Chiefs try to maintain links with Indigenous people moving to urban areas

Some local chiefs are worried about the exodus of Indigenous people from the reserve to the city andare taking steps to keep their members connected to the community.

The Indigenous population in Ottawa-Gatineauhas grown by 22 per centfrom2016 to 2021 and now sits around to 46,565 people, according tonewly released census data.

A lack of housing, plus the attraction of jobs and a post-secondary education, are some of the more common reasons for Indigenous people to move to urban areas, chiefs say.

Abram Benedict, grand chief of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne on the St. Lawrence River,saidthe people who are leaving for jobs or educationdon't go farand he tries to help them keep aconnection with the community.

"We want our membership to be serviced by us, we also want the family connectionfor all of our members," said Benedict.

Every community isstruggling with this.- Grand Chief Abram Benedict, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne

He saidhis community has a lot of infrastructure and can offer many services, but the lack ofhousing drives people away.

"Every community isstruggling with this. There hasn't been a community leader across this country who I've spoken to where they said 'Wehave enough homes for all of ourmembers,'" he said.

Akwasasneis currently planning to boost its housing supply, but Benedict said it's hard to keep up with demand.

"We continue to build as many houses as we can with the resources that we have. Access to land is a challenge for usas well."

Establishing an urban reserve

Wendy Jocko, chief of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation south of Pembroke, Ont.,, said a lack of space and jobs on her reserve has pushed leaders to plan for anurban reserve in Ottawa.

"Pikwkanagn is a very small reserve We cannot reasonably house and employ all our members, which are over 3,000," said Jocko.

The plan is still in the development process, Jocko said.

"Rather than our people moving to us, we're moving to them," she said.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson spoke about the creation of the urban reserve in his state of the city address in January 2022, confirming discussions were ongoing with "development partners" to find a location within the city.

Staying connected to home

At a time where more people Indigenous or notare moving to cities, Jennifer Tenascohopes to do the opposite.

Tenasco grew up in Kitigan ZibiAnishinbeg but moved to Ottawa early in her life. Since she left whenshe was eight years old, Tenasco saidshe goesback to the communityevery weekend.

Ottawa has provided her a good opportunity to complete her bachelor's degree and experience life off the reserve, but she misses her family and the culture. Tenasco recently started making birch baskets andhas to go home to harvest qualitymaterials.

"Here [the birch is] rotting andbubbling, but back home I can collect and harvest my bircheasily, so that's one aspect that's culturally different, " said Tenasco.

Enjoying her time at home also means being able to reconnect with her language, which is difficult to learn in Ottawa.

"Our language is lost. My grandma is one of the last fluent Algonquin speakers.So to go back home and talk to her,[I can]try to learn the language," said Tenasco.