KASHECHEWAN CREE FIRST NATION
Welcome to our Official Website!
The Land
The lands and waters are vital elements of the cultural and spiritual existence of our First Nation since time immemorial. This relationship between the First Nations people and lands and waters must be the foundation of all future decision-making and planning.
KFN Land use vision statement is:
· Kashechewan First Nation will continue to practice its ancestral and spiritual role as stewards for the lands, waters, and natural resources that were given to us as a sacred gift from our creator.
· Kashechewan First Nation will pursue sustainable economic development opportunities while considering the importance of protected areas for future generations.
This philosophy expresses our intention to maintain the First Nation’s relationship to the lands and waters and to maintain our First Nation way of life with these lands and waters and their uses and activities. New practices will integrate with traditional uses of the land in a way that is guided by our traditions, cultural values, and principles.
Reserve Boundary Lines
Kashechewan First Nation is a Cree community and is one of seven communities of the Mushkegowuk Council and is also one of forty-nine communities in the Nishnawbe Aski Nation(Treaty 9). Located in Ontario, Kashechewan closest community is Fort Albany, which is about 12 kilometers away, and the Urban community is the City of Timmins which is about 460 kilometers away.
The Cree community is an isolated community that does not have an all-season road but has a connection via winter road on a temporary basis which connects from Attawapiskat to Smooth Rock Falls. Kashechewan is a fly-in community and can travel by boat, which a barge transports in the summer.
Kashechewan is located on the Western side of James Bay on the shores of Albany River.
The REDLINE is the boundary line for the Albany Indian Reserve #67.
Kashechewan Traditional Land Use Area is approximately 4,868,075 ha with an additional 365,000 ha that extends into coastal waters.
Kashechewan Environment, Geography, and Natural Resources
Latitude: 52.2915
Longitude: -81.6523
The topography of Kashechewan is generally flat. The elevation is quite low, the kilometers around the dyke structure is about 4 meters. The elevation between the water level and the top of the dyke around 6 – 7 meters. The soli conditions are usually the same, the land that surrounds the community is muskeg (Swampy), gravel, and hard clay.
The climate of Kashechewan and the James Bay lowlands is long cold winters and short warm summers. Rain in the summertime averages 20 – 30 inches per rainfall. The accumulations of heavy snowfall occur in February. Permanent ice may appear in November lasting until April when break up happens, as the first snowfall is at the end of October.
In the Springtime it is where Kashechewan community members and leadership have to deal with the annual ice break-up. Most of the time, the water rises from the bank towards the river bank and in some cases over the river bank. Recently the dyke (Flood control project) is not safe and it’s ruled as unstable. Evacuations are now a mandatory event every spring since the year 2014. The dyke is a mixture of gravel and clay but has been said to be decreasing lower by year by a couple of inches.
Hatch Flood forecasting and mitigation information:
The community is rich with its natural resources as vegetation, wildlife, and aquatic life is a huge part of the community. Members rely on the culture through hunting, trapping, and fishing for fresh meals. Not only that, they use the resources around them for art and healing.
