The Union of Ontario Indians is an Aboriginal political organization representing 42 member First Nations in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was formed in 1919 and incorporated in 1949, to serve as a political advocate and secretariat for the Anishinabek Nation. The head office for the Union of Ontario Indians is located at Nipissing First Nation near North Bay, Ontario.
The union is guided by a board of directors, who meet at least four times a year. For administrative purposes, the organization has divided Ontario into four regions: Northern Superior, Lake Huron, Southeast, and Southwest. Each region elects, every two years, a regional grand chief and a board member to the board of directors. Additionally an elder may appointed to the board of directors by a region, and this appointment is for life. They represent about 42,000 members, about one-third of the aboriginal population within the borders of Ontario. Leading the organization are a grand council chief (currently Patrick Madahbee), a deputy grand chief (currently Glen Hare), and a grand council elder (currently Flora Tobobondung).
Famous quotes containing the words union of, union and/or indians:
“Union of Religious Sentiments begets a surprising confidence and Ecclesiastical Establishments tend to great ignorance and corruption, all of which facilitate the Execution of Mischievous Projects.”
—James Madison (1751–1836)
“If the union of these States, and the liberties of this people, shall be lost, it is but little to any one man of fifty-two years of age, but a great deal to the thirty millions of people who inhabit these United States, and to their posterity in all coming time.”
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)
“The Great Spirit, who made all things, made every thing for some use, and whatever use he designed anything for, that use it should always be put to. Now, when he made rum, he said “Let this be for the Indians to get drunk with,” and it must be so.”
—Native American elder. Quoted in Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography, ch. 8 (written 1771-1790, published 1868)