
Bill Tooshkenig wants Canada’s Indigenous people to know their power.
Now 80 years old, the former four-time Chief of Walpole Island First Nation said he is writing his memoirs to show members of his and other communities the benefits of having confidence in themselves.
“The idea started when I was looking through scrapbooks and papers I’ve kept over the years,” he said. “Too many of our people don’t allow themselves to have a vision and act on it. We haven’t realized our potential.”
He was a young man working in economic development for the band when he became manager of Tahgahoning Enterprises, the band’s fledgling farm operation.
“Don Issac was the chief and we were looking at farming. We found out we were getting $5 per acre to lease our land while land off the Island was being leased for $30,” he said. “Don turned to me and said, ‘Let’s go farming. We can do this ourselves.’”
A manager (Glen Ludwig) was hired for day-to-day operations while Tooshkenig set out to learn.
“I didn’t know anything about farming,” Tooshkenig said. “We hired the right man and I went to Ridgetown to learn about soil and went to Fanshawe to learn about business.”
Fifty years later, Tahgahoning Enterprises farms thousands of acres and is a major economic force in the community.
“We started with about 200 acres. At the time, our people had no economy of any sort,” he said.
Tooshkenig said he is proud that the community added miles of paved roads and water services while he was chief, but even more so of the social and economic changes that took place.
“People who worked for our band or related businesses couldn’t contribute to Canada Pension because the government wouldn’t allow their income to be eligible. We fought for that and won,” he said.
“At that time, a native woman who married a white person gave up her rights. She couldn’t live on the reserve or own land and had none of the benefits of band membership. We passed the resolution through the Assembly of First Nations and got that changed. It was a real battle but it was something I thought we needed to do.”
One of his challenges was an F2 tornado that hit the community in May of 1983, causing $1 million in damage.
“We had adjourned a council meeting for lunch in Wallaceburg and waited for what we thought was a storm to pass. It turned out to be a tornado and when we got back to the Island, sirens were going off everywhere. We checked out the damage, reconvened the meeting and started getting things fixed,” Tooshkenig said.
In 1986, Tooshkenig left the chief’s position for a job in Ottawa negotiating on behalf of native groups for funding.
“I was second in command and I learned that the first thing politicians wanted was to get re-elected. You have to give them something. Ask for a million, and when they cut it down to half, they can say they cut a great deal,” he said.
He later worked in the same role on a provincial level.
Tooshkenig credited Issac as a mentor.
“I worked for Don for five years and he pushed me. He taught me to get tough. Get a project – set a priority – set a budget – put somebody in charge – that’s how you get things done,” he said of the former chief.
“The first time I was elected, I won by five votes. The second time by 120 and the third by 300. We got a lot done. At first, it was easy, too easy. They would do whatever I wanted and I wasn’t always right. We needed to continue to develop our leadership.”
The book contains many characters he met during the years, including a band member and council member known as “Rip Off” and a federal politician known as “Dial a Dollar” for his willingness to provide funds whenever called.
One of the chapters entitled “I Stopped the Queen” relates how the Royal entourage was stopped during a visit to the Six Nations community in the 1980s so Tooshkenig could visit with the chief of the Six Nations and Premier Bill Davis about plans for a Walpole arena.
Tooshkenig said First Nations Communities need to have the faith in their abilities.
“We should have had an arena on Walpole Island in 1959,” he said. “One of the owners of the Chris-Craft Company was going to fund the whole thing, but the Indian Agent at the time advised council not to do it because he told them we wouldn’t know how to run it.”
The community got its arena in 1986, nearly three decades later.
Tooshkenig credits his wife Shirley (a Walpole council member) with supporting him.
“She’s a good, conservative councillor. She won’t listen to me,” he said with a laugh. “She’s done a good job”
Tentatively titled “An Odessey – Seven Years as a First Nation Chief,” Tooshkenig is finalizing plans for publication sometime later this year.
I want to let our people know they can be inspired to do greater things. Take what we did, improvise, and take us forward.”