About Us

Boozhoo! Aniin! Welcome.

Nishnaabeg Waterways is a unified, community-led digital space dedicated to reclaiming, protecting, and honoring the sacred water networks of two sovereign sister nations: Biigtigong Nishnaabeg (Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation) and Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg (Pic Mobert First Nation) in Ontario, Canada.

Our traditional, unceded territories encompass millions of hectares along the rugged northern shores and interior watersheds of Lake Superior (Gchi-gamig). For our peoples, water—nbi or nibby—is not a commodity to be bought, sold, or dammed. Nbi is a living, sacred spirit. It is our life-giver, the holder of our ancestral memory, and the literal lifeblood of Mother Earth.

We assert our unextinguished Aboriginal title and jurisdiction over our waters. We merge time-honored ecological knowledge with modern community visioning to protect these flowlines for the next seven generations.

Biigtigong Nishbaabeg

Located on the northern shores of Gichigami (Lake Superior), our name translates to “the place where the river erodes.” We are actively stewarding our unceded ancestral lands and six vital coastal waterways.

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Netmizzaagamig Nishnaabeg

Situated inland along the beautiful eastern shores of White Lake, our community is dedicated to protecting our interior river networks, rapid-filled branches, and ancestral ecosystems for the next seven generations.

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Our Sacred Watersheds & River Biographies

While our communities maintain independent governance under our respective constitutions (Chi-Naaknigewin), we are permanently bound by the bloodlines of the earth. Below are the definitive lifelines of our lands.

Biigtigong
The 6 Coastal Arteries

Our rivers flow through deep valleys of the Canadian Shield, directly feeding the northern expanse of Lake Superior:

  • The Pic River The definitive heartbeat of our nation, meaning “the place where the river erodes”. It cuts a wide path to Lake Superior and has served as our central transit nexus since time immemorial.
  • The Little Pic River Located west of the main river channel, featuring striking sandy dunes near its mouth. A critical corridor for inland access.
  • The Black River Merging directly into the main Pic River system just north of the coastline, providing essential cold-water fish habitats.
  • The Steel River A rugged, swift-moving system running through heavy canyons, celebrated for deep cultural connections to trout harvesting.
  • The White River Forming a magnificent coastal boundary to the south, representing pristine ecosystems for woodland caribou.
  • The White Otter River A significant coastal tributary feeding the wilder eastern shores, utilized primarily for seasonal hunting and medicine gathering.

Netmizaaggamig
The 7 Interior Lifelines

Our waters are characterized by the interior lake networks and rapid-filled river branches that travel north from the big lake:

  • The White River The primary river corridor flowing directly through our community land bases (Pic Mobert North and South).
  • The Bremner River A massive, ecologically rich northern branch, serving as a vital winter trapping highway.
  • The Depew River A slow-winding interior river surrounded by thick muskeg, serving as a historic “warehouse” for traditional botanical medicines.
  • The Nameiben (Sucker) River Culturally invaluable for early spring sustenance harvesting and historical family campsite groupings.
  • The Shingwauk (Pine) River An inland river channel cutting through old-growth pine forests, representing a focal point for historic wood harvesting.
  • The Kwinkwaga River Flowing southwest of central lake bodies, highly critical for interior navigating and remote trapping lines.
  • The Chicagonce River Home to the powerful Chicagonce Falls, holding immense spiritual weight and acting as the bedrock for modern clean energy.

Our Core Mandates

Water Stewardship

Leading community-led water monitoring initiatives to gather critical baseline data on water health, pollution, and climate change impacts across our shared basins.

Decolonizing the Map

Reclaiming and normalizing our original Anishinaabemowin place names for the rivers, portages, and lakes that have been erased by colonial cartography.

Shoreline Jurisdiction

Practicing our traditional laws that govern the delicate interfaces where water meets the land, ensuring industrial and resource extraction projects respect our unceded territories.

Resource Sovereignty

Empowering our youth and community members through traditional practices, ensuring our protection of the waters aligns with the protection of our wildlife like woodland caribou.