Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation

Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation is a Mississauga Ojibwa First Nation located near Brantford in south-central Ontario, Canada. In April 2015, MCFN had an enrolled population of 2,330 people, 850 of whom lived on the MCFN Reserve. The first nation governs the 2,392.6-hectare parcel of New Credit 40A Indian Reserve known as Reserve 40B near Hagersville, Ontario. This reserve is located near the Six Nations of the Grand River in Brantford.

Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation
Indian reserve
New Credit Indian Reserve No. 40A
Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation
Coordinates: 43°00′N 80°06′W
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
CountyBrant
First NationMississaugas of the Credit
Area
 • Land25.13 km2 (9.70 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1][2]
 • Total655
 • Density26.1/km2 (68/sq mi)
Websitemncfn.ca

In the 19th century, the Mississaugas wanted to move from a reserve in the present-day City of Mississauga. Unable to make an agreement with the colonial government of the time, the Six Nations Confederacy offered the Mississaugas 4,800 acres (1,900 ha) of land inside their own property as a compensation to the Mississaugas for their authorization for the purchase of the land in 1784 that they currently reside on. The reserve is territory granted to Six Nations as gratitude for allying with the British during the American Revolutionary War by the Haldimand Proclamation. The Six Nations is the only reserve in the Canadian system with a subsection reserve. The Mississaugas eventually purchased the land gifted as well as an additional 1,200 acres (490 ha) for a sum of $10,000.00 on June 15, 1903, for the all-time right of undisturbed use and occupancy of the land. The reserve as it stands today consists of lots 1 to 12 in the first and second concessions in the Township of Tuscarora, in the County of Brant, and lots 1-12 in the first and second concessions in the Township of Oneida. In 1997, MCFN purchased an additional 59 acres (24 ha) bordering on Highway 6, Hagersville.

The First Nation made claims to land on which Toronto sits through the disputed Toronto Purchase of 1787. In 2010, Canada agreed to pay CA$145 million for the lands, based on the historic value of the land, extrapolated to current dollars. The money was distributed to the band government, with each of the 1,700 present day Mississaugas receiving $20,000, with the rest placed in trust for future generations.[3] The Band put a controversial hold on new band membership during this time, ostensibly to preserve the greatest financial gain possible. The multi-million dollar settlement was only given to previously registered members despite any valid claims to membership.[4]

The Mississaugas of the Credit announced a name change on January 8, 2019 (from Mississaugas of the New Credit).[5]

Prominent members
  • Harry LaForme, appellate court judge, served as head of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission
  • Walt Secord, Australian politician.

References
  1. "New Credit (Part) 40A census profile". 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
  2. "New Credit (Part) 40A census profile". 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
  3. Edwards, Peter (June 8, 2010). "Shrugs greet historic $145M Toronto land claim settlement". Toronto Star. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
  4. Source: New Credit Band Council meeting minutes, 2010–11
  5. "Notice: Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation Name Change". mncfn.ca. Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.