Batchewana First Nation

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The Batchewana First Nation (Ojibwe: Obaajiwan Anishinaabek) is an Ojibwe community in northern Ontario along the eastern shore of Lake Superior. Their traditional lands stretch from Batchawana Bay to Whitefish Island.

Quick facts
- Main reserve: Rankin Location 15D
- Other reserves: Goulais Bay 15A, Obadjiwan 15E, Whitefish Island (and previously Goulais Bay 15C)
- Land area: 22.414 square kilometers
- Population (2023): on reserve 780; on other land 42; off reserve 2,501; total 3,323
- Government: Chief Mark McCoy; council members include Agnes Bjornaa, Luke McCoy, Trevor Sayers Sr., Ann Marie Tegosh, Gary Roach Jr., Brenda Sayers, Carol Hermiston, Joseph Thomas Sayers
- Tribal affiliations: Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians; Mamaweswen, The North Shore Tribal Council
- Website: batchewana.ca

History and land
- The Batchewana people have lived along Lake Superior for generations, trading and fishing in the St. Marys Rapids.
- Robinson Huron Treaty (1850): the band ceded most traditional lands to the Crown, in exchange for reserves.
- Pennefather Treaty (1859): the band gave up most lands but kept Whitefish Island; promised compensation and new lands, which were not fully delivered.
- Whitefish Island: expropriated for a railroad in 1902 (the railroad was never built). The island was returned to Batchewana reservation status in 1997 after a land claim settlement of about $3.5 million.
- Other notes: the Rankin Location 15D reserve was recognized in 1952; Goulais Bay 15A and Obadjiwan 15E were formed in the mid-20th century; Whitefish Island is the band’s historic island land.

Recent issues and claims
- In 2007–2008, the band and members faced charges related to a road to Gargantua Harbour in Lake Superior Provincial Park; in 2015 a court found treaty rights to access resources, with one remaining charge for obstructing justice. The band was fined $10,000.
- The band has ongoing Specific Claims processes, including a claim filed in 2013 seeking compensation for the loss of the St. Marys Rapids whitefish fishery due to canal and hydroelectric developments. The claim is still active.

Notes on reserves
- Rankin Location 15D: main reserve, about 15.66 square kilometers, located between Sault Ste. Marie and Garden River.
- Goulais Bay 15A: on the western shore of Goulais Bay, about 6.47 square kilometers.
- Obadjiwan 15E: two small parcels near Corbeil Point on Batchawana Bay.
- Whitefish Island: a historic island in the St. Marys River, returned to reserve status in 1997.
- Goulais Bay 15C: a former reserve at Gros Cap, later sold and no longer a reserve.

Current focus
- The Batchewana First Nation continues to manage land rights, rebuild connections to traditional lands, and pursue fair compensation through land claims processes.