"Ojibway Band Quits Native Group"

GOLDEN LAKE, Ont. (CP) - An Ontario Ojibway band pulled out of the Union of Ontario Indians on Tuesday, saying it can assert native sovereignty over issues such as gambling better on its own.

Chief Howard Pamajewon, of the Shawanga band near Parry Sound, said he doesn't want to be part of a group that is involved in trying to get changes to provincial gaming laws or the federal Indian Act.

The tiny Shawanaga band, with about 100 members living on its reserve, has operated a bingo hall in violation of provincial law and is awaiting a ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada on whether it has jurisdiction over gaming.

The Union of Ontario Indians, which represents about 40 Ojibway bands across the province, has taken a different approach, negotiating with the province to gain control over gaming.

Ontario's NDP government has started giving natives more control over such areas as hunting and fishing and the provincial cabinet is expected to consider soon whether to negotiate on gaming laws.

There are now about a dozen Indian bands in Ontario that are not members of a native organization such as the union and consider themselves independent nations.

They include such bands as the Teme Augama Anishnabai of Northern Ontario and the Mohawks of the Six Nations reserve near Brantford and Akwesasne reserve near Cornwall.

Gordon Peters, Ontario vice-chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said the growing number of independents is the result of native communities growing and becoming more mature.