First Nations in the London Area
Oneida Nation of the Thames
The Oneida people are known within the Iroquois Confederacy as Onyota’a:ka, “People of the Standing Stone.” Much like their ancestors, the Oneida peoples of today, maintain a deeply rooted connection to the land and to their Iroquois culture and traditions.
Today’s Oneida Nation of the Thames is a flourishing and vibrant Iroquois community. The Oneida Nation of the Thames, like other Iroquois Nation’s is a sovereign independent Nation with its own traditional hereditary and contemporary systems of governance and law.
Established in 1840, as the “Oneida Settlement” the evolution of this great Nation transforming from an agricultural society into a modern and versatile Iroquois community.
The Oneida Nation of the Thames is home to 2,172 residents and has a total membership of 6,270. Located in picturesque southwestern Ontario, the Oneida Nation Settlement borders lush and fertile agricultural lands and is nestled along the eastern shore of the Thames River 30 kilometers south of the City of London.
Chippewas of the Thames First Nation
We are the territory of the Deshkaan Ziibing Anishinaabeg, also known as Chippewas of the Thames First Nation. We are a forward thinking nation with a strong grasp of our traditional values. Through culture, heritage and continued education we are working towards a better future – towards a self-governing First Nation that thrives socially, culturally, spiritually and economically.
The majority of Southwestern Ontario is our modern traditional territory. We call ourselves Anishinabek which means the original people. We are known as the Ojibway, which are part of the Algonquin language family, who originally migrated to the Great Lakes area from the north-eastern region of North America. Our political alliances are with the Odawa (Ottawa) and Bodaywadami (Pottawatomi) who together form the Three Fires Confederacy.
We are located on the north bank of the Thames River approximately 20 km southwest of London, Ontario. Chippewas of the Thames First Nation is an Ojibway community established in 1760 along the banks of the Thames River of which Chippewa is claiming title of the Thames waterbed. The land base comprises 3,331 hectares of unceeded land in Southwestern Ontario.
Chippewas of the Thames First Nation is the single signatory to the Longwoods Treaty of 1822. In addition, Chippewas of the Thames is signatory along with other First Nations to the following treaties: London Township, 1796; Sombra, 1796; Treaty #29, 1827; and McKee 1790. It is important to know that all these treaties were signed before Canada was formed as a country in 1867. The term often used is pre-Confederation Treaties and has become important in the rights-based approach that COTTFN uses.
Munsee-Delaware First Nation
Munsee-Delaware Nation is a Lenape First Nations band government located 24 kilometres (15 mi) west of St. Thomas, in southwest Ontario, Canada. Known previously as the Munsee of the Thames, their land base is the 1,054 hectares (2,600 acres) Munsee-Delaware Nation 1 reserve, with the unincorporated community of Muncey (west from the Oneida Nation of the Thames) as their main community. The reserve is splintered into several non-contiguous areas, made up of individual lots within the Chippewas of the Thames reserve. As of January 2014, their registered population was 612 people, though only 148 lived on their own reserve.
Members of the Munsee branch of the Lenape (Delaware) nation arrived in the area in the eighteenth century. The Lieutenant-Governor, John Graves Simcoe, encouraged the Munsee to settle there although Chippewa were already established there. In 1819 the Chippewa of the Thames reserve was established, and in 1840 the Munsee and the Chippewa finally reached an agreement to share the land.
Treaties
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Treaty #2 - McKee Purchase Signed on May 19, 1790 (South of Thames River south branch)
…a certain Tract of land beginning at the mouth of Catfish Creek, commonly called Rivière au Chaudière on the North Side of Lake Erie being the Western extremity of a Tract purchased by His said Majesty from the Messesagey Indians in the year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty Four and from thence running Westward along the border of Lake Erie and up the Streight to the mouth of a river known by the name of Channail Ecarté to the first fork on the south side, then due east line until it intersects the Rivière à la Tranche, and up the said Rivière à la Tranche to the Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty Four, then following the Western boundary of said tract being a due South direction until it strikes the mouth of said Catfish Creek or otherwise Rivière au Chaudière being the first offset;
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Treaty #6 - London Township Purchase Signed on September 7, 1796 (North of Thames River south branch)
…that parcel or tract of land situated and lying on the north side of the River Thames as aforesaid, beginning at a certain station on the north bank of the said river about nineteen miles above the Deleware Village following the windings of the said river and about twelve miles distant from the said village in a direct northerly course, being about two miles above a lime stone rock and spring on the said river which station will be more perfectly found by a line run from the main or lower fork at London six miles on a course south, sixty-eight degrees thirty miles; thence north sixty-eight degrees thirty minutes east twelve miles' thence south twenty-one degrees thirty minutes east till it intersects a right line running from the upper forks of the said river at Oxford to the main or lower forks of the said river at London; thence along the said line to the said upper forks on a course north sixty-eight degrees thirty minutes east; thence down the said River Thames following the several winding and courses with the stream to the place of beginning.
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N'Amerind Friendship Centre
The N’Amerind Friendship Centre is a non-profit organization committed to the promotion of physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual well-being of native people and in particular, urban native people.
The commitment is realized through the implementation of culturally relevant programs aimed at social recreational and educational needs; at developing leadership, at increasing awareness levels of native heritage, establishing resources for community development and in promoting the development of urban aboriginal self-governing institutions.
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Atlohsa Family Healing Services
Atlohsa has been serving individuals and families across Southwestern Ontario since 1986 providing low-barrier wraparound services to community members with complex needs, including mental wellness, substance use, homelessness, domestic violence, and trauma. We specialize in providing strengths-based healing and wellness supports, utilizing trauma-informed and harm reduction approaches.
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Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre
Aboriginal Health Access Centres (AHACs) are innovative, Aboriginal specific, Indigenous informed health care agencies. They provide a combination of health and social services to First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, including:
Traditional Healing
Primary Health Care
Health promotion services
Cultural programs
Community development initiatives
Social support services
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Idle No More
Idle No More London is a Facebook page created to share information, updates, and upcoming events in the community.
INM has and will continue to help build sovereignty & resurgence of nationhood
INM will continue to pressure government and industry to protect the environment
INM will continue to build allies in order to reframe the nation to nation relationship, this will be done by including grassroots perspectives, issues and concerns
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Landback 1492
On July 19 2020 The Land Defenders of 1492 Land Back Lane stopped the housing development project of Mackenzie Meadows boarding the town of Caledonia and the Six Nations reserve. We have taken this peaceful direct action to call attention to the ongoing aggressive development of our lands. Mackenzie meadows housing development is one of several approved developments surrounding our community. Friday July 31st ,2020 our land back camp was served with an injunction order. On August 5th, 2020 the OPP brought violence into our community and enforced the injunction. Several arrests were made, and the community of Six Nations took direct action to protect our people and several roads were blocked, the CN railways was blocked and the OPP was walked out of our territory. The current situation in Six Nations is very intense as the ongoing threat of violence against us has been granted again by the Courts. On Friday August 7th Haldimand County was granted an injunction for the roadways to be cleared of our people. CN also received an injunction for the railway through our community. The interim injunction for 1492 Land Back Lane was also extended to a permanent injunction. These injunctions only serve as a colonial mechanism to disposes us of our lands and resources, which fundamentally violates our rights as sovereign Indigenous people. We will remain at 1492 and hold strong. We urge you to donate what you can to assist us in our legal fund to support Land Defenders facing current charges and any future charges that may result from the numerous injunctions against us in this particular issue.
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Nshwaasnangong Child Care Centre
The Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC) announced the opening of the new Nshwaasnangong Child Care and Family Centre, located at 449 Hill Street in London, with ceremonial prayers, drumming and dancing, as well as remarks by SOAHAC leaders and officials from various levels of government, including the Honourable Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, and Councillor Elizabeth Peloza, City of London.
Nshwaanangong, which means “place of the 8th star”, will feature space for 88 infants, toddlers and preschoolers in its licensed child care centre, and will be home to culturally relevant EarlyON programming rooted in Language and Spirit.
The Centre is expected to welcome infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children in mid October and is already at nearly 60% capacity for registrations.
Indigenous Culture Card
The content of this guide was informed by members of the local FNMI community in London and Middlesex through several engagement sessions. The purpose of the guide is to serve as a first step towards cultural competence and to help service providers learn more about FNMI history, the local cultures and how to work competently and sensitively with FNMI communities. For those interested in formal training, Indigenous Cultural Competency and Cultural Safety training are recommended.