Wasauksing First Nation

Wasauksing First Nation (formerly named as Parry Island First Nation) is an Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi First Nation band government whose reserve is located near Parry Sound in Ontario, Canada.

Parry Island First Nation
Indian reserve
Parry Island First Nation Indian Reserve
Aerial view of Parry Island, with the town of Parry Sound visible at the top.
Parry Island First Nation
Coordinates: 45°17′N 80°09′W
Country Canada
Province Ontario
DistrictParry Sound
First NationWasauksing
Area
 • Land72.36 km2 (27.94 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total419
 • Density5.8/km2 (15/sq mi)
Websitewww.wasauksing.ca

Their reserve constitutes the Parry Island in Georgian Bay. The island is about 19,000 acres (77 km2) with 78 miles (126 km) of lakeshore, making it one of the larger islands in the Great Lakes. The Wasauksing First Nation now occupies the entire island, although the ghost town of Depot Harbour on the island was historically a non-aboriginal settlement.

Community

The reserve is home to a community radio station, CHRZ-FM, the Indigenous magazine MUSKRAT, and discontinued Indigenous magazine Spirit.

Transportation

The reserve's main road crosses to the mainland via the Wasauksing Swing Bridge, connecting to Rose Point Road in Seguin Township south of Parry Sound. The road continues to Parry Sound itself, becoming Emily Street at the municipal boundary of Parry Sound and Seguin.

People
Dick King, Potawatomi, photographed in 1928 on Parry Island. King is holding a war club and dance rattles, both now in the NMAI Collection.[2]

Notable people from the Wasauksing First Nation include Francis Pegahmagabow, the most highly decorated indigenous soldier in Canadian military history,[3] writer and broadcaster Waubgeshig Rice,[4] and historian and writer Basil Johnston.[5]

References
  1. "Parry Island First Nation census profile". 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  2. Further information and photos at NMAI
  3. "Legendary Ojibwa sniper unsung hero of WW I". CBC News Indigenous, August 1, 2014.
  4. "Waubgeshig Rice has to tell real aboriginal stories". Ottawa Citizen, November 17, 2015.
  5. Brown, Lynne. "Sacred Fire. In Memorium. Basil H. Johnston 1929-2015 | SaultOnline.com". Retrieved 2021-01-07.
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