Sandy Lake First Nation

Sandy Lake 88
Sandy Lake 88; ᓀᑲᐤ ᕊᑲᐃᑲᓂᐣ᙮
	Indian reserve
Sandy Lake Indian Reserve No. 88
	Sandy Lake 88
	Coordinates: 53°04′N 93°20′W / 53.067°N 93.333°WCoordinates: 53°04′N 93°20′W / 53.067°N 93.333°W
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
District	Kenora
First Nation	Sandy Lake
Government
• Chief	Bart Meekis
• Deputy chief	Robert Kakegamic
• Head councillor	Wayne Kakepetum
Area
• Land	45.69 km2 (17.64 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	1,861
• Density	40.7/km2 (105/sq mi)
Website	www.sandylake.; firstnation.ca

Sandy Lake First Nation (or Negaw-zaaga'igani Nitam-Anishinaabe, Oji-Cree: ᓀᑲ^ᐤ ᕊᑲᐃᑲᓂᐣ^᙮) is an independent Oji-Cree First Nations band government. The First Nations community, in the west part of Northern Ontario, is located in the Kenora District, 227 kilometres (141 mi) northeast of Red Lake, Ontario. Its registered population in June 2007 was 2,474. As of December 2015 the total registered population reached 3034. Sandy Lake First Nation maintains an affiliation with Nishnawbe Aski Nation, as a signatory to the Treaty 5.

Sandy Lake is policed by the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service, an Aboriginal based service.

Reserve[edit]

The First Nation's land base is the 4,266 hectare (10541.47 acre) Sandy Lake 88 Reserve. Within this reserve is the community of Sandy Lake, which during the mid-1900s was known as Wabitigweyaang. Associated with the community, the Sandy Lake First Nation maintains seven neighbourhoods grouped into five districts:

Airport / Centre
Big Rock / Ghost Point
Old Sawmill
River
Roman Catholic

Sandy Lake is serviced by a Northern Store owned by the North West Company Inc. The community is a fly-in community, serviced by Wasaya, Superior and Perimeter Airlines, and is linked to the rest of the province by a winter ice road that travels southwest towards Deer Lake and Pikangikum, meeting Red Lake via the Nungesser Road, which is open for approximately six weeks during the winter months.

Sandy Lake's education is maintained by the Sandy Lake Board of Education, and is serviced by three schools: Thomas Fiddler Memorial Elementary School, Thomas Fiddler Memorial High School, and Washtennigun Christian School. There is also an operational Adult Learning Center, with ties to Confederation College and Lakehead University.

Clans[edit]

Five doodem are found at Sandy Lake First Nation; these five clans are the: Suckers, Pelicans, Crane, Caribou and Sturgeon.

Language[edit]

The Sandy Lake First Nation speaks the Oji-Cree language and uses the western Ojibwe Syllabics.

Government[edit]

The Sandy Lake First Nation governed by an elected Chief, a Deputy Chief and (8) eight councilors. The current Chief is Bart Meekis, and the Deputy Chief is Robert Kakegamic. The Head Councillor is Fabian Crowe; the other seven Councillors are Dennis Kakegamic, Russell Kakepetum, Harvey Kakegamic, Allen Rae, Joe Kakegamic, Wayne Kakepetum and Rusty Fiddler.

In addition to the Governance Council, the Sandy Lake First Nation maintains an Elder Council to advise the Governance Council. Working with the Governance Council, six boards carry out the Council's operations: Community Development Services, Education, Health, Housing, Radio Station, and Recreation.

Robert Fiddler, Sucker clan leader and chief of Deer and Sandy Lake Bands at time of treaties.

Climate[edit]

Climate data for Sandy Lake
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	−15 (5)	−11 (12)	−3 (27)	7 (45)	15 (59)	21 (70)	24 (75)	23 (73)	16 (61)	7 (45)	−4 (25)	−13 (9)	5.6 (42.2)
Average low °C (°F)	−26 (−15)	−25 (−13)	−17 (1)	−7 (19)	1 (34)	8 (46)	13 (55)	12 (54)	6 (43)	−1 (30)	−12 (10)	−22 (−8)	−5.8 (21.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	20.6 (0.811)	21.5 (0.846)	24.3 (0.957)	22.2 (0.874)	49.0 (1.929)	78.1 (3.075)	97.0 (3.819)	79.4 (3.126)	67.1 (2.642)	58.6 (2.307)	33.9 (1.335)	25.8 (1.016)	577.5 (22.737)
Average precipitation days	16	13	12	10	16	18	20	19	19	19	18	16	196
Source: http://www.worldweatheronline.com/Sandy-Lake-weather-averages/Ontario/CA.aspx