London, Ontario November 25th, 2020 – The Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians are proud for Caldwell First Nation to have attained official recognition of their traditional lands. This is an historic moment as Caldwell fought for more than nine years to obtain Reserve Status.
Grand Chief Joel Abram extends his congratulations to Caldwell “I am very
happy for one of our member Nations to get news like this as Caldwell has been
working hard for this recognition for a long time now. The only frustrating part is they had to wait
230 years for this promise to be fulfilled by the Crown even after all their
ancestors have done and fought for.”
Deputy Grand Chief Stacia Loft states “This is an important step for Caldwell
as a Nation so they can proceed with plans to develop their own culturally
relevant structures specific to language, education, housing, and economic
development. This is such great news during these hard times and it shows that
even through such hardships, Caldwell continued to fight and stand up for their
community.”
The area that now has Reserve Status is a 200 acre lot at the corner of Bevel
Line Rd and Seacliff Drive in Leamington.
Plans going forward for Caldwell First Nation include residential
development, community facilities, an administrative building and to work with
the communities in and around themselves for a stable and sustainable future.