and provincial governments.
“Both at the federal level and the provincial level, they talk about reconciliation, and there's no such thing at most of those levels of government of true reconciliation,” Michano said.
“Reconciliation is exactly what the Mason family has done.”
