The Aamjiwnaang First Nation (formally known as Chippewas of Sarnia) is a First Nations community of about 2400 Chippewa (Ojibwe) Aboriginal peoples (850 of which live on Reserve). We are located on the St. Clair River, 3 miles south of the southern tip of Lake Huron in the city limits of Sarnia southwestern Ontario, Canada – just across the United States border from Port Huron, Michigan.

For more details consult their website at https://www.aamjiwnaang.ca/history/.

Our heritage language is Ojibwa.

The name Aamjiwnaang, (pronounced am-JIN-nun) means “at the spawning stream.”

Anglican Council of Indigenous People, following the terms of Canon XXII - The National Indigenous Ministry, guides the work of Indigenous Ministries. The purpose of this Canon is to provide canonical recognition of structures through which the National Indigenous Ministry may be a self determining community within the Anglican Church of Canada. The leadership includes the National Indigenous Bishop, the Indigenous House of Bishops, and Sacred Circle.
In 1969, the Anglican Church of Canada ended a century of running residential schools. It also committed to a new relationship with Indigenous peoples, heeding Charles Hendry’s call (Beyond Traplines), for a partnership based on solidarity, equality and mutual respect. Since then, there has been Indigenous staff working at the national office. The Council of Native Ministries was established by General Synod in 1975 and confirmed at the 1980 General Synod giving Council members the responsibility to carry the concerns of the native people directly to the National Executive Council (Council of General Synod) and General Synod. In 1995 the Anglican Council of Indigenous People was established when The Anglican Church of Canada accepted and affirmed the Covenant adopted by the Council of Native Ministries in 1994 pledging, “Under the guidance of God’s spirit we agree to do all we can to call our people into unity in a new self-determining community within The Anglican Church of Canada. To this end, we extend the hand of partnership to all those who will help us build a truly Anglican Indigenous Church in Canada." This vision was realized as the number of Indigenous Bishops increased, and as Canon XXII was amended at General Synod 2019 to confer the title of Archbishop on the National Indigenous Anglican Bishop and to make the National Indigenous Ministry more self-governing.
Preceeded by the Council of Native Affairs (1975-1984) and the Council of Native Ministries (1984-1995).

The Six Nations of the Grand River is a First Nations reserve located on the Grand River near Brantford that is made up of the six Iroquois Nations - the Mohawk, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca and Tuscarora. John Brant (ca. 1794 - 1832), the son of Joseph Brant, was resident superintendent of the Six Nations of the Grand River from 1828 until his death in 1832. Major James Winnett was appointed to the position in 1834

The Wawanosh family was a prominent family of the Chippewas of Sarnia, Kettle Point and Stoney reserves (now known as the Aamjiwnaang First Nation) with several of its members serving as hereditary chiefs in the 19th century and one member, William Wawanosh, serving as the first elected chief.
Joshua Wawanosh (ca. 1781-1871) served as Chief from 1827 - 1844, 1848 - 1853 and 1868 - 1870. In 1827, he and several other Chiefs signed Treaty 29. He converted to Christianity when the Methodist missionary Rev. James Evans visited the district. Joshua Wawanosh and his wife Eliza had one daughter named Elizabeth and four sons - David, Joseph, Thomas and William - all of whom succeeded Joshua as chiefs. David, Joseph and Thomas all died of tuberculosis and in the cases of Joseph and Thomas, this meant their time as Chief was short lived.
David Wawanosh (d. 1867), Joshua's eldest son, served as the chief from 1853 until 1867. He and his wife Elizabeth had six children - Julia, Francis, Agnes, Florence, Minnie and David D. After David died of tuberculosis, his father again took on the role of chief.
William Wawanosh (ca. 1845-1907) was appointed Indian Interpreter in 1870 and served as chief from 1874-1877 and again in 1899-1901. He married Mary Helen Waldron, the daughter of a missionary and they had three children - Charles (known as Chas for short), Augusta and Edward. William changed his name from Wawanosh to Wells and this is the name that he passed down to his children. His son Charles became a clergyman and founded the Wells Academy in London, Ontario.
Agnes Effie Sands Mern (1875-1966) was the only daughter of Julia Wawanosh Sands, (daughter of David Wawanosh) and Daniel Sands. She received musical and vocal training from Sarnia teachers at Our Lady of Mercy Vincent in Port Huron, Michigan; from Profs William A. Harvey and George D. MacComb in Detroit and Prof A. Straub of the Detroit Opera House. She wrote song lyrics, poetry and stories and organized and participated in a variety of cultural events, including concerts of music by well know First Nations musicians including Oskenonton and David Russell Hill and His Onondaga Indian Concert Band. Along with the Indian Confederation of America, Agnes assembled a group of Native Americans to march in the Brooklyn Centennial parade. Throughout her life, Agnes was an active member of the church community, singing in the choir and teaching at the Devine St. Methodist Sunday School. She and her mother also ran a dress making business.
In 1933, Agnes married John Phillips Mern, a retired sailor from the US Navy. John had a son from a previous marriage but the couple did not have any children of their own. They lived in Marcy, New York as well as in the Wawanosh family homestead in Sarnia and travelled throughout Ontario and New York State. From 1936 to 1937 they briefly ran a convenience store in Sarnia called the Wawanosh Post where they sold gasoline and groceries. Agnes Sands Mern died in 1966 in Sarnia.
For additional information about the family, please consult the Wawanosh family tree, which is attached as an appendix