{"id":304,"date":"2026-04-24T12:37:58","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T17:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/143.198.38.8\/?page_id=304"},"modified":"2026-04-24T12:44:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T17:44:09","slug":"southern-treaty-3","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gizhac.mcmahonwebdesign.com\/index.php\/community__trashed\/southern-treaty-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Southern Treaty #3"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Southern Treaty #3<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The land, the people, and the communities at the heart of everything we do.<\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Gizhewaadiziwin Health Access Centre exists on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe people of Southern Treaty #3. This land is not a backdrop to our work \u2014 it is the reason for it. The communities, the families, and the peoples of this territory are who we are here to serve.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The Territory<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Treaty #3, also known as the Northwest Angle Treaty, was signed in 1873 between the Anishinaabe peoples of the region and the Canadian Crown. It covers approximately 55,000 square miles of land across Northwestern Ontario and into Manitoba \u2014 a vast and ancient territory that has been home to the Anishinaabe since time immemorial.<\/p>

Southern Treaty #3 refers to the southern portion of this territory, encompassing the Rainy River District and the communities, lands, and waters within it. Fort Frances, where Gizhewaadiziwin is located, sits at the heart of this region \u2014 on the shores of Rainy Lake, where the Rainy River meets the land of the Anishinaabe.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The Anishinaabe People<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Anishinaabe are the original peoples of this territory \u2014 a nation with a rich and living culture, a complex and sophisticated governance tradition, and a deep and sacred relationship with the land, water, and all living things.<\/p>

Anishinaabemowin, the Ojibwe language, is spoken across this territory and is woven into the identity of Gizhewaadiziwin \u2014 from our name, to our logo, to the teachings that guide our work every day. The language is not only a means of communication \u2014 it is a carrier of knowledge, worldview, and relationship.<\/p>

The Anishinaabe people of Southern Treaty #3 have faced profound disruption and loss as a result of colonialism, residential schools, and the forced removal of children from their families and communities. The impacts of that history are felt in the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people in this region today \u2014 and addressing them is central to the mission of Gizhewaadiziwin.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The Communities of Southern Treaty #3<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Gizhewaadiziwin serves Indigenous people across the Rainy River District, including members of the following First Nations communities. We are honoured to carry out our work in relationship with each of them.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Couchiching First Nation<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Seine River First Nation<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Mitaanjigamiing First Nation<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Onigaming First Nation<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Gakijiwanong Anishinaabe Nation<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Naicatchewenin First Nation<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Big Island First Nation<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Rainy River First Nations<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Mishkosiminiziibiing First Nation<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Our Relationship to This Land<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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At Gizhewaadiziwin, we do not think of the land as simply the place where our building sits. The land is alive. It holds memory, medicine, and meaning. It is connected to the health and wellbeing of the people we serve in ways that western medicine does not always recognize \u2014 but that Anishinaabe knowledge has always understood.<\/p>

Our land-based programs, our traditional healing practices, and our commitment to cultural care are all expressions of that understanding. Healing happens in relationship \u2014 with each other, with our communities, and with the land itself.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Treaty Relationships and Responsibilities<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Treaties are not historical documents \u2014 they are living agreements that carry ongoing responsibilities for all parties. Treaty #3 established a relationship between the Anishinaabe peoples of this territory and the Canadian Crown \u2014 a relationship built on promises of mutual respect, shared land, and the protection of Anishinaabe ways of life.<\/p>

Those promises have not always been kept. The history of Treaty #3 \u2014 like the history of treaties across this country \u2014 includes broken commitments, forced assimilation, and the systematic undermining of Indigenous governance, culture, and health. Gizhewaadiziwin exists, in part, as a response to that history \u2014 an effort to restore what was taken and to build something better in its place.<\/p>

We acknowledge our responsibilities as an organization operating within Treaty #3 territory, and we are committed to honouring the spirit and intent of that relationship in everything we do.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The Rainy River District Today<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Rainy River District is a region of remarkable natural beauty \u2014 defined by its lakes, rivers, boreal forest, and the rhythms of the land and seasons. It is home to a diverse population of Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents, and to communities with deep roots and strong identities.<\/p>

It is also a region that faces real and persistent challenges. Remoteness, limited access to services, and the ongoing impacts of colonialism mean that Indigenous people in the Rainy River District face significant health inequities. Addressing those inequities \u2014 through culturally safe, community-controlled, and accessible healthcare \u2014 is the work that Gizhewaadiziwin shows up to do every day.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Learn More<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Our History<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Learn how Gizhewaadiziwin came to be, and the communities and partnerships that brought it into existence.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Read Our History<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Our Community\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Find out more about who we serve and how we are connected to the Indigenous peoples of the Rainy River District.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Meet Our Community<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Programs & Services<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Explore the full range of programs and services we offer to Indigenous people across the Rainy River District.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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View Programs & Services<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Gizhewaadiziwin is grateful to live and work on this land. We carry that gratitude into everything we do \u2014 and we remain committed to serving the peoples of Southern Treaty #3 with the care, respect, and love that this place and these communities deserve.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Southern Treaty #3 The land, the people, and the communities at the heart of everything we do. Gizhewaadiziwin Health Access Centre exists on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe people of Southern Treaty #3. This land is not a backdrop to our work \u2014 it is the reason for it. The communities, the families, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":109,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-304","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gizhac.mcmahonwebdesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gizhac.mcmahonwebdesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gizhac.mcmahonwebdesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gizhac.mcmahonwebdesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gizhac.mcmahonwebdesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=304"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/gizhac.mcmahonwebdesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/304\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":311,"href":"https:\/\/gizhac.mcmahonwebdesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/304\/revisions\/311"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gizhac.mcmahonwebdesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gizhac.mcmahonwebdesign.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}