| Ecosystem
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Assabaska Ojibway
Heritage Park
The mainland section of Lake of the Woods
Provincial Park is operated by the Assabaska
Ojibway First Nations, under Ontario Ministry
of Natural Resources administration. It was
re-named Assabaska Ojibway Heritage Park in
1998. Species and habitat in the park reflect
the convergence of ecoregional forest types:
the Northern Boreal Forest, the Southern Deciduous
Forest and the Western Prairie Parkland.
Park visitors enjoy outdoor life among the
forest of spruce, pine, balsam fir, willow
and bur oak. They might see beaver, white-tailed
deer, muskrat, white pelican, yellow-shafter
flicker or ruffed grouse, while they are out
fishing for walleye, northern pike or yellow
perch.
Reclaiming Their Land: The Assabaska First
Nations once lived on the shores of Lake of
the Woods, but because of treaty issues that
have been on-going for over a hundred years,
they lost control of much of the land. In
1958, the province established Lake of the
Woods Provincial Park on the Assabaska Shoreline
Reserve. In 1977, the Chiefs of Big Grassy
and Sabaskong (Onegaming), First Nations communities
in the Lake of the Woods region, presented
a Claim to Shoreline to the governments of
Ontario and Canada; the governments validated
the Claim. By 1998, management of the Park
lands was taken over the Assabaska First Nations.
Park visitors can experience Assabaska Ojibway
culture through interpretive programs featuring
traditional music, food, customs, stories,
crafts and clothing. Programs included Pow
Wows, Rock Painting, Traditional Games, Craft
Workshops and Guided Hikes.
An International Boundary
Runs Through It
The Canada/U.S. boundary runs across the southwestern
section of Lake of the Woods, with only one
small parcel of land located in the United
States, separated from its homeland by the
Lake and the southeastern corner of Manitoba.
The International Joint Commission (IJC) made
up of three Canadians and three Americans,
appointed to the intergovernmental monitoring
commission established by the Boundary Waters
Treaty of 1909. The Treaty profiles principles
and mechanisms to prevent and resolve disagreements
concerning water quality and quantity. The
IJC works with the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission
over environmental concerns
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