Nibi Wabanong | Deer Lake First Nation

Deer Lake First Nation is an Oji-Cree community in northwestern Ontario, known for its strong cultural traditions and connection to the boreal forest landscape.

POPULATION

1,468

Rank #245 nationally

GEOGRAPHY

16.5 KM²

Rank #352 nationally

BAND COUNCIL TERM

07/30/2025

Term Expiration

Conflict Score

Community Profile

Overview

Last Updated 2025-08-05 08:27:45 UTC

Name

Deer Lake (ISC Code: 237)

Former Names

Windigo Lake Band, Deer Lake Indian Band

Band Style

First Nation

Cultural Area

Boreal Forest, Northwestern Ontario

Indigenous Language

Oji-Cree

Number of Registered Members

1468

Band Website

http://www.deerlake.firstnation.ca

Phone Number

(807) 775-2141

Fax Number

(807) 775-2220

Address

GENERAL DELIVERY, DEER LAKE, ON

General Email

Not Available

Band Council

Governance Type

Not Applicable

Chief

LENARD EVERET MAWAKEESICK

Term Expires

07/30/2025

Number of Council Members

LENARD EVERET MAWAKEESICK

Chief

📧 Email not available

📞 Phone not available

ALBERT MICHAEL MAWAKEESICK

Councillor

📧 Email not available

📞 Phone not available

DANIEL PERCY MEEKIS

Councillor

📧 Email not available

📞 Phone not available

TIMOTHY BRADLEY MEEKIS

Councillor

📧 Email not available

📞 Phone not available

JEREMY SIMON SAWANIS

Councillor

📧 Email not available

📞 Phone not available

Administrative Contacts

Financial Overview

No expert reports available yet.

Band Financial Statements

2024 - Report Not Available

2023 - Report Not Available

2022 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2021 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2020 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2019 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2018 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2017 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2016 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2015 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2014 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2013 - Audited consolidated financial statements

2012 - Deer Lake20122013.pdf

2011 - Deer Lake20112012.pdf

2010 - Deer Lake20102011.pdf

2009 - Deer Lake20092010.pdf

2008 - Deer Lake20082009.pdf

2007 - Deer Lake20072008.pdf

2006 - Deer Lake20062007.pdf

2005 - Deer Lake20052006.pdf

2004 - Deer Lake20042005.pdf

2003 - Deer Lake20032004.pdf

2002 - Deer Lake20022003.pdf

2001 - Deer Lake20012002.pdf

Band Council Remuneration

2024 - Report Not Available

2023 - Report Not Available

2022 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2021 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2020 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2019 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2018 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2017 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2016 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2015 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2014 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

2013 - Schedule of Remuneration and Expenses

Band Owned Corporations

No Content Available

Laws, Bylaws, and Codes

No content available

Intergovernmental Agreements

No content available

Active Court Cases

No active court cases at this time.

Downloadable Court Records

Town of Deer Lake Order

Janes v. Deer Lake (Town)

Gillingham et al. v. Board of Education of District No. 3 - Corner Brook/Deer Lake/St. Barbe

Wall et al. v. Board of Education of District No. 3 - Corner Brook/Deer Lake/St. Barbe

Janes v. Deer Lake (Town)

Baumbach v. Deer Lake Education Authority

Oxford et al. v. Board of Education for District No. 3 - Corner Brook/Deer Lake/St. Barbe et al.

Deer Lake Regional Authority Inc. v. Canada (Attorney General)

Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Limited (Formerly Deer Lake Power Company Limited) v. The Queen

Society of Concerned Citizens of Pine Lake v. Red Deer Regional Health Unit

Short v. Deer Lake Sales & Service Ltd.

Parsons Pond Foundation Ltd. et al. v. Board of Education of District No. 3: Corner Brook/ Deer Lake/St. Barbe

R. v. Red Deer Lake Meat Processing

Furlong-Bass v. The Deer Lake Integrated School Board

Handelman v. Deer Lake Trailer Park

International Assn. of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, Local 786 v. Deer Lake Steel (1994)

Rosene Spillway/Deer Lake Project (RE)

Town of Deer Lake Order, 2021

International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, Local 764 v. Deer Lake Rebar Inc.

Rosene Spillway/Deer Lake Project (RE)

Deer Lake Municipal Planning Area

Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees v Deer Lake (Town)

International Assn. of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, Local 786 v. Deer Lake Steel (1994)

Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees v Deer Lake (Town)

Feasibility Report Respecting the Alteration of the Boundaries of the Town of Deer Lake Order

Location Map

Reserves

ISC Code: 6339
DEER LAKE
1653.6 Hectares
PART 1, 2, 3 & 4 LOCATION RF 157
[nil, nil]

News Coverage Summary

No Content Available

Media Reports

Who Was Gautam Santhos? Indian National From Kerala Killed In Deer Lake, Canada Plane Crash

Who was Gautam Santhosh? Indian national dies in Canada plane crash

Burnaby museum works to undo erasure of local Indigenous history

Two First Nations men dead following police involved shootings in Ontario

Indian National Killed In Plane Crash In Canada's Newfoundland

Indian national, Gautam Santhosh, among two killed in small plane crash in Canada; consulate offers suppo

Indian national killed in plane crash in Canada

SIU Invokes Mandate Following Police-Involved Incident in Deer Lake First Nation

Provincial funding to support Indigenous development initiatives

Watay Power says it hopes to restore power to multiple First Nations Tuesday

First Nation man shot and killed by police 1 year after father's death in police shooting

Ontario’s police watchdog investigating death of Indigenous man in Deer Lake

Police watchdog investigating after man killed during arrest in Deer Lake First Nation

Power restored to 6 northwestern Ontario First Nations after 4-day outage

Special air quality statement in place across GTA amid wildfire smoke: Environment Canada

Aid groups rally to help First Nations facing mass food spoilage after northwestern Ontario outages

Power restored to 6 northwestern Ontario First Nations after 4-day outages due to wildfires

Wildfire-related power outages have now hit 6 First Nations in northwestern Ontario

Wildfire evacuees from 2 Ontario First Nations to shelter in Toronto, Barrie

'Pray for our people': 6 First Nations hit by power outages due to northwestern Ontario wildfires | CBC News

Move over, little free libraries. Deer Lake students have created little free art galleries

Dogs and cats waiting to be evacuated

Ontario Investing in Indigenous-Led Economic Opportunities

The power and history of powwows are showcased in Red Deer museum exhibit

July Events in Vancouver 2024

Extreme wildfire season strains Ontario’s firefighting resources

Wildfire near Sandy Lake First Nation a 'sleeping giant' as evacuation flights pause

As wildfire evacuations continue in northwestern Ontario, lightning threatens the landscape

Lakehead University professor says wildfire adaptability varies among species

Two Ontario First Nations declare wildfire emergencies, plan evacuations

MPP sees 'devastated' landscape on visit to Sandy Lake

June 5, 2025: Sandy Lake, Deer Lake, and Weagamow Lake Weather Forecast

Is Ontario prepared to battle the Red Lake 12 wildfire - soon to become the province's largest ever?

Two Ontario First Nations declare wildfire emergencies, plan evacuations

Northern Ontario wildfire evacuees get used to life – and the food – down south

Sol Mamakwa visited Sandy Lake First Nation on Thursday.

Cornwall receives evacuees from forest fires while smoke and smog clouds southern Ontario and Quebec

Hundreds of wildfire evacuees from Webequie First Nation return home from Barrie, Ont.

Deer Lake, Webequie First Nations in Ontario’s north declare wildfire emergency

As 2 dozen wildfires burn across northwestern Ontario, 4 First Nations still under evacuation

Northern Ontario wildfires force hundreds to evacuate

Two Ontario First Nations declare wildfire emergencies, plan evacuations

Man died in weekend hotel fire in Deer Lake, confirm police

Deer Lake First Nation evacuation begins as wildfires ramp up across the region

Partial evacuation underway in all 4 Island Lake First Nations

Firefighters contain blaze at Deer Lake landmark inn

Northern Ontario residents, evacuated by wildfires, coming to region

First Nation chiefs share safety concerns amid wildfire evacuations in northwestern Ontario

Summer vibes: Vance Joy tour to come to Deer Lake Park

Wildfires prompt air quality statements across northwestern Ontario as evacuations continue

Deer Lake, Webequie First Nations declare state of emergency over nearby wildfires

Sol Mamakwa Urges Urgent Support for Northern First Nations Amid Escalating Wildfire Crisis

Wildfire evacuees from 2 Ontario First Nations to shelter in Toronto, Barrie

Deer Lake, Webequie First Nations communities evacuate as wildfires spread nearby

Community evacuated as fire nears Deer Lake airport

Wildfire multiplies in size, Deer Lake evacuates

Deer Lake First Nation evacuation begins as wildfires ramp up across the region

Cargo North signs revenue sharing deal with First Nations

Red Deer man charged in murders of two Onion Lake women

News – Red Deer and Area

Thunder Bay police officers introduce themselves to northern communities

Central Alberta students step out of the classroom with Indigenous knowledge-keeper and substitute teacher Clare Butterfly

Central Alberta-raised Métis fiddler nominated for Juno

Sylvan Lake to host 4th annual International Powwow Oct. 18-20

Parties agree to plan to build permanent Berens River bridge

Photos: Red Deer Aboriginal Dance Troupe comes to elementary school

The 2025 federal candidates in brief: Kenora—Kiiwetinoong riding

Some evacuations in northwestern Ontario pause as wildfires slow, with 153 still active

Nishnawbe Aski Nation holds emergency meeting in Ottawa amid surge in sudden deaths on First Nations

The 2025 federal candidates in brief: Kenora—Kiiwetinoong riding

Winnipeg’s drinking water source of frustration for Indigenous community

First Nations leaders hold emergency meeting in Ottawa on mental-health crisis

Burnaby Blooms will be free this year

Ottawa pressed to make good on promise to end all long-term drinking-water advisories for First Nations

Construction complete on Ontario’s largest Indigenous-led energy project

Burnaby–Deer Lake MLA Anne Kang becomes B.C.'s newest cabinet minister

More children’s graves will be found near Red Deer, says Indigenous advocate

Cocaine, shotguns seized in northern Ont. First Nation

Get green and dirty: environmental week events in Burnaby

Two men arrested in Deer Lake after seizure of cocaine and shotguns

Smiths Falls welcomes evacuees

Free family-friendly event Burnaby Blooms to burst into colour next month

Nishnawbe Aski Police Charge Two in Deer Lake with Drug Offenses

Indigenous storytelling through performing arts has a Curator, Leah Dawn Helena

'We are not Oji-Cree': 22 First Nations across Manitoba, Ontario clear the air on distinct identity

NL Public Libraries has announced their second Indigenous Storyteller in Residence, Ivan J. White

‘Milestone’ bridge announcement made in Pikangikum

Team Indigenous excited about sharing its culture at 2018 Winter Games

National Indigenous Peoples Day in N.L. is a time to 'come and share and learn,' says Mi'kmaw elder

Indian Peaks Wilderness: Camp Dick to Red Deer Lake

Northern Ontario Grid Connection Project

'A race against time': First Nations, towns in northwestern Ontario prepare to evacuate as wildfires approach

Culture Days

Ishpeming city leaders highlight native history on Indigenous Peoples Day

Chronic wasting disease detected in deer on Flathead Indian Reservation for first time

Map showing the positions of Aboriginal trails and significant centres in the study region.

Pauingassi First Nation community based land use plan

Newfoundland and Labrador backs off plan to rename Red Indian Lake after criticism

'I like living': Young Indigenous artists heal pain through painting

'The weirdest bird I've ever seen': Sighting of flamboyant duck brightens birders' January

Free outdoor opera is returning to Deer Lake Park in Burnaby this summer

Indigenous dance troupe performs in Castor

Community support is vital, Frontier Lithium official says

New forest fires in northwestern Ontario hit single-day high amid evacuations

Annual First Nations Housing Conference in Thunder Bay, Ont., puts students to work

Provincial Government Invests in Initiatives Through Green Transition Fund

Transmission Project to Connect 16 Remote First Nations Communities to Power Grid

Respect for history runs deep in Auburn and Deer Lake in Schuylkill County

Thurs. June 13, 2024 edition: City explores district energy systems for new developments

Red Deer man charged with murder of two Onion Lake Cree Nation women

Warm temperatures still hampering winter road access to northern First Nations

Girl who died in Sylvan Lake remembered by Red Deer Indigenous Dance Troupe

Environment Week

After 24 years, Burnaby Blues and Roots comes to an end

Hundreds from Deer Lake flee to Cornwall to escape forest fires

Ontario’s largest Indigenous-led energy project complete

$3.7M in upgrades to the Deer Lake Trail Loop

Two fisherman fall through ice in Indian Lake -

Indigenous artist’s exhibition now open at Deer Lake Gallery

Indigenous high school students and July Talk collaborate on new song

Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend Events July 12-14

Deer Lake First Nation Suffers from Ontario Hydro Lack of Capacity

Six Northwestern Ontario First Nations funded for multi-purpose centres

Indigenous Leaders: Mission accomplished, Watay Power declares on northwestern Ont. power line project

Nishnawbe Aski Nation wants Ontario to declare emergency as forest fires threaten Indigenous communities

A closer look: Burnaby 150 years ago

Indian Lake Deer Rescue

Ontario celebrates completion of construction on the largest Indigenous-led energy project in province’s history

How Utah Lake once sustained tribes and Mormon pioneers and why it needs help

Plains Midstream charged in Red Deer River pipeline spill

Counselling, not canoe sheds needed for First Nations youth, mental health worker says

Ontario Investing Nearly $17 Million to Support Workers in Northern Ontario

Meet Debwe, the North American Indigenous Games official mascot

Indigenous Leaders: Mission accomplished, Watay Power declares on northwestern Ont. power line project

Impassable winter roads create ‘dire’ situation for Ontario First Nations: NAN

Team Indigenous earns bronze medal in debut at Winter Games

POURIA TABAEINI Teacher in Deer Lake First Nation Charged with Sexual Assault

Clean Water bill ‘just the first step,’ NAN grand chief says

Parasites that thrive in a warming planet are killing Minnesota’s moose

Highlands nature sanctuary given Indigenous name

Health system neglects northern patients by design: Doctor

Pauingassi First Nation community based land use plan

Canada boosts support for winter roads, connections to remote Ontario First Nations

3 places where you can discover Toronto's Indigenous history

Hoop dreams come true:Toronto Raptors give $50K grant to Indigenous basketball program

Sport takes you places, says Ontario teen heading to Native American Basketball Invitational

First Nations-led emergency management plan handed to Ontario premier during Thunder Bay visit

How the Lil Bands hockey tournament brings First Nations communities together at the rink

Why we decided to capitalize Black, Aboriginal and Indigenous

Good sports: The 2018 N.L. Winter Games in pictures

Ontario forest fires burned record area of land this summer as they displaced First Nations in northwest

Six Northwestern Ontario First Nations funded for multi-purpose centres

'A race against time': First Nations, towns in northwestern Ontario prepare to evacuate as wildfires approach

First Nations leaders say mental health crisis worsening at emergency meeting

Deer Lake First Nation cuts ribbon on solar project

Photos: The Spiderwick Chronicles films at Burnaby's Deer Lake

Construction Complete on Largest Indigenous-led Energy Project in Ontario’s History

Deer Lake airport gift shop to showcase Mi’kmaq arts and crafts

How the Wake the Giant Music Festival welcomes Indigenous high school students to Thunder Bay

Impact Assessment for an Adventure Tourist Lodge, Upper Humber River

Imprisoned in Burnaby for dancing: the prisoners of the potlatch ban

How Lil Bands grew from a 'ragtag' start to become a major First Nations hockey tournament

Wisconsin changing 28 place names that slur Native American women

Burnaby school's First Nations canoe not just a 'museum piece'

India’s dancing deer and their unique floating home are under threat

Health care in northern Ontario First Nation now managed close to home

Wataynikaneyap Power checks Sachigo Lake and Deer Lake communities off its list

‘Maxed out’: Northern communities call for more evacuation support

Incorporating Indigenous elements into pharmacy education

Sweet success for young First Nations cake artist

February 2019 progress update on long-term drinking water advisories on public systems on reserve

How some First Nations in Ontario's northwest are overcoming the effects of climate change

Indigenous artist invites Burnaby residents to walk with her ancestors

Hiking in the Indian Peaks Wilderness: Coney Lake

Northern Minnesota's Native folk music star Annie Humphrey comes into 'The Light'

Northern Ontario chiefs council meeting with 2nd First Nation exploring nursing transfer

Bad water: Innovative solution for remote northern Ontario First Nations

Spotlight: Deer Lake First Nation coming to the rescue of walleye population

Northern Minnesota tribe buys back 28,000 acres of forest lands to help restore reservation

Rustic Oracle: An Indigenous story of truthful fiction - tragedy and despair filtered through a child's eyes

Deer Lake First Nation fully evacuating due to forest fire threat in northern Ontario

Unsafe harbour: Parents weigh school versus safety in Thunder Bay

New NL Mi’kmaq Trading Post makes Indigenous art, crafts and traditional goods available all year round

First Nations art at Deer Lake Gallery

Indigenous harvest rights still under attack in the upper Great Lakes

Nishnawbe Aski Nation holds emergency meeting in Ottawa amid surge in sudden deaths on First Nations

Air quality statements issued for parts of northern Ontario due to prairie wildfire smoke

Burnaby museum's local Indigenous history guide wins national award

Wisconsin Ceded Territory Deer Season Length Extended to End of January

Native Wildlife Species in Colorado

More air quality statements issued in northwestern Ontario First Nations with conditions expected to worsen

A Peek Inside the Mysterious Glass House on Deer Lake

Mountains Majesty: Backpacking in the Indian Peaks

Historian seeks return of artifacts

Can the gray wolf help control CWD-infected deer? Great Lakes tribes and UW scientists team up to find out

Deer Lake First Nation students rock Wake the Giant

Paquette Details Celebrated U.P. Archeological Find

First Nations leaders hold emergency meeting in Ottawa on mental health crisis

Where to find Indigenous art in Burnaby

Burnaby museum works to undo erasure of local Indigenous history

Deer Hunt and Workshop Bring New Skills to Native Tribal Members

Frontier Lithium project has northwest Indigenous opposition

The Legend of Deer Lake

Deer Lake First Nation connected to power grid by Wataynikaneyap Power

This boy hurt in collision didn't have an Indian status card, so Ottawa wouldn't pay for medical evacuation

Academic Research

Multiple account evaluation of an urban lake rehabilitation and management proposal: a case study of Deer Lake, BC

First Nations perspectives on the grasslands of the interior of British Columbia

Without deer there is no culture, nothing

Implementing the Brian Deer Classification Scheme for Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute

Indigenous lands management, cultural landscapes and Anishinaabe people of Shoal Lake, Northwestern Ontario, Canada

Regeneration of culturally-significant conifer tree species in the L'Anse Indian Reservation: impacts from herbivory by Deer (Waawaashkeshi)

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

First stewards: ecological outcomes of forest and wildlife stewardship by indigenous peoples of Wisconsin, USA

Toward an indigenous jurisprudence of rape

People of the Deer

Indigenous-based approaches to territorial conservation: a case study of the Algonquin Nation of Wolf Lake

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Hunting for history in Potam pueblo: A Yoeme (Yaqui) Indian deer dancing epistemology

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

Deer hunting: An innovative teaching paradigm to educate Indigenous youth about physical literacy

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

A case study in indigenous classification: Revisiting and reviving the Brian Deer scheme

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

People of the Deer

Deer Woman re-generations: Re-activating first beings and re-arming sisterhoods of survivance in Deer Woman: An anthology

Band Publications

No Content Available

Third Party Reports

No Content Available