b'COMMUNITY PROFILENiisaachewan Anishinaabe NationA beacon for youthBY CHARNEL ANDERSONF or Chief Lorraine Cobiness, supporting the youth ofPart of the funding for the new facility comes from a settle-Niisaachewan Anishinaabe Nation is a top priority.ment agreement reached between Niisaachewan and Ontario If theres anything I want to leave behind, in termsPower Generation in 2008. The federal and provincial govern-of a legacy I want it to be building healthy kids,ments also contributed over $2 million, collectively, for the because those are going to be the leaders taking care of me whenproject through grant programs. Im old, says Cobiness, who has been Chief of NiisaachewanOne of the things the community wanted, in terms of for 12 years. how we were going to invest our (settlement) money, was to Nearly a decade ago, Niisaachewans leadership signed ahave a multi-purpose building with an economic develop-kids first declaration, enshrining the communitys intention ment centre. We wanted to incorporate a facility for our kids, to support the development of happy, healthy, prosperousexplains Cobiness. kids through various initiatives, including programming andWe have a state-of-the-art gymnasium, which is not only infrastructure. This is apparent in many of the programs andgoing to help with the kids, but its going to be a place where developments unfolding in Niisaachewan, from the commun- we can host meetings. Its going to bring our people together.itys new multi-use facility to the rookie baseball league.Niisaachewans new Economic Development Centre Ground broke on the new facility last May. The projectof Excellence, as it will be called, will create opportunities involves building an addition for the existing communityfor community members, she says. Thats going to create centre, which, when completed, will include office space, aeconomic independence for our kids 20 years down the road. training and conference centre, and a dedicated economicThats the goal. We dont want to be dependent on what the development centre.government has, and whats going to be offered to our kids. We Right now, meetings are held in the existing communitywant to create independence, and through this facility, thats centre. The top level is where we gather. We meet, we cook,one of our objectives, says Cobiness. we eat, we fight, we battle it out, but we celebrate, says Cobi- Niisaachewan Anishinaabe Nation, or Dalles First Nation, ness. The community centre is also slated for renovation asas it is also known, is about 20 kilometres northwest of Kenora. part of the project, and will include a new health centre and aNiisaachewan is a signatory to Treaty 3, and has a popula-revamped band office.tion of more than 450, including both on- and off-reserve 48l ISSUE 1 2019C hIEfS ofo ntarIoA dvocAte magazInE'