Poplar River First Nation
Encyclopedia
Poplar River First Nation (or Azaadiwi-ziibi Nitam-Anishinaabe in the Anishinaabe language) is an Ojibwa
First Nation in Manitoba
, Canada
. Its landbase is the Poplar River 16 First Nation Reserve, located approximately on the east side of Lake Winnipeg
at the mouth of the Poplar River
. Geographically, it is located at latitude 52°59′46″ north and longitude 97°16′59″ west. The largest city nearest this community is Winnipeg
located approximately 400 kilometres (248.5 mi) to the south.
The current chief of Poplar River First Nation is Clifford Bruce. The Tribal Council affiliated with this First Nation is Southeast Resource Development Council. Poplar River First Nation is part of Treaty 5
Adhesion, signed on September 20, 1875.
There is an additional population consisting of Métis
and non-status First Nations residing within Poplar River First Nation, as well as in the Métis settlement. The exact numbers have not been recorded.
with the primary township located on an atoll of land between Poplar River and Franklin River
. The majority of the population resides along these two rivers, including three habitable islands located within the main Poplar River. Gravel highways traverse throughout most of the community, and there are bridge crossings over the rivers. There are no paved concrete or asphalt roads or sidewalks.
Even though most people today use automobiles to travel the gravel paved roads, the use of watercraft and winter snowmobile
s still remains.
Called "Asatiwisipe Aki" by the First Nation, their traditional land has been designated as a protected area with the support of the Manitoba
government. It is one of the last remaining pristine river areas in the world, particularly in southern Canada. The river is very clean, with little or no man-made pollutants in the watershed. The Poplar River area may soon be designated as a section of a United Nations
Heritage Site.
The water, land, forest and beaches continue to remain free of pollution and industrial activity. There are vistas that have only the sounds of the wind, water and nature to break the silence.
The land is not fit for farming, so therefore self-sufficiency based on agriculture is not an option. Due to its geographic location during the Pleistocene
period, or last ice age
, this land was located under a large glacier that ploughed away the topsoils that are necessary for agriculture. Perhaps only 10 centimetres or more of cultivatable soil has accumulated over the past 10,000 years, but what remains underneath is fine clay particulates. This is evident during the warmer summer months when clay mud is prominent throughout most of the foot-travelled areas of the community.
Aurora Borealis can be seen regularly across the night skies.
still occurs within the community. There are no official figures but it is believed that alcohol addiction has dropped noticeably within the last decade. However, it is suspected that drug abuse
may be on the rise. The general overall state of health for the community is lower than the national average. Due to genetic predispositions that are known to influence the metabolism of aboriginals, the lack of education regarding proper nutrition and the importance of exercise, obesity
and diabetes are still a health threat to a portion of the population.
The extremely high rate of unemployment has continued to be an issue of concern for the community. This is due to the lack of businesses or new enterprises that would normally provide employment for citizens. A large portion of the population collects social assistance in order to survive, and this has been an unavoidable fact of life for many generations of families.
Serious criminal activity is nearly non-existent.
Historically, cross-cultural influence by early European settlers and their governments are believed to have been the source of many problems for aboriginal peoples. The attempted assimilation of aboriginals is a well-known failure, and the loss of the traditional culture and religious beliefs has created a strong sense of hostility, loss and hopelessness within many aboriginal communities.
More importantly, in more recent decades the sudden change to mainstream diet could also have negative side-effects, not just with members of this community, but for all First Nation people; on or off reserve. The introduction of additives to foods such as hormones, antibiotics, tranquilizers, excessively high sugar
, salt
, and other additives, and even caffeine
, nicotine
and alcohol
, could cause chemical changes in the bodies of First Nation people interfering with mental wellness. None of these substances except nicotine existed in their lives for thousands of years. Studies have shown that chemical imbalances could lead to irrational thoughts and behaviours triggering lengthy episodes of depression
, anxiety
, hostility
and dependence on alcohol or mood-altering prescription medication or illegal drugs. This would explain the high incidents of alcoholism, higher than average rates of suicide
, as well as other social ills. A sedentary lifestyle devoid of physical exercise is also known to trigger lengthy negative emotional events. There have been no in-depth scientific studies or analysis in to this particular area specifically targeted at the First Nation peoples.
It has been recently discovered that the return to traditional spiritual, cultural, familial and dietary lifestyles could provide a more healthy way of life for aboriginal communities. While fishing and hunting has been practised by the elders, this knowledge is being taught and passed on to future generations. The preservation of the Ojibwa dialect is also paramount, and the return to traditional spiritual healing ceremonies and medicines may also remedy the mental, physical and emotional ills that are of great concern to the community. These teachings are ongoing.
The people in this community still persevere to overcome adversity today.
P.O. Negginan
Poplar River, Manitoba R0B 0Z0
Phone: 204-244-2267
Fax: 204-244-2690
official web site featuring facts, images, maps and more.
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
First Nation in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Its landbase is the Poplar River 16 First Nation Reserve, located approximately on the east side of Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg is a large, lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, with its southern tip about north of the city of Winnipeg...
at the mouth of the Poplar River
Poplar River (Manitoba)
Poplar River runs towards the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg, in Manitoba, Canada. This river, which flows west into Lake Winnipeg, has a watershed beginning near the Manitoba and Ontario border...
. Geographically, it is located at latitude 52°59′46″ north and longitude 97°16′59″ west. The largest city nearest this community is Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
located approximately 400 kilometres (248.5 mi) to the south.
The current chief of Poplar River First Nation is Clifford Bruce. The Tribal Council affiliated with this First Nation is Southeast Resource Development Council. Poplar River First Nation is part of Treaty 5
Treaty 5
Treaty 5 is a treaty that was first established in September, 1875, between Queen Victoria and Saulteaux and Swampy Cree non-treaty tribes and peoples around Lake Winnipeg in the District of Keewatin. Much of what is today central and northern Manitoba was covered by the treaty, as were a few small...
Adhesion, signed on September 20, 1875.
Demographics
Poplar River First Nation 16 Reserve is 3800 acres (1,537.8 ha). As of 2006, the total population of registered Indians was 1,363 (50.55% female/49.45% male) with 1093 on reserve (80.2%), and 270 off reserve (19.8%). The primary language spoken is Ojibwe. The majority of surnames are Bruce, Franklin, and Berens.There is an additional population consisting of Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
and non-status First Nations residing within Poplar River First Nation, as well as in the Métis settlement. The exact numbers have not been recorded.
Community
The town itself is embedded along the main Poplar RiverPoplar River (Manitoba)
Poplar River runs towards the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg, in Manitoba, Canada. This river, which flows west into Lake Winnipeg, has a watershed beginning near the Manitoba and Ontario border...
with the primary township located on an atoll of land between Poplar River and Franklin River
Franklin River
The Franklin River lies in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park at the mid northern area of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Its source is situated at the western edge of the Central Highlands and it continues west towards the West Coast of Tasmania...
. The majority of the population resides along these two rivers, including three habitable islands located within the main Poplar River. Gravel highways traverse throughout most of the community, and there are bridge crossings over the rivers. There are no paved concrete or asphalt roads or sidewalks.
Even though most people today use automobiles to travel the gravel paved roads, the use of watercraft and winter snowmobile
Snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
s still remains.
Called "Asatiwisipe Aki" by the First Nation, their traditional land has been designated as a protected area with the support of the Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
government. It is one of the last remaining pristine river areas in the world, particularly in southern Canada. The river is very clean, with little or no man-made pollutants in the watershed. The Poplar River area may soon be designated as a section of a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Heritage Site.
Environmental profile
The land is not fit for farming, so therefore self-sufficiency based on agriculture is not an option. Due to its geographic location during the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
period, or last ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
, this land was located under a large glacier that ploughed away the topsoils that are necessary for agriculture. Perhaps only 10 centimetres or more of cultivatable soil has accumulated over the past 10,000 years, but what remains underneath is fine clay particulates. This is evident during the warmer summer months when clay mud is prominent throughout most of the foot-travelled areas of the community.
Aurora Borealis can be seen regularly across the night skies.
The people
Poplar River First Nation is a "dry" reserve, in which alcohol has been outlawed. Despite this, alcoholismAlcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
still occurs within the community. There are no official figures but it is believed that alcohol addiction has dropped noticeably within the last decade. However, it is suspected that drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
may be on the rise. The general overall state of health for the community is lower than the national average. Due to genetic predispositions that are known to influence the metabolism of aboriginals, the lack of education regarding proper nutrition and the importance of exercise, obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
and diabetes are still a health threat to a portion of the population.
The extremely high rate of unemployment has continued to be an issue of concern for the community. This is due to the lack of businesses or new enterprises that would normally provide employment for citizens. A large portion of the population collects social assistance in order to survive, and this has been an unavoidable fact of life for many generations of families.
Serious criminal activity is nearly non-existent.
Historically, cross-cultural influence by early European settlers and their governments are believed to have been the source of many problems for aboriginal peoples. The attempted assimilation of aboriginals is a well-known failure, and the loss of the traditional culture and religious beliefs has created a strong sense of hostility, loss and hopelessness within many aboriginal communities.
More importantly, in more recent decades the sudden change to mainstream diet could also have negative side-effects, not just with members of this community, but for all First Nation people; on or off reserve. The introduction of additives to foods such as hormones, antibiotics, tranquilizers, excessively high sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
, and other additives, and even caffeine
Caffeine
Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a stimulant drug. Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the seeds, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants...
, nicotine
Nicotine
Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants that constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulation occurring in the leaves...
and alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, could cause chemical changes in the bodies of First Nation people interfering with mental wellness. None of these substances except nicotine existed in their lives for thousands of years. Studies have shown that chemical imbalances could lead to irrational thoughts and behaviours triggering lengthy episodes of depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
, anxiety
Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
, hostility
Hostility
Hostility is a form of angry internal rejection or denial in psychology. It is a part of personal construct psychology, developed by George Kelly...
and dependence on alcohol or mood-altering prescription medication or illegal drugs. This would explain the high incidents of alcoholism, higher than average rates of suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, as well as other social ills. A sedentary lifestyle devoid of physical exercise is also known to trigger lengthy negative emotional events. There have been no in-depth scientific studies or analysis in to this particular area specifically targeted at the First Nation peoples.
It has been recently discovered that the return to traditional spiritual, cultural, familial and dietary lifestyles could provide a more healthy way of life for aboriginal communities. While fishing and hunting has been practised by the elders, this knowledge is being taught and passed on to future generations. The preservation of the Ojibwa dialect is also paramount, and the return to traditional spiritual healing ceremonies and medicines may also remedy the mental, physical and emotional ills that are of great concern to the community. These teachings are ongoing.
The people in this community still persevere to overcome adversity today.
Facts
- Northern, or The North West CompanyThe North West CompanyThe North West Company is a grocery and merchandise store in remote communities across northern Canada and Alaska. Through its subsidiary, Cost-U-Less stores it also operates in the US territories of Guam, The CNMI, and American Samoa and in the Caribbean....
, is the largest business selling general merchandise ranging from household goods, food, petroleum products, electronics, clothing and more. Its predecessor was Hudson's Bay CompanyHudson's Bay CompanyThe Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
. The costs of goods in this community are higher than the Canadian average due to having to ship products via airplane, barge (during the summer months) or truck (during the winter months) from the main distribution outlets in SelkirkSelkirk, ManitobaSelkirk is a city in the western Canadian province of Manitoba, located about 22 km northeast of the provincial capital Winnipeg on the Red River, near . As of the 2006 census, Selkirk had a population of 9,515....
or WinnipegWinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, which are hundreds of kilometres south. - Mitasosipe Trading Post is the second largest store selling general merchandise.
- Negginan Harbour Authority Inc. is the main small craft docking station which is officially governed by Fisheries and Oceans CanadaFisheries and Oceans CanadaFisheries and Oceans Canada, frequently referred to as DFO , is the department within the government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland waters...
. - Poplar River Elder's Lodge is a care facility for Poplar River's elderly population.
- During the winter months, Poplar River is accessible via Winter Road. It is accessible year round via airplane, and via barge or water vessels during the summer months.
- The majority of residents have modern conveniences of running water and plumbing.
- Children attend Poplar River Elementary School from grade 1 to 9. This school features a modern gymnasium, library and standard education programs. Members who pursue education beyond grade 9 must attend high schools, universities or colleges off reserve.
- Most members of this community are still highly fluent in their first tongue, Ojibwe languageOjibwe languageOjibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...
. - Persons of non-First Nation descent, or members of other First Nations who have decided to make Poplar River their home adapt very well, and members are quick to welcome and embrace newcomers.
- More and more members of this community have broadband internet access, and internet usage is growing. In addition, many households own satellite dish receivers for their television entertainment needs.
- Youth of this community are influenced by national and international pop culture including music, movies and fashion trends from around the world thanks to satellite television and the internet.
- the two main religions practiced in Poplar River are Roman Catholic and Pentecostal
Official address
Poplar River First NationP.O. Negginan
Poplar River, Manitoba R0B 0Z0
Phone: 204-244-2267
Fax: 204-244-2690
official web site featuring facts, images, maps and more.
External links
- Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
- Assembly of First Nations
- Famous Native Americans
- Weshki-ayaad's Introduction to Ojibwe Language and Culture
- First Perspective - Aboriginal News
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- Indian and Northern Affairs
- Manitoba Aboriginal and Northern Affairs
- NCI FM - Native Communications Inc.
- The North West Company
- Poplar River First Nation
- Southeast Community Futures Development Corporation
- The Weather Network - Poplar River First Nation Weather