M’CHIGEENG—The M’Chigeeng First Nation band election will see the chief and 10 councillors elected on September 2.
There are four band members in the running for the position of chief and 35 candidates for a seat on council.
The four candidates for chief include Renee A. Corbiere, Linda L. Debassige (incumbent), Morgan F. Hare and C.J. Wayne Trudeau.
The 35 candidates seeking the 10 council seats include Kimberley Aelick (Searle), Ross Armstrong, Tanya Armstrong, Charles J. Beaudin (inc.), Robert Beaudin, Dane N. Bebamash, Diane L. Bebonang, Andrew Bisson, Chelsea Cameron, Dennis W. Corbiere (inc), E. Samantha Corbiere, Ronald Ray Corbiere, Earl Debassige, Howard Debassige, Jeanine (Jean) Debassige, Josh P. (Kevin) Eshkawkogan, Eric S. Hare, Susan M. Hare, Thomas Hare (inc.), Melissa Kasunich, Clyde Migwans, G’mewin Migwans, Henry (Ethan) Migwans, Madeline M. (Lynn) Migwans, Patricia T. Migwans, Andrea Panamick, Henry Panamick (Sr.) (inc.) James B. Panamick, Stephanie Paul, K. Michael Peltier, Tiffany M. Recollet, Brenda Roy, Forest Schut and Neda Toeg (Debassige).
The advance poll will take place on August 28, from 12 pm to 6 pm at the M’Chigeeng Community Complex. Election Day will take place September 2 from 9 am to 6 pm. Votes will be counted starting at 6:15 pm on Saturday, September 2 and the results declared immediately following the count.
Candidate for chief Renee Corbiere is a lifelong M’Chigeeng resident, having grown up in the community and graduating from Manitoulin Secondary School. She holds a diploma in Aboriginal Community and Social Development from Georgian College and a Bachelor of Social work with honors from Metropolitan University (formerly known as Ryerson). Ms. Corbiere resides in M’Chigeeng with her partner James Panamick and their two sons, James and Maximus.
“I am excited to be running for the seat of chief of our First Nation,” Ms. Corbiere says. “I was raised in a single parent home by Beverly Corbiere who instilled in me many great values such as courage, honesty and a strong work ethic, all of which are all characteristics of a great leader.”
“For the past 10 years, it has been an honour to work for M’Chigeeng First Nation within the family resources department as a youth worker, community support worker, band representative and a family support worker,” Ms. Corbiere says. “Being employed with M’Chigeeng First Nation has allowed me to understand the barriers should I be elected as chief.”
“Education is our future and will be at the forefront of our vision and goals,” the candidate for chief continues. “It is our younger generations that will continue the work we are doing now. We need to equip them with the tools and resources to optimize success.”
“Being a great leader is only successful when you grow others!” Ms. Corbiere enthuses. “This is what I want for our community. To uplift, inspire, support each other and listen. Building trust in our community, by involving the people and employees, will be my first step towards unity. As a community we need to seek clarity on decisions and have a community approach and share all pertinent information. Committees need to be reinstated to ensure community involvement is represented and the community has a voice.”
Ms. Corbiere plans to share the balances from M’Chigeeng’s revenue accounts “including community reinvestment funds that are currently under a moratorium, such as the revenues we get from the solar projects, investments, Casino Rama and all land claims. We need community engagement on how these monies will be distributed and allocated. Unity and transparency are what our community needs. Our people are the backbone of our community and the voice of the M’Chigeeng membership is important.”
“M’Chigeeng is in need of a strategic planning session in order to achieve optimal success with regards to serving our membership both on and off reserve,” she continued. We need transparency, accountability and democracy. I am the strong leader who will have those hard discussions to assist M’Chigeeng in progressing into a vibrant healthy community.”
“Unity, transparency, education, our children, youth and elders will be our priority,” Ms. Corbiere adds. “I have the community’s, people’s and employees’ best interest at heart and will serve M’Chigeeng with my entire heart.”
“Vote Renee Corbiere for chief of M’Chigeeng First Nation. Together for change. Miigwech. Miigwech. Miigwech.”
Boozhoo, Waaseyaabin ndizhnikaaz, Linda Debassige zhaagnaashii nooswin, Adik Dodem, M’Chigeeng ndoonjibaa, mii maampiii endaayaang. My Spirit Name is Waaseyaabin, my English name is Linda Debassige. I am of the Caribou Clan from M’Chigeeng and this is where I live. I am a proud mom of two children, Pierre and Delia, and a proud grandmother of my grandson Ira. I fully participate in ceremonies and believe in our traditional way of life. I also fully support any choice of how our people choose to practice their spirituality.
“I am incredibly proud of M’Chigeeng First Nation and of all our people. This is something I was raised with and continue to believe. I would like to say Gchi Miigwech to our community for the support received when I first was a councillor and then as ogimaa-kwe. It is through this support that together we have created many opportunities for employment, addressed critical infrastructure needs and supported the continued evolution to services to our membership. We have a beautiful community, we have an incredible membership with many gifts, we have beautiful children and we have wise elders. We have been successful at achieving many things for our community as a whole and have a huge journey ahead to create many more incredible opportunities!
“Our community, much like many other communities, face many challenges. Challenges from intergenerational trauma, lateral violence, addictions and mental health, violence and chronic underfunding. Despite these challenges we remain resilient; we are still here and we keep on doing the best we can with what we have.
“The role and responsibility of the chief is incredibly complex, extremely busy—seven days a week, 365 days a year—keeping in mind that there are department managers, supervisors and staff employed to manage operations and are entrusted to ensure that the directives of council, policies and procedures are being followed. We continue to build an incredible team that continues to advance change over time—change that takes a lot of work, effort and dedication.
“The chief is to collaborate with the council, carry out directives and mandates given by the council, to advocate for funding needs of the community, to bring areas of concern and liability to council, to represent M’Chigeeng First Nation in external settings, such as chiefs’ meetings, court proceedings, report to council, be available to membership and help support and point them in the right direction.
“One has to understand the Treaty relationship, fiduciary relationship between the Crown and First Nation, employment law, understand how to navigate and advocate in the federal and provincial systems, understand financial agreements and reports, have the ability to negotiate, write and understand the needs of our community in all our sectors by receiving advice from the Enaagdenjged and Department Managers for Health, Education, Family Resources, Capital Projects and Public Works, Housing, Water and Waste Water, Lands, Mental Health and Addictions, HIAH Economic Development Corporation, Shendwin Teg Gaming Commission and Finance. We also need to keep close attention to the actions of government and ensure that their fiduciary obligation to First Nations are honoured and our Treaty relationship flourishes.
“Externally, continued work has to be completed on the Addition to Reserve Process, 1990 Land Claim, Robinson Huron Treaty Annuity and Manitoulin Project—these matters are extremely important to M’Chigeeng. It is extremely important that M’Chigeeng maintains the same strong position in these discussions and negotiations. Failure to do so will result in negative impacts to our community. We need to be strong in voice by understanding all of the history behind each of these and the ability to navigate these negotiations and discussions. We also need to monitor our business investments—McLeans Mountain Wind Power, Manitoulin Hotel, Castle Building Supply—that we all co-own with other communities.”
Ms. Debassige included a list of projects she hopes chief and council will approve in the coming years: increased revenue to the community through existing and new projects; consultation with community on the Robinson-Huron Treaty annuities and Manitoulin Project; increased community consultation across all sectors of M’Chigeeng First Nation, including improved communication with both on and off reserve membership; revitalization of language and culture in our community in a comprehensive way; more jobs for our membership, should new initiatives move forward; creation of two new subdivisions, should planning, design and approvals be made; revitalization of roads pending successful advocacy; improvements and support to our education system and the potential building of new schools; continued advancement to bring piped water to Spring Bay Road; the potential building of a healing and cultural centre; improvements in our governance structure through community consultation and engagement; assertion of jurisdiction over child welfare; youth centre and youth program review to determine the real needs of our youth; proposed creation of a Youth and Elder’s Council; business operations and community reinvestment review; health transformation including the action needed to support the growing needs of our Elders, including the continued worked needed to realize the vision of having a nursing home in our community; and community infrastructure.
“Nahow, Miisawe, Aabidek Gwii Nda Zhichigemi Niigan Gwii Zhaaying! Let’s take action and move forward. We can do this together and return to a place of positivity, support and love for our community and respect for one another. I respectfully seek your continued support on September 2, 2023.”
“With my years of being in a senior management role I have the experience and ability to get into the job of chief and help to make a difference in the community,” stated Morgan Hare, a candidate for the position of chief in the upcoming M’Chigeeng First Nation election.
“One of the reasons I feel I am an excellent candidate is through my many years being in the military and working in management positions in Indigenous programs, working with Indigenous people” said Mr. Hare, who has never served on a First Nation band council previously. “I have over 20 years’ experience working with managerial oversite programs. One of the organizations I worked with had an annual budget of $10 million and had 65 employees.”
“I feel with my many years of experience in program, financial oversite duties, coordinating audits and working with Indigenous communities I can help make a difference,” said Mr. Hare.
Mr. Hare recounted his early life living on the M’Chigeeng First Nation. “I was born and raised in M’Chigeeng and attended Lakeview Elementary and later attended high school at Manitoulin Secondary School (where he graduated in 1975).” All of his immediate family members still reside in M’Chigeeng and he has many relatives who live on and off reserve.
After high school Mr. Hare attended Sault College and later decided to join the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). “After a period of about five years with the CAF, I secured employment with Corrections Canada where I was employed as a parole officer to help Indigenous peoples incarcerated in a federal institution.”
In the past 15 years Mr. Hare has served in a senior management capacity as an executive director for two large Indigenous urban non-profit organizations. “I gained a vast degree of experience in managing significant projects and what is needed to be done from a bird’s eye view,” he said.
Mr. Hare has made substantial contributions in a management role to try and better the lives of Indigenous people who live off-reserve. Recently, he was asked “to sit on the board of directors of the Legacy of Hope Foundation based in Ottawa. The Legacy of Hope is a national non-profit organization that focuses on promoting educational materials on residential schools, missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIWG) and the ‘60s scoop.”
In running for the position of chief of M’Chigeeng, “I want to make a difference in the community by creating more much needed programs and services for the community of all age groups.” He wants to “develop short-term and long-term goals by working with council and the community. I want to see all departmental committees making solid recommendations to the leadership on what is needed for their respective departments. I also want to work on financial accountability and transparency for the funds that M’Chigeeng is managing on an annual basis.”
In respect to the issues facing M’Chigeeng Mr. Hare feels, “identifying housing needs is a priority. I would like to see housing options such as opening up any homes that are presently boarded up and opening them up to the community. I drove around the corner and spoke to a number of community members on this. There are not a lot of homes that are boarded up or not being lived in, maybe four or five, but there may be more. I would like to see all housing that we have available being used, making sure they are occupied especially for those with family or children.”
“There is a lack of housing in the community, we need to look at all options, and fix the situation both in the short-term and long-term,” said Mr. Hare.
“I would look at expediting the need for a new elementary school to educate our children,” said Mr. Hare. “Also, we need to focus on hiring more of our band members as a priority for any vacant positions to be more reflective of our community members.”
“As far as the Robinson-Huron Treaty goes, I support all members receiving their funds,” added Mr. Hare.
Wayne Trudeau N’Day Kenjenini, jijaak dodem, is a single father who has raised a 22-year-old son and adopted a 16-month (now going on 18-month) daughter.
Mr. Trudeau has been employed at Kenjgewin-teg since 2009 and built a home in the community in 2012. Initially employed in the student retention and recruitment role, transitioning into Anishinaabe Aaadziwin, providing the cultural learning component of the foundational principles of the educational institute through land-based learning.
Mr. Trudeau’s educational background is in social work, graduating from Laurentian University with his honours BA in 2001 and worked for Wiikwemkoong Child and Family Services.
With no fear of getting his hands dirty, Mr. Trudeau worked in Sudbury for Total Cable Contracting.
Although originally a Wiikwemkoong band member, Mr. Trudeau transferred to M’Chigeeng First Nation in 1999 to be closer to his aging parents.
“I decided to accept my nomination after taking time to consider the role and responsibilities,” he said, noting that he had been approached to run by elders in the community. He noted that the community has been experiencing growing trauma in recent years, particularly during the pandemic. “That isn’t going away any day soon,” he said, noting the challenges presented by addictions and safety issues in the community have everyone looking over their shoulders due to drugs and violence besetting the community. “It shouldn’t be that way.”
“We are not going to change anything if we just keep doing the same things,” he said. “It is obvious that what we are doing is not working. The time for change is now and people want change.”
Tackling the fear that is crippling M’Chigeeng’s ability to deal with the issues besetting it and bringing the community together, unifying against those who would drag the community down and building relationships both within and outside the community are among the first jobs that need to be tackled, he believes. “We need to find a different way of doing things,” he said.
“Our relationships with our neighbouring communities were damaged during the pandemic and have not yet fully recovered,” he said.
Within the community, Mr. Trudeau said that he has observed that an increasing number of people are “picking up their kids and leaving the community out of fear.”
“I would like to see… I have a vision of a safe community,” he said. “A community working and living together and that is going to take some thinking outside of the box.”
Mr. Trudeau pointed to his decision to not put signs up, such as those of other candidates, as being in keeping with “our Anishinaabe way.”
