Page 49 - Moose Deer Point First Nation
P. 49

In 2001, our First Nation worked with corporate partners to     WORDS TO KNOW
                  start a manufacturing plant, but the company, called Niigon
                                                                                  Binooji (Bin-oh-gee): baby or
                  Technologies, did not meet with the success we had hoped        very young child
                  for. The business failed due to a conflict between our partners   corporate: business
                  that was out of our hands. Our struggle was captured in a 2013   injection moulding: forcing hot
                                                                                  material into a mould to form
                  Globe and Mail article that described our position as being in the
                                                                                  rubber or plastic materials
                  middle of a “furious legal battle.” It has been challenging for our
                                                                                  Niigon(nee-gon): for the future
                  community to accept the failure of a business we were proud of
                                                                                  sustainable development:
                  and put so much effort into. The injection moulding plant was
                                                                                  developing the economy
                  built with a vision of sustainable development, meaning that    in a way that meets human
                                                                                  needs while protecting
                  the plant was constructed in an environmentally friendly way. It
                                                                                  the environment for
                  focused on community partnership and values.                    future generations
                  Since the closure of Niigon Technologies, one other business,
                  Zephyr Plastics, has been using the building to complete some
                  work, but it is not at the scale we had originally aimed for.

                  In the development of Niigon Technologies, two new
                  community buildings were erected in Moose Deer Point First
                  Nation. We now have a beautiful child-care centre called
                  Biinoojii House. In addition, a house that was built for a senior
                  plant manager is now the location of the Moose Deer Point
                  Nursing Station, which is run in partnership with the West Parry
                  Sound Health Centre.
































                  Binoojii House                                                  The Moose Deer Point
                                                                                  Health Centre


                                                                                  Moose Deer Point First Nation  47





          ogemawahj_community_book6.indd   47                                                               2019-02-27   11:44 AM
   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54