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Presentation on Michi Saagiig
Nishanaabeg Scheduled for July 28 at South Lewis
School
Published: July 01, 2023 at
12:00 p.m.
By: Press Release from Tug Hill Commission
The Michi Saagiig Nishanaabeg Presentation July 28
Watertown, NY – The Tug Hill
Commission and Lewis County Chamber of Commerce, along with the Friends of
the Black River community group, are sponsoring “We Are Still Here:
The Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg” on Friday,
July 28, 2023, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The presentation will be an
introduction to the Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg, the
Nation itself, and the confederacy it belongs to. In addition, it will
discuss its historic and contemporary existence as well as its existence
under settler-colonial rule and history and contemporary relationship with
the Crown and the Canadian state.
This presentation
will take place at the auditorium at South Lewis Central School, 4264
County Road 43 in Turin, NY, 13473. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. For those
that cannot be present in-person, a virtual broadcast will be offered via
Zoom. Registration is required for this free event at tinyurl.com/BRHiawatha. Please note, all registrants
will receive a Zoom link, even if they choose to attend in-person.
Chief Laurie Carr and Assistant Professor Chadwick Cowie will be the
evening’s presenters. Chief Carr is the Chief of
the Hiawatha First Nation Council, a position she has held during two
different terms for a total of eleven years to date. In her role as Chief,
Chief Carr’s responsibilities include
intergovernmental affairs; negotiations; core consultation; legal/financial
matters; political matters; treaty relations; and policing. The first
female Chief, Chief Carr is also the Chairperson
for the Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag
Child & Family Services. Through Hiawatha’s Provincial Territorial
Organization, the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians, Chief Carr sits on their Chief’s Council and holds the
Portfolio for Social and as an alternate for the Health Portfolio.
Chadwick Cowie is
an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the
University of Toronto. Professor Cowie is from the Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg community of Pamitaashkodeyong
(also referred to as Hiawatha First Nation) and is of the Atik (Caribou) Dodem (Clan). Professor Cowie has Bachelor of Arts (Honours) with a specialization in Political Science and
First Nations Studies (Western University) and a Masters
of Arts in Political Studies (University of Manitoba), and is
currently finalizing his PhD in Political Science from the University of
Alberta. In addition to his current research into whether Indigenous
people’s participation in Canadian federal electoral politics can bring
change and reconciliation, Professor Cowie is also assisting with research
and knowledge gathering on behalf of the Michi Saagiig
Nishnaabeg communities and Nation.
The Friends of
the Black River group is honored to host Chief Carr
and Professor Cowie in Lewis County.
The Friends group
originally connected with the Michi Saagiig
Nishnaabeg through The Castorland Journal,
a historical account of the exploration of the Black River by early
European settlers. The journal specifically states that the explorers met
people from the Mississauga Nation who had traveled from the northwest part
of Lake Ontario. This led to correspondence and the development of a
relationship between Friends group member Heidi Lehmann and Chief Carr. A recording of the July 2022
Dr. John Gallucci’s presentation on The Castorland
Journal is available on the Tug Hill Commission’s YouTube channel.
The Friends of
the Black River is a group of community members working to support the
Friends’ mission to sustainably promote ecological, historical
and recreational resources of the Black River, harmoniously respecting both
public and private interest, and develop beneficial partnership for
stewardship. This mission is accomplished through education and outreach,
projects and development, and conservation and recreation.
Please contact
the Tug Hill Commission with any questions regarding this event.
The New York
State Tug Hill Commission is a non-regulatory state agency charged with
helping local governments, organizations, and citizens shape the future of
the region, especially its environment and economy. The commission uses a
grassroots approach to build local capacity and provide technical
assistance in land use planning, community development, and natural
resource management.
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