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The Countess, who is making a solo visit to Northern Ontario, will
spend two days in this remote, fly-in aboriginal
community. Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation, known as
KI, is a reserve that suffers from problems such as poor and
inadequate housing and education facilities, unemployment,
unhealthy water treatment facilities and drug
addiction. Sophie previously expressed an interest in visiting
a First Nations’ community during her trip to Canada. In KI, she
will get a look at the trials and tribulations faced by the people
belonging to the community in their everyday lives.
“We are just trying to grasp it now. The last time anyone came here
from the Crown was in 1929 when we signed our treaty, said Chief
Donny Morris of KI. “To have someone from the Royal Family,
representing that, reliving that, I think that’s what we’re excited
about — somebody actually coming here 85 years after we signed the
treaty with the Crown.”
The treaty in question is Treaty 9, also known as the James Bay
Treaty, which was signed between the English Crown and various
First Nations, which are the aboriginal communities in Canada.
According to the terms of the treaty, KI was considered a part of
Ontario, and full reserve status was granted to Big Trout Lake, the
lake on the shores of which the First Nation is located.
On Thursday, Sophie will meet with the community elders and youth
leaders and tour KI’s community school, before having lunch with
Chief Morris and his council. She will also tour the site where
Treaty 9 was signed, before ending the day with a traditional feast
and a campfire discussion with the community members.
After spending the night there, the Countess will begin the next
day with a traditional field breakfast, to be served to her by the
Canadian Rangers, a military reserve unit comprised of aboriginals.
Later in the same day, she is set to visit the Nipissing University
on Friday, attend a symposium on First Nations education, and
present young achievers with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold
Award.
The Countess of Wessex will be joined on her visit by other
important women such as Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne,
Lieutenant Governor-designate Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Ruth Ann Onley,
wife of the lieutenant governor and Vicki Heyman, wife of the U.S.
ambassador to Canada.
Her husband, the Earl of Wessex, will be carrying out his own
engagements in Saskatchewan.
Photo credit: UK in France via photopin cc]]>
