©Annette Francis/APTN

TEMAGAMI – Temagami-area First Nations communities say they will continue their court action to have the Ontario Métis Harvesting Agreement declared illegal with respect to their homeland, N’dakimenan. The Teme-Augama Anishnabai (TAA) and Temagami First Nation (TFN) chiefs and councils have been advised that the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has sent a letter to Marc Descoteaux requesting the removal of a cabin at Pond Lake, which is within the area claimed by the TAA and TFN. Descoteaux is a member of the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) and made an application to the ministry for approval under MNO rights to construct the cabin. However, in recent months the MNO concluded that the MNO as a whole did not approve the construction of the structure as an incidental cabin for the use of all community members. After receiving that notice, the ministry has requested Descoteaux to remove the cabin and restore the site by June 1, 2024.