After 230-year fight, Caldwell First Nation has reserve status; begins to build a new community

Caldwell First Nation has finally achieved reserve status, ending a decade-lengthy bureaucratic battle that integrated environmental assessments and various approvals from both provincial and municipal governments,

That 10-year course of capped what has been a 230-year lengthy fight for land for the First Nation. Now, its council is making gigantic plans for their new land, having a stare forward to making new properties for their members and creating agencies to assist it thrive.

In November, 2020, the First Nation finally overcame all the procedural hurdles to take elephantine possession of a 80-hectare property at Bevel Line Road and Seacliff Pressure in Leamington, Ont.  that it had obtained a decade ago in a land claim settlement.

Robyn Perkins, councillor and acting chief for Caldwell, said she had been bugging officials to uncover when the First Nation would catch reserve status, enchanting it was coming rapidly.

“We had been in a council meeting after I got the email and announced it to council. And we all suitable erupted with cheers and clapping. So it was a very joyous and happy 2nd, but there was also, for me, there is a bit of sorrow that was alive to as neatly,” said Perkins.

“There was a lot of ancestors and chiefs prior to us that fought for thus lengthy to catch our reserve status and catch our land back. And they weren’t able to celebrate that with us. So it was mixed emotions.”

Caldwell’s lost land dates back to War of 1812

The traditional lands of Caldwell stretch from the Detroit River all the way to Prolonged Point on the north shore of Lake Erie, including Point Pelee National Park, which the nation mild uses today.

Darryl van Oirschot is the education and cultural experiences transport, or data keeper, for Caldwell First Nation. He says what led to the land being lost from Caldwell is a history of colonization and events from the War of 1812.

“That’s really where we made a connection to say, we are allied with the British, because the British promised us that our homeland may well be retained for us. Obviously, those guarantees did now not advance apt at that level due to folks losing their lives in the War of 1812 and those guarantees now now not being cared for by the living,” said van Oirschot 

He says by the War of 1812, Caldwell members had developed into the area extensively and would employ other areas to hunt and gather but Point Pelee was mild their dwelling. After the war, settlers had taken over probably the most crucial areas and “we had been now now now not the single folks around,” said van Oirschot.

“So it wasn’t till about the 1850s that we had been chased out of the area. And it was you understand, it’s an grisly part of our history, but it certainly is part. And we now have a great relationship with Point Pelee again and that is part of our dwelling again.”

Building a relationship

Dan Dufour has been a undertaking co-ordinator at Point Pelee National Park for more than 20 years and says a while ago there was a realization Parks Canada and Caldwell “weren’t working as neatly together as lets have.”

So an advisory circle was fashioned between the governments of the park and Caldwell, and that was when the 2 teams really began to mesh.

“That has led to a lot of changes over time. And then more lately, there has been now now not suitable an negate within our national park, but within national parks and historic sites across the nation where we realized that we really vital to fortify our communications,” said Dufour.

An initiative called Stories of Canada, which is happening in parks across the nation, was given funding by means of Parks Canada, to talk about the stories of Indigenous folks of the parks that haven’t been discussed prior to.

Currently, they’re working with Caldwell to be able to advise their stories larger, and have even renamed the day employ area in Anishinaabemowin to acknowledge the area’s history.

“We’re partners in conservation, we work together, really, and the entirety relating to the health of the park and the peninsula. The Caldwell folks had been right here prior to Point Pelee was identified as a national park. They’ve always been right here and they’ve always been working toward the same conservation goals that Parks Canada is attempting to pursue today,” said Dufour.

Taking a stare toward the future

Stan Scott is a councillor with Caldwell and says they have tons of plans for the way forward for the First Nation, with financial pattern and housing being the precedence for members to stagger to the reserve.

“Some [members] are within glimpse in southern Ontario, some living out west in B.C., Alberta, in the U.S., diversified states, so we are very spread out at this time. And so we’re having a stare at giving the members an opportunity to stagger back dwelling and start the plans to catch members to advance back to are living on reserve,” said Scott.

They’re having a stare to start building 40 to 50 properties on the new land, and have already begun work on the commercial aspect, including working on a restaurant called Three Fires Restaurant which is able to be able to maintain 600 patrons. 

They’ve also begun renovating their arena and have a vineyard trade, where they harvested their first slice of grapes last fall. They also starting a cannabis trade which Scott says they’re shut to getting licensed by Health Canada to develop medical marijuana, and have plans for a gas station as neatly.

“To make things a reality for Caldwell is the solidarity of the nation. And I contemplate that we’re going to be able to achieve that, bringing all our members closer together. And I contemplate by means of the solidarity of the nation and transferring as one in a single course, anything is conceivable,” said Scott.

“It’s a very lively time.”