Chapleau Ojibwe First Nation

Chapleau Ojibwe First Nation is a small, but thriving First Nation working towards creating prosperity for future generations through sustainable resource development and innovative businesses. 

 

Currently the community, whose land base is outside Chapleau, has several buildings and homes near highway 101/129. Elder Therese Memegos recalled that Chapleau Ojibwe FN was moved three times before it was permanently established at its present location. 

 

Originally the community was based on the shores of the Chapleau River. This first community had a large population, with several homes and buildings including an Anglican and Catholic Church. “There was a fairly large community on the shores of the Chapleau River. It had more people with several family names such as Cheese and Quakegesic, as well as Memegos. Just before I arrived to this area the community had declined. The younger people moved to other communities and only a few older people lived along the river. In time these elders passed away until there was only about nine members in the community,” said Elder Memegos.

 

Before the decline, the people of Chapleau Ojibwe led a traditional lifestyle. They visited the community only in the summers and lived with their families on traditional trap lines and hunting grounds in the winter. Through her Father-in-Law, Elder Memegos had learned that the Cheese family was a prominent family in the community. She indicated that Simon Cheese was known as the first Chief of the First Nation, but she is not certain if the government at the time recognized him as a community leader. At that time, traditional community leadership was passed down through family ties.

 

In 1990, Chapleau Ojibwe became one of the founding First Nations of the newly created Wabun Tribal Council. The community accomplished this through the efforts of past leaders including Chief Joanne Nakogee and Chief William Memegos.