There was a time where the Anishinabek only spoke Anishinaabemowin and followed the traditional governing practices such as the Clan System. As a direct result of colonization by means such as the Indian Act, First Nations peoples, including the Anishinabek, presently face poor health conditions, high unemployment rates, inadequate housing, and education barriers resulting in gaps in academic achievement between First Nations children and non-Indigenous children.
Presently, First Nations peoples are sometimes organized under corporations governed by provincial corporate law and are limited to passing corporate by-laws. The Union of Ontario Indians and Tribal Councils are all corporations represented by corporate directors. They do not have the authority under corporate law to pass the laws member First Nations need to improve the current situation for their citizens. This is not and never was, the Anishinaabe way. The proposed Governance Agreement will position member First Nations, as well as the Anishinabek Nation as governments with the same legal status and capacity as other governments in Canada with one major difference: Anishinabek Nation and Anishinabek First Nations government decisions will be made based on traditional ways that respect, incorporate and are rooted in Anishinaabe culture and spirituality.
