Our Land
The main settlement is found on Okikendawt island (meaning island of buckets or island of pails) which can be accessed by a gravel road which connects with Highway 64. The Land is occupied by the Dokis and its cousin tribe, the Restoule‘s. The land was well known for its hunting, fishing, fur trades, and timber.
Dokis 9 is bordered by the Unorganized Centre Parry Sound District, West Nipissing, and French River.
Our People
The people of Dokis are of “Ojibwe” descent. The Dokis were known for operating a successful fur trading enterprise at Dokis point on Lake Nipissing, which is located at the west end of Nipissing First Nation. It wasn’t until the 1890s, as the trading business slowed significantly, that the Dokis moved onto the land they negotiated for (Robinson Huron Treaty) and Dokis Village was established.
Chief Michel Dokis was recognized as a ‘life’ chief by the Department of Indian Affairs and is well known for his vow to William Robinson upon signing the Treaty to “never surrender the timber” within his lands that was set aside for his people.
Visions of our past Chiefs
Each leader voted in as Chief and or Council had visions for the Dokis community and implemented their “Visionary leadership“. They focused on creating a vision for the future, set goals, created a sense of purpose and motivated the community to take action in order to achieve the desired outcome.
Over the years each Chief working with Council members and the community had their vision on what the Dokis community needed to become self-sufficient. A few of these visionaries included:
Chief John C. Restoule – “to build a bridge so we are not marooned here.” The bridge was erected in 1956.
Chief Joe Dokis – brought ‘tourism’ into the community with the building of the “Dokis Marina.”
Chief Martin Restoule – “for the hydro dam, to get something going for the younger generation and for the future.”
Our Future