History of First Nations in the Lively, Walden Ont Area

This area, which includes Lively and the former Walden Township, is within the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe people, specifically the Ojibwe (or Chippewa) Nation.

The history of First Nations in this area is long and rich, predating European contact by thousands of years.

1. Traditional Territory and Ancestral History

• Anishinaabe Homeland: The Greater Sudbury region, known in Ojibwe as N’Swakamok (meaning “where the three roads meet”), has been home to Anishinaabeg groups for as long as 9,000 years following the retreat of the last ice sheet.
• Ojibwe Presence: The ancestors of the present-day Ojibwe are estimated to have migrated into the region around 1000 A.D., joining other cultural groups. The traditional lands of the local Ojibwe group ran from the Vermilion River Valley eastward to the Wanapitei and Sturgeon Rivers.

2. Contemporary First Nations

The two main First Nations communities whose traditional territories cover the Lively/Walden area are:

• Atikameksheng Anishnawbek (formerly Whitefish Lake First Nation):
  • Their current reserve lands are located approximately 19 km west of the Greater City of Sudbury, near Lively.
  • The community’s members are descendants of the Ojibway, Algonquin, and Odawa Nations.
  • They had a trading post established by the Hudson’s Bay Company on their lands in 1824, which was a sub-post of the larger LaCloche post.
• Wahnapitae First Nation:
  • Wahnapitae is also an Ojibway Band and a signatory to the Robinson-Huron Treaty. Their reserve is located about 50 km north of Sudbury, but their traditional harvesting lands extended into the Greater Sudbury area.

3. The Robinson-Huron Treaty (1850)

A pivotal moment in the history of the region was the signing of the Robinson-Huron Treaty in 1850.

• Signing: Chief Shawenekezhik, on behalf of the local Anishinaabeg (including the ancestors of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek), signed this treaty.
• Terms: The treaty granted the British Crown and its people the right to occupy and share the lands of the Anishinaabeg. In exchange, the First Nations were promised reserves and an annuity (a yearly payment).

4. European Contact and Settlement

• Early Contact: French explorers and Jesuit missionaries entered the area in the mid-17th century, documenting the Ojibwe living there since the 1600s. Early relationships centered around the fur trade.
• Walden Area Development: The land that became the Town of Walden was formed from the amalgamation of several townships and the Town of Lively in 1973. One of the proposed names for the new town was “Makada,” which is an early Ojibway name for Black Lake. The name “Walden” was ultimately chosen, in part by combining letters from the former towns (W-aters, L-ively, Den-ison).
• Impact of Mining: The discovery of nickel and copper ore in 1883 with the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) brought a significant influx of European settlers, leading to the rapid development of the Sudbury area and further changes to the landscape and the lives of the local First Nations.

The history of Lively, Walden, and the entire Greater Sudbury area is inextricably linked to the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and the broader Anishinaabe people who have been the stewards of this land for millennia.

The Atikameksheng Anishnawbek (formerly Whitefish Lake First Nation) is an active and thriving community with a strong focus on self-determination, culture, and social well-being, located just west of Lively and Naughton.

Here is an overview of the current community and the context of the Robinson-Huron Treaty.

1. Atikameksheng Anishnawbek Today

The community is located on Reserve lands approximately 19 km west of the Greater City of Sudbury, near Lively.

• Population: As of October 2024, the total population is around 1,720 members, with about 20% living on-reserve. A significant majority of the off-reserve members reside in the Greater Sudbury area.
• Self-Determination (Governance):
  • The Nation is actively moving toward self-governance, adopting their own law, the Atikameksheng Chi-Naaknigewin (in 2015), and an election code (Gimaakeng Naaknigewin) to hold elections their way rather than under the imposed Indian Act This is a historic step in re-asserting their jurisdiction.
  • They are governed by a Gimaa (Chief) and Council, with elections held every four years.
• Community Programs and Services: The First Nation offers a wide array of programs focused on holistic well-being:
  • Health and Wellness: Including a Community Health Nurse, Home and Community Care, Wellness (Mental Health, Addictions, and Traditional Health), and the Healthy Babies, Healthy Children program.
  • Education and Social Services: Programs like the Life Path Program, Education Support Workers, and the Anishnawbek Cultural Values and Well-being Based Early Childhood Development initiative, which integrates Anishnawbek culture, language, and laws into early learning.
  • Community Support: They provide outreach services, family support, patient transportation, and a Community Centre that hosts events and resources.

2. Economic Development & Partnerships

The Atikameksheng Anishnawbek are focused on economic growth to support their community:

• Key Ventures: They are involved in projects like the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek 250 kW Solar Park Project and businesses such as a Bingo Hall, a Business Park, and an Eco Lodge.
• Resource Agreements: They have signed agreements, such as the Victoria Mine Advanced Exploration Agreement, to manage resource exploration on their traditional territory, emphasizing their role in stewardship and benefiting from the resources on their ancestral lands.
  

  

3. 📜 The Robinson-Huron Treaty (1850) Context

The Robinson-Huron Treaty is the fundamental agreement governing the relationship between the Crown and the Anishinaabeg of this region, including the ancestors of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek.

Feature	Description
Land Ceded	The Treaty covered a vast territory along the north shore of Lake Huron, stretching inland to the height of land (the watershed divide).
Commitments	In exchange for sharing the land, the Crown promised reserved lands for each community and an annuity(annual payment).
Hunting/Fishing Rights	The Anishinaabeg retained the full and free privilege to hunt and fish over the ceded territory until the land was “taken up for settlement.”
Annuity Augmentation	The Treaty included a clause, known as the “escalator clause,” which promised that the annuity would increase “from time to time” based on revenues the Crown received from the lands, such as from mining and timber.
Current Status	This augmentation clause became the subject of a major legal dispute. The Anishinaabeg Nations filed a Statement of Claim in 2014, successfully arguing that the Crown failed to increase the annuities as promised, resulting in a landmark settlement process to address past compensation and determine how future resource revenues will be shared.

This dispute is a major contemporary issue that underscores the ongoing importance of the treaty relationship and the rights of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek to benefit from the wealth generated on their traditional territories.