The Teme-Augama Anishnabai (from the
AnishinaabeDimii'aagamaa Anishinaabe, "the deep water people") is the Indigenous
Anishinaabe community of the
Temagami First Nation. The ancestors of Teme-Augama Anishnabai have
trapped and
hunted animals in the Temagami region of
Canada for over 5,000 years.
Bear Island on
Lake Temagami is home to the Indigenous community.
Land claims
In 1973, The Teme-Augama Anishnabai exercised
a land caution against development on the
Crown land of 10,000 square kilometres-most of the Temagami area. The attorney-general of Ontario pursued legal action against the Band for this caution. The Teme-Augama Anishnabai lost this court case in 1984 and proceeded with an appeal to the
Supreme Court.
In 1991, the Teme-Augama Anishnabai and the
Ontario Government created the Wendaban Stewardship Authority to manage the four counties near the logging road. The committee eventually dissolved.
In August 1991, the Teme-Augama Anishnabai lost the land caution, though it was determined that Ontario and Canada have an outstanding fiduciary obligation for unfulfilled Robinson Huron Treaty obligations to which the Teme-Augama Anishnabai have been illegally adhered to. The Teme-Augama Anishnabai failed appeal in 1994 eventually lead to the land caution being lifted.[3][4]
Leadership
In July 2023, the Teme-Augama Anishnabai Council consisted of the following people: Chief Micheal Paul, Second Chief John Turner, Councillors: Trevor Twain, Ursula Sawyer,Randy Becker , Mary Laronde.[5]
^The Bear Island Foundation and Gary Potts, William Twain and Maurice McKenzie, Jr. on behalf of themselves and on behalf of all other members of the Teme-Augama Anishnabay and Temagami Band of Indians v. The Attorney General for Ontario,
Supreme_Court_Reports_(Canada) [1991 2 SCR 570] (
Supreme Court of Canada 1991-08-15) ("It was unnecessary, however, to examine the specific nature of the aboriginal right because that right was surrendered, whatever the situation on the signing of the Robinson-Huron Treaty, by arrangements subsequent to the treaty by which the Indians adhered to the treaty in exchange for treaty annuities and a reserve. The Crown breached its fiduciary obligations to the Indians by failing to comply with some of its obligation under this agreement; these matters currently form the subject of negotiations between the parties. These breaches do not alter the fact that the aboriginal right was extinguished.").