Violence Across NAN Territory Demands Urgent Response from Canada and Ontario

THUNDER BAY, ON: Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler is calling on the governments of Canada and Ontario to treat the escalating drug-related violence across NAN territory as the public safety emergency that it is. Today’s virtual press conference held by Ginoogaming First Nation Chief Sheri Taylor underscores exactly why – communities are being forced to fight this crisis alone, and governments must act.

“For decades, the governments of Canada and Ontario have failed to uphold their shared responsibility for public safety in First Nations communities. The time for studies, meetings and excuses is over. Our officers, our families, our Elders, our children and our communities deserve the same safety and protection that is taken for granted elsewhere in Canada. If these events were happening in Southern Ontario the response would be immediate and national. For us, there is silence,” said Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler.

On September 4, 2026, one person was killed and another injured in a shooting in North Spirit Lake First Nation. On August 29, 2026, one person was injured in a shooting in Constance Lake First Nation. In Ginoogaming First Nation, a state of emergency has been in effect since May 2024. The community has spent approximately $1 million funding its own safety operations while waiting for governments to respond.

“What Chief Taylor and her Council have been forced to do – funding checkpoints, hiring guardians, deploying a K9 unit, all out of their own pocket – is not something any community should have to do alone. Governments have not responded. That is unacceptable, and it cannot continue,” said Deputy Grand Chief Anna Betty Achneepineskum.

These are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of a territory-wide crisis that governments have consistently failed to treat with the urgency it demands. These communities cannot be a priority only when resource development demands it. A longstanding source of frustration has been the inability of the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service to enforce community bylaws and control entry points. NAPS must be given the legislative tools and resources to enforce community laws. NAN will be convening a meeting in October to address broader justice and policing issues across NAN territory.

Both levels of government must immediately come to the table to implement real solutions, including proper resourcing for border screening at airports and points of entry, sustained investment in community-led policing and enforcement, and comprehensive mental health, addictions, treatment, recovery and aftercare programs. The lives of our people matter, and the governments of Canada and Ontario must act.

For more information please contact:
Michael Heintzman,
Director of Communications
Cell: (807) 621-2790
mheintzman@nan.ca