Where is hiawatha first nation

Loucks said a number of members have asked him why the community should take back that responsibility. Loucks said it would give members more say in protecting the environment, ensuring values and traditions are followed and opening the door for a local dispute resolution process to be created.

If the land code moves forward, Loucks said Hiawatha will also see the formation of a trust and an economic development corporation. There are always risks associated with change, said Loucks. If approved, the land code is permanent and can't be reversed.

Hiawatha would become responsible for all environmental management and the costs associated with it. Leadership has hosted online seminars for its members about the process ahead of a community vote on May Chad Cowie, a Hiawatha First Nation member who lives off-reserve, said he's voting no because he isn't pleased with the community consultation process so far.

He said in a number of consultation meetings that were held online, council presented statistics that primarily showed communities that had voted in favour of a land code. Cowie said he isn't opposed to having a land code but feels chief and council are moving too fast. Its land code was put in place in the mid-'90s and is currently going through a modernization process.

LaRocca, who has provided insight to Hiawatha, said implementing the land code 30 years ago created growth and opportunity. At that time, Scugog had only 14 registered band members and the reserve was surrounded by farmland. It had a land base of approximately acres and a population of adults and 90 children.

For many years, the members used the land for farming. If they did not farm the land themselves, the lands were leased to others. At one time this area was known for its abundance of wild rice that grew in Rice Lake. Unfortunately, the building of the Trent-Severn Waterway and the resulting increase of water levels destroyed the wild rice beds.

Rice Lake Reserve was established in consisting of acres of land. The grant was dated April 19, this was a title deed. The original survey was in Forty acres of land at Rice Lake were cleared. The building of 22 houses was completed in September. They are in direct line and equal distance from each other near the banks of the lake. A square for public buildings was left in the middle.

In Mr. Love pointed out to the Indians the injustice they were inflicting on their wives and the rising generation, in not bringing their women forward as white men did and to raise their wives to the level that they should occupy in society.

Love wrote that because of this act, the Rice Lake Indians raised themselves to the head of every tribe on any reservation of the province. The railroad was first reported in and would run between Peterborough and Harwood, crossing the lake at the Reserve. Samuel Gore built the mile enterprise but the plank roadbed was vulnerable to frost, and after the second winter, was abandoned to build a mile railway in two years, over uncharted terrain.

Bridging three miles of water was a formidable task. Lake conditions were underestimated and the original plan to construct a causeway was changed to a bridge.