Nokiiwin Tribal Council is celebrating 15 years of helping First Nation communities.
Nokiiwin is marking the anniversary with a three-day event that started Monday with a drive-through fish fry open to their community partners.
Executive Director Audrey Gilbeau says the organization has grown a lot, pointing out they started out in a small office with just four staff.
“Coming to today, we now have five departments. We have a staff of 35 that serve our member communities, we have five member First Nations that we work closely with. Like I said, it’s been an amazing journey,” Gilbeau says.
It was important for the organization to find a safe way to gather and share food.
“Core to our culture and our values here is taking care of others, and food is a great way to do that,” she points out.
Gilbeau says that’s something they’ve been missing since the pandemic put a stop to large gatherings.
“We have an opportunity to see people, to chat with them, and to feed them,” she says. “And with everything going on in the world these days and within our nation, we need some way to connect to people.”
Board President and Fort William First Nation representative Ian Bannon says they’re marking the anniversary with the “highest respect” for what’s happening in the country, like the discoveries of Indigenous children’s graves at former Residential School sites.
“Although we’re celebrating, it’s said that we have to keep smiling. We have to keep celebrating as Aboriginal people, and do that in a cultural fashion that is, again, with food and family, and we’re doing that successfully here today,” he explains.
Nokiiwin will wrap up the celebration with a day of virtual activities for their member communities.
Nokiiwin Tribal Council serves Animbiigoo Zaagi’igan Anishinaabek (Lake Nipigon Ojibway), Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek (Rocky Bay First Nation), Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek (Sandpoint First Nation), Pic Mobert First Nation, and Fort William First Nation.
