Fort Severn First Nation

For other uses of the names "Severn" and "Fort Severn", see Severn (disambiguation).

Fort Severn First Nation is located on Hudson Bay and is the most northern community in Ontario, Canada. As of 2001, the population was 401, consisting of 90 families in an area of 40 square kilometres. The legal name of the reserve is Fort Severn 89; most Indian reserves in Canada have a number after the name.

The town is linked by winter road/ice roads in the winter to Peawanuck, Ontario in the east, and Shamattawa, Manitoba and Gillam, Manitoba.

Fort Severn is policed by the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service, an Aboriginal-based service.

History

This area was inhabited for thousands of years by varying cultures of indigenous peoples. At the time of European contact, the historic Ojibwa, an Anishinaabe-speaking people, lived in the area.

In 1689 the Hudson's Bay Company built Fort Severn at this site; it was one of the earliest English fur trading posts in the New World. After years of international competition between the English and French, with their wars playing out in North America, the French attacked the outpost and pillaged it in 1782 when they were allies of the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolutionary War.

In the early 20th century, when the federal government negotiated a treaty with the First Nations, it set aside land for a native reserve in the Rocksand area at the confluence of the Severn and Sachigo Rivers, with the consent of the leaders at the time. In 1973, the reserve was relocated to the mouth of the Severn River on Hudson Bay, for more direct access to shipping. The reserve achieved full status on January 11, 1980.

Through Our Eyes: Wasaho First Nation School - Grade 7/8 Class 2012

The other name for Fort Severn is "Wasaho". The native language we speak is Swampy Cree. We are the Mushkegowuk, which means "people who live in the muskeg". Hunting and fishing are important to our community. We have geese, caribou, martens, rabbits, moose, ptarmigan, beavers, eagles, turkey vultures, cranes, black bears and wolverines. There are a lot of geese in the spring time and our Goose Hunt is famous. Also, our Elders make purses, moccasins, mukluks, gloves and mitts out of animal hides and with colourful beading. The crafts look really nice and last longer than the store bought stuff.

We see the Northern Lights and we sometimes see polar bears. They come into town looking for food. Polar bears get here by swimming across the river or they float on chunks of ice. In March, we have a Fishing Derby. You can catch trout, pike, whitefish and wall-eye. There is a celebration of our culture called Creefest that is every two years in Shamattwa, Peawunuck or here.

External links

• Fort Severn First Nation
• Stats Canada