Iskatewizaagegan 39 Independent First Nation

Shoal Lake 39 First Nation is an Ojibwa or Anishinaabe First Nation, located along the northwestern shores of Shoal Lake, Ontario.^[1][2] It is officially known as Iskatewizaagegan #39 Independent First Nation. The total registered population of this First Nation is 585, of which 297 live on its own reserves. They are governed by a chief and council, with their current Chief Gerald Lewis having been elected in March 2016 for a two-year term.^[2]

In April 2008, the chief of Shoal Lake 39 complained that the sewage treatment plant built for the community in 2000 had no running water to help maintain cleanliness, and that other problems with the plant could lead to a complete shut-down, resulting in raw sewage entering the lake from which Winnipeg has been drawing its drinking water for almost 100 years.^[3] In June 2009, Chief Mandamin and some community members demonstrated on the Trans-Canada Highway near their home reserve, to show their grievances with a highway-twinning project planned by the Ontario government. They also expressed frustration with the fact that the City of Winnipeg has never made an agreement with Shoal Lake 39 regarding the water that is drawn from Shoal Lake to service Winnipeg citizens, although the adjacent Shoal Lake 40 First Nation did have an agreement settled in 1989.^[4]

In 2011, Iskatewizaagegan #39 First Nation voiced its concern over the plans for the City of Winnipeg to sell its water to outlying communities. That water originates in Shoal Lake, near the reserves of this First Nation, and the natives are seeking monetary compensation, or other equivalent forms of redress, for the many hardships they have endured over the years. The water taken out of Shoal Lake for the aqueduct has required artificial maintenance of lake levels, leading to loss of fishing and wild rice resources, among other difficulties arising from the loss of sovereignty over the land and water. The leaders of this #39 band have threatened to cut off the Winnipeg water supply by blocking the aquatic entrance to Shoal Lake.^[5] The neighboring Shoal Lake 40 First Nation stated that they were not willing to take such drastic measures in achieving their objectives, before negotiating with various levels of government.^[6]

Iskatewizaagegan First Nation has now taken this matter of Winnipeg's water usage to the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench. In a legal petition filed on 14 March 2012, the First Nation is asking the court to set aside a December 2011 decision by the City of Winnipeg to enter into service-sharing agreements, including one nearing completion with West St. Paul. The Shoal Lake No. 39 band also wants the court to order the city to refrain from any more negotiations until it reaches an agreement with the First Nation on how the water may be used. This First Nation has long maintained Winnipeg did not obtain its consent as far back as 1919, although a neighbouring band, Shoal Lake No. 40, has no such dispute with the city.^[7]

Four Reserves are attached to this First Nation.^[8] They are:

• Agency 30, shared with 12 other First Nations
• Shoal Lake 34B2, shared with Shoal Lake 40 First Nation
• Shoal Lake 39, partly located in Manitoba adjacent to the north of Shoal Lake
• Shoal Lake 39A, northwest of Lake of the Woods

References

External links

• Map of Shoal Lake 39A (part in Manitoba) at Statcan
• Map of Shoal Lake 39A (part in Ontario) at Statcan
• Map of Shoal Lake 34B2 at Statcan

Coordinates: 49°39′11″N 95°05′53″W / 49.653°N 95.098°W / 49.653; -95.098

The Numbered Treaties: Treaty Three
Numbered Treaties	Treaty 1 Treaty 2 Treaty 3 Treaty 4 Treaty 5 Treaty 6 Treaty 7 Treaty 8 Treaty 9 Treaty 10 Treaty 11
Anishinabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council	Animakee Wa Zhing 37 (Northwest Angle 37) Big Grassy Naongashiing (Big Island) Northwest Angle 33 Onigaming Wauzhushk Onigum
Bimose Tribal Council	Asubpeeschoseewagong (Grassy Narrows) Eagle Lake Iskatewizaagegan (Shoal Lake) 39 Lac des Mille Lacs Naotkamegwanning (Whitefish Bay) Obashkaandagaang Bay Ochiichagwe'Babigo'Ining Shoal Lake 40 Wabaseemoong (Whitedog) Wabauskang Wabigoon Lake
Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing Ne-Yaa-Zhing Advisory Services	Couchiching Lac La Croix Mitaanjigamiing Naicatchewenin Nigigoonsiminikaaning Rainy River Seine River
Other Treaty 3 Nations	Buffalo Point Lac Seul Saugeen

Kenora District, Ontario
Cities	Dryden Kenora
Towns	Red Lake Sioux Lookout
Townships	Ear Falls Ignace Machin Pickle Lake Sioux Narrows–Nestor Falls
First Nations	Animakee Wa Zhing 37 Asubpeeschoseewagong Attawapiskat Bearskin Lake Big Grassy Buffalo Point Cat Lake Deer Lake Eabametoong Eagle Lake Fort Albany Fort Severn Iskatewizaagegan 39 Kasabonika Lake Kashechewan Keewaywin Kingfisher Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug Lac Seul Marten Falls Mishkeegogamang Muskrat Dam Lake Naongashiing Naotkamegwanning Neskantaga North Caribou Lake North Spirit Lake Northwest Angle 33 Obashkaandagaang Bay Ochiichagwe'Babigo'Ining Onigaming Pikangikum Poplar Hill Sachigo Lake Sandy Lake Shoal Lake 40 Slate Falls Wabaseemoong Wabauskang Wabigoon Lake Wapekeka Wauzhushk Onigum Wawakapewin Webequie Weenusk Wunnumin Lake
Indian reserves	Agency 30 Attawapiskat 91 Attawapiskat 91A Bearskin Lake Cat Lake 63C The Dalles 38C Deer Lake Eagle Lake 27 English River 21 Fort Albany 67 (part) Fort Hope 64 Fort Severn 89 Kasabonika Lake Kee-Way-Win Kenora 38B Kingfisher 2A Kingfisher 3A Kingfisher Lake 1 Kitchenuhmaykoosib Aaki 84 Lac Seul 28 Lake of the Woods 31B Lake of the Woods 31C Lake of the Woods 31G Lake of the Woods 35J Lake of the Woods 37 Lake of the Woods 37B Marten Falls 65 Muskrat Dam Lake Naongashing 35A Neskantaga North Spirit Lake Northwest Angle 33B Northwest Angle 34C & 37B Obabikong 35B One Man Lake 29 Osnaburgh 63B Pikangikum 14 Poplar Hill Rat Portage 38A Sabaskong Bay 35C (part) Sabaskong Bay 35D Sabaskong Bay 35F (part) Sachigo Lake 1 Sachigo Lake 2 Sachigo Lake 3 Sandy Lake 88 Shoal Lake 31J Shoal Lake 34B1 Shoal Lake 34B2 Shoal Lake 37A (part) Shoal Lake 39 (part) Shoal Lake 39A (part) Shoal Lake 40 (part) Swan Lake 29 Wabaseemoong Wabauskang 21 Wabigoon Lake 27 Wapekeka 1 Wapekeka 2 Wawakapewin Weagamow Lake 87 Webequie Winisk 90 Whitefish Bay 32A Whitefish Bay 33A Whitefish Bay 34A Wunnumin 1 Wunnumin 2 Yellow Girl Bay 32B
Indian settlements	Kashechewan Kee Way Win Lansdowne House McDowell Lake Peawanuck Slate Falls Summer Beaver
Unorganized areas	Unorganized Kenora
Local services boards	Greater Oxdrift KeeMan Melgund Minaki Pellatt, Pelican, Umbach, Gidley Redditt Round Lake Wabigoon
See also Communities in Kenora District Census divisions of Ontario

Division 1, Manitoba (Eastern Manitoba)
Towns	Lac du Bonnet Powerview–Pine Falls
Local government districts	Pinawa
Rural municipalities	Alexander Lac du Bonnet Piney Reynolds Stuartburn Victoria Beach Whitemouth
First Nations	Animakee Wa Zhing 37 Buffalo Point Iskatewizaagegan 39 Shoal Lake 40
Indian reserves	Buffalo Point 36 Shoal Lake 37A (part) Shoal Lake 39 (part) Shoal Lake 39A (part) Shoal Lake 40 (part)
Unorganized areas	Unorganized Division 1
Unincorporated communities	Arbakka Badger Caliento Elma Gardenton Hadashville Hillside Beach Piney Prawda River Hills Ste. Rita St. Georges Seven Sisters Falls South Junction Sprague Stuartburn Sundown Vassar Vita Whitemouth Zhoda (part)
See also: Municipalities in Manitoba Census divisions of Manitoba 2015 municipal amalgamations