The Aamjiwnaang First Nation (formerly known as Chippewas of Sarnia First Nation) is an Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) First Nations Band located on reserve land by the St. Clair River in Ontario, Canada, three miles south of the southern tip of Lake Huron. The reserve is located across from the United States border from Port Huron, Michigan, and is a result of treaties that were negotiated with the Crown in the 1820s. There are approximately 2,000 band members with about 850 living on the reserve. Their heritage language is Ojibwe. The word Aamjiwnaang (am-JIN-nun) means "meeting place by the rapid water", which describes the surrounding communities. The Aamjiwnaang community has expressed concern regarding its proximity to petrochemical, polymer, and chemical plants in the area, as birth rates of their people have been documented by the American journal Environmental Health Perspectives as deviating from the normal ratio of close to 50% boys, 50% girls. The ratio as found between 1999 and 2003 by the journal was roughly 33% boys, and 67% girls. The First Nation is concerned that this abnormal trend is due to adverse effects of maternal and fetal exposure to the effluent and emissions of the nearby chemical plants. This is the first community in the world to have a birth rate of two girls to every boy.
The Aamjiwnaang First Nation is located on the Sarnia 45 Indian Reserve in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The reserve is south of Sarnia, Ontario on the shores of the St. Clair River, across from Port Huron, Michigan. Aamjiwnaang was originally a Chippewa hunting ground, but the area was turned into a First Nations reserve in 1827, after the British government snatched up an enormous amount of Native land. In the mid eighteenth century Aamjiwnaang territory covered a vast expanse of land on both sides of the waterway between Lakes Huron and Erie. Bounded by the Maitland River in the east and the Flint River in the west it contained some nine villages supporting a population of 15,000. Aamjiwnaang is an Ojibwa word denoting an important gathering place that had been used by First Nations for millennia. This gathering place was located at the foot of Lake Huron.
978 Tashmoo Avenue
SARNIA, Ontario N7T 7H5
Phone: (519) 336-8410
Fax: (519) 336-0382
Aamjiwnaang First Nation in Ontario is surrounded on all sides by petrochemical facilities, and members have long suspected that the facilities in “Chemical Valley” have exposed them to potentially dangerous substances. A First Nations community in Canada has learned that levels of a cancer-causing chemical in its air are 44 times higher than is considered safe, after years of fighting for the data. In the mid 18th century, before colonizers took over much of Canada, the Aamjiwnaang First Nations occupied the land between Lake Huron and Lake Erie – what is now the southern tip of Ontario and upper Michigan. The Aamjiwnaang population at that time was over 15,000 and was split into 9 main villages. Unfortunately, invasion of the area by the British (who called the Aamjiwnaang “Chippewa”) and the French (who called them “Ojibwe”) resulted in many wars and the introduction of smallpox and cholera, which decreased the Aamjiwnaang population drastically. By 1827, there were only 440 Aamjiwnaang people left in Ontario and 275 in Michigan, and their territory had been reduced to 25,000 acres. Due to multiple treaty signings and encroachments in the years since then, the Aamjiwnaang territory now consists of one single reserve just south of Sarnia, with a land area size of 2,700 acres and a population of 850. At least one of these encroachments of land was proven to be illegal while the others were unethical, though no compensation or apology has ever been given to the community. To make matters worse, the Aamjiwnaang reserve is surrounded on all sides by massive chemical plants.
The Aamjiwnaang First Nation (formerly known as Chippewas of Sarnia First Nation) is an Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) First Nations Band located on reserve land by the St. Clair River, three miles south of the southern tip of Lake Huron. The reserve is located across from the United States border from Port Huron, Michigan, and is a result of treaties that were negotiated with the Crown in the 1820s. There are approximately 2,400 Chippewa (Ojibwe) Aboriginal band members with about 850 living on the reserve. The band's heritage language is Ojibwe. The word Aamjiwnaang (am-JIN-nun) means "meeting place by the rapid water", which describes the surrounding communities.
Aamjiwnaang is a small First Nation community located on the shores of the St. Clair River in Southwestern Ontario. This First Nation is located within the city limits of Sarnia. The community of Aamjiwnaang First Nation, formerly Chippewas of Sarnia, is located on the St. Clair River, three miles south of the southern tip of Lake Huron. There are 2,000 band members and roughly 850 live on Aamjiwnaang First Nation. Ojibwa is the traditional language. On January 1, 2000, the First Nation became officially known as Aamjiwnaang (pronounced, am-JIN-nun), which means meeting place by the rapid water. Aamjiwnaang is dedicated to saving the culture and environment for the generations to come. To showcase their culture Aamjiwnaang hosts an annual Pow Wow during the last weekend in June, featuring traditional Native dancing and singing, foods and authentic craftwork. This public event draws large crowds each year. Aamjiwnaang is a beautiful place to visit as residents love to share culture and traditions with all that are interested. 
Members of Aamjiwnaang First Nation have a unique opportunity this summer to see pieces of their ancient heritage, found in the 1990s excavation for the twinning of the Blue Water Bridge from nearby Sarnia to Port Huron, Michigan. Visitors to the community centre can view 2 glass cases full of objects such as arrowheads, sections of pottery bowls, bone harpoons, and carved birdstones used in the daily lives of their ancestors dating back up to 1,000 years. The artifacts are on loan from the government for three months, according to newly-elected councillor Marina Plain, head of E’Maawizidjig, the Aamjiwnaang Heritage & Culture group. Plain adds that the temporary return of the objects came about after the group contacted the Ontario Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sport and arranged to view some of the artifacts at a Ministry warehouse in London, Ontario last year.
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