Algonquin Negotiation Representatives

The Algonquin Negotiation Representatives (ANRs) comprise the Chief and Council of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation and one representative from each of the nine other Algonquin communities. These ANRs are elected by the Algonquins of Ontario through elections for a three-year term. The most recent ANR election was held in 2014 with the next election anticipated for 2017.

The role and responsibility of the ANRs is to represent the interests of the Algonquins of Ontario with respect to their Traditional Territory in Ontario in the ongoing negotiations of a modern day treaty with the Governments of Canada and Ontario. To view the Terms of Reference for Algonquin Negotiation Representatives, click here.

The Algonquin Negotiation Representatives are as follows:

Clifford Bastien Jr.
(Mattawa/North Bay)
Dale Benoit
(Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation)
Don Bilodeau
(Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation)
Robert Craftchick
H.B.Sc.F., RPF
(Whitney and Area)

Born and raised in Mattawa, Cliff is descended from one of the original Algonquin families who settled in Mattawa in the late 1700’s. He and his wife Linda have made Mattawa their home, as well as their four adult children. Cliff’s main goal in settling the land claim is obtaining benefits that are fair and equal to all Algonquins and will be sustainable for all future generations. Cliff wants to ensure that beneficiary criteria will prevent the extinction of the Algonquin Nation in Ontario. When Cliff was elected Chief of the Mattawa/North Bay Algonquins in November 2006, his goals were to bring Algonquin culture and pride back into the community.

Bob has worked in the forestry sector in a number of capacities in both the private and public sectors. He has received diplomas from Trent University (Small Business Management and Native Economic Development) and Sault College of Applied Arts (Aboriginal Resource Technician Program), and has an Honours Bachelor of Science Forestry Degree from Lakehead University. Besides his duties as an ANR, Bob and a group of his community members work with local school boards to demonstrate the links between traditional ecological knowledge and Western science.  Bob is a member of a number of local groups including the Algonquin Peoples All nation Gathering, Bancroft Stewardship Council, the Township of South Algonquin Whitney Recreation Committee and the North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery. He remains an active member in the forestry sector with participation in the Aboriginal Resource Group, the Wood Supply Competitive Process and the Forestry Tenure and Pricing process.

Doreen Davis
(Shabot Obaadjiwan)
Robert Hunter
(Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini)
Davie Joanisse
(Antoine)
Sherry Kohoko
(Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation)

Born and raised in Mattawa, Cliff is descended from one of the original Algonquin families who settled in Mattawa in the late 1700’s. He and his wife Linda have made Mattawa their home, as well as their four adult children. Cliff’s main goal in settling the land claim is obtaining benefits that are fair and equal to all Algonquins and will be sustainable for all future generations. Cliff wants to ensure that beneficiary criteria will prevent the extinction of the Algonquin Nation in Ontario. When Cliff was elected Chief of the Mattawa/North Bay Algonquins in November 2006, his goals were to bring Algonquin culture and pride back into the community.

Bob has worked in the forestry sector in a number of capacities in both the private and public sectors. He has received diplomas from Trent University (Small Business Management and Native Economic Development) and Sault College of Applied Arts (Aboriginal Resource Technician Program), and has an Honours Bachelor of Science Forestry Degree from Lakehead University. Besides his duties as an ANR, Bob and a group of his community members work with local school boards to demonstrate the links between traditional ecological knowledge and Western science.  Bob is a member of a number of local groups including the Algonquin Peoples All nation Gathering, Bancroft Stewardship Council, the Township of South Algonquin Whitney Recreation Committee and the North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery. He remains an active member in the forestry sector with participation in the Aboriginal Resource Group, the Wood Supply Competitive Process and the Forestry Tenure and Pricing process.

Doreen’s Algonquin name is Eagle Cloud Woman (Migiziw Wan’nakwad Ikwey) of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation, a community near Kingston. Doreen was elected in 1995 to the Shabot Obaadjiwan Council, and became an Alternate to the Algonquin Representative in 1997 during a period of earlier negotiations. Doreen was elected Chief of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation in 1999 becoming her community’s representative for the Land Claim Negotiations. She was honored by her community with a head dress in 2005 – designating her as an ancestral as well as elected Chief. She was elected as an ANR in the 2005 elections. Doreen is committed to negotiating a modern day Treaty that will benefit future generations.

Doreen’s career over the years has been in the retail sector, food service and as a financial advisor. Doreen has been married to her husband John for 39 years. They have 3 children and 9 grandchildren.

Robert grew up in and around Peterborough, Bancroft & the surrounding Algonquin territory, before embarking on several decades of international corporate work.

Having recently returned to Bancroft, Robert intends to bring to the Treaty process his 25 years of experience designing business processes in Canada, the United States, the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, China and Southeast Asia.

Robert is committed to the mission, created along with his late brother, Chief & ANR Stephen Hunter, bringing Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini into alignment with the other communities of the Algonquins of Ontario to create a lasting structure promoting good governance, participatory citizenship & ultimately successful nationhood.

Davie has been a lifelong resident of the Mattawa area, combining work with the Antoine First Nation community with a career as a social services worker and in the forestry sector. His family has lived in Mattawa and the surrounding area for generations. He has been involved in negotiations for the Algonquin land claim for about 10 years on behalf of the Antoine First Nation. He is active with three separate planning teams for forestry management in the region. He has worked with young offenders and in employment counseling and acts as band manager of its commercial operations which include a trading post and restaurant. He is a Bachelor of Arts from Nipissing University and has been awarded an honours diploma as a social service worker (native program) from Canadore College. He is married to Donna and they have two children and three grandchildren.

Randy Malcolm
(Snimikobi)
Merv Sarazin
(Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation)
Gregory Sarazin
(Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation)
Vicky Two-Axe
(Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation)

Born and raised in Mattawa, Cliff is descended from one of the original Algonquin families who settled in Mattawa in the late 1700’s. He and his wife Linda have made Mattawa their home, as well as their four adult children. Cliff’s main goal in settling the land claim is obtaining benefits that are fair and equal to all Algonquins and will be sustainable for all future generations. Cliff wants to ensure that beneficiary criteria will prevent the extinction of the Algonquin Nation in Ontario. When Cliff was elected Chief of the Mattawa/North Bay Algonquins in November 2006, his goals were to bring Algonquin culture and pride back into the community.

Bob has worked in the forestry sector in a number of capacities in both the private and public sectors. He has received diplomas from Trent University (Small Business Management and Native Economic Development) and Sault College of Applied Arts (Aboriginal Resource Technician Program), and has an Honours Bachelor of Science Forestry Degree from Lakehead University. Besides his duties as an ANR, Bob and a group of his community members work with local school boards to demonstrate the links between traditional ecological knowledge and Western science.  Bob is a member of a number of local groups including the Algonquin Peoples All nation Gathering, Bancroft Stewardship Council, the Township of South Algonquin Whitney Recreation Committee and the North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery. He remains an active member in the forestry sector with participation in the Aboriginal Resource Group, the Wood Supply Competitive Process and the Forestry Tenure and Pricing process.

Doreen’s Algonquin name is Eagle Cloud Woman (Migiziw Wan’nakwad Ikwey) of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation, a community near Kingston. Doreen was elected in 1995 to the Shabot Obaadjiwan Council, and became an Alternate to the Algonquin Representative in 1997 during a period of earlier negotiations. Doreen was elected Chief of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation in 1999 becoming her community’s representative for the Land Claim Negotiations. She was honored by her community with a head dress in 2005 – designating her as an ancestral as well as elected Chief. She was elected as an ANR in the 2005 elections. Doreen is committed to negotiating a modern day Treaty that will benefit future generations.

Doreen’s career over the years has been in the retail sector, food service and as a financial advisor. Doreen has been married to her husband John for 39 years. They have 3 children and 9 grandchildren.

Robert grew up in and around Peterborough, Bancroft & the surrounding Algonquin territory, before embarking on several decades of international corporate work.

Having recently returned to Bancroft, Robert intends to bring to the Treaty process his 25 years of experience designing business processes in Canada, the United States, the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, China and Southeast Asia.

Robert is committed to the mission, created along with his late brother, Chief & ANR Stephen Hunter, bringing Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini into alignment with the other communities of the Algonquins of Ontario to create a lasting structure promoting good governance, participatory citizenship & ultimately successful nationhood.

Davie has been a lifelong resident of the Mattawa area, combining work with the Antoine First Nation community with a career as a social services worker and in the forestry sector. His family has lived in Mattawa and the surrounding area for generations. He has been involved in negotiations for the Algonquin land claim for about 10 years on behalf of the Antoine First Nation. He is active with three separate planning teams for forestry management in the region. He has worked with young offenders and in employment counseling and acts as band manager of its commercial operations which include a trading post and restaurant. He is a Bachelor of Arts from Nipissing University and has been awarded an honours diploma as a social service worker (native program) from Canadore College. He is married to Donna and they have two children and three grandchildren.

Randy has lived within the Algonquin Nation all of his life, becoming involved with the land claim in the late 1990s, first as an alternate and later as the representative for what was then the Ardoch community, which has been renamed as the Snimikobi Algonquin First Nation. In 2002, he was elected as Chief of the Snimikobi and in 2005 as the Algonquin Negotiation Representative (ANR) to work with the Governments of Canada and Ontario to negotiate a Land Claim Treaty for the Algonquins of Ontario.  Randy is a graduate of Algonquin College in both Forestry and in Electronics, and has spent 15 years working for the Ministry of Natural Resources and in electronics repair in private industry and in operating his business. He has taught drivers education at high schools throughout Eastern Ontario for 18 years. He is married with three children and three grandchildren.

Richard Zohr
(Bonnechere)

Born and raised in Mattawa, Cliff is descended from one of the original Algonquin families who settled in Mattawa in the late 1700’s. He and his wife Linda have made Mattawa their home, as well as their four adult children. Cliff’s main goal in settling the land claim is obtaining benefits that are fair and equal to all Algonquins and will be sustainable for all future generations. Cliff wants to ensure that beneficiary criteria will prevent the extinction of the Algonquin Nation in Ontario. When Cliff was elected Chief of the Mattawa/North Bay Algonquins in November 2006, his goals were to bring Algonquin culture and pride back into the community.

Bob has worked in the forestry sector in a number of capacities in both the private and public sectors. He has received diplomas from Trent University (Small Business Management and Native Economic Development) and Sault College of Applied Arts (Aboriginal Resource Technician Program), and has an Honours Bachelor of Science Forestry Degree from Lakehead University. Besides his duties as an ANR, Bob and a group of his community members work with local school boards to demonstrate the links between traditional ecological knowledge and Western science.  Bob is a member of a number of local groups including the Algonquin Peoples All nation Gathering, Bancroft Stewardship Council, the Township of South Algonquin Whitney Recreation Committee and the North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery. He remains an active member in the forestry sector with participation in the Aboriginal Resource Group, the Wood Supply Competitive Process and the Forestry Tenure and Pricing process.

Doreen’s Algonquin name is Eagle Cloud Woman (Migiziw Wan’nakwad Ikwey) of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation, a community near Kingston. Doreen was elected in 1995 to the Shabot Obaadjiwan Council, and became an Alternate to the Algonquin Representative in 1997 during a period of earlier negotiations. Doreen was elected Chief of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation in 1999 becoming her community’s representative for the Land Claim Negotiations. She was honored by her community with a head dress in 2005 – designating her as an ancestral as well as elected Chief. She was elected as an ANR in the 2005 elections. Doreen is committed to negotiating a modern day Treaty that will benefit future generations.

Doreen’s career over the years has been in the retail sector, food service and as a financial advisor. Doreen has been married to her husband John for 39 years. They have 3 children and 9 grandchildren.

Robert grew up in and around Peterborough, Bancroft & the surrounding Algonquin territory, before embarking on several decades of international corporate work.

Having recently returned to Bancroft, Robert intends to bring to the Treaty process his 25 years of experience designing business processes in Canada, the United States, the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, China and Southeast Asia.

Robert is committed to the mission, created along with his late brother, Chief & ANR Stephen Hunter, bringing Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini into alignment with the other communities of the Algonquins of Ontario to create a lasting structure promoting good governance, participatory citizenship & ultimately successful nationhood.

Davie has been a lifelong resident of the Mattawa area, combining work with the Antoine First Nation community with a career as a social services worker and in the forestry sector. His family has lived in Mattawa and the surrounding area for generations. He has been involved in negotiations for the Algonquin land claim for about 10 years on behalf of the Antoine First Nation. He is active with three separate planning teams for forestry management in the region. He has worked with young offenders and in employment counseling and acts as band manager of its commercial operations which include a trading post and restaurant. He is a Bachelor of Arts from Nipissing University and has been awarded an honours diploma as a social service worker (native program) from Canadore College. He is married to Donna and they have two children and three grandchildren.

Randy has lived within the Algonquin Nation all of his life, becoming involved with the land claim in the late 1990s, first as an alternate and later as the representative for what was then the Ardoch community, which has been renamed as the Snimikobi Algonquin First Nation. In 2002, he was elected as Chief of the Snimikobi and in 2005 as the Algonquin Negotiation Representative (ANR) to work with the Governments of Canada and Ontario to negotiate a Land Claim Treaty for the Algonquins of Ontario.  Randy is a graduate of Algonquin College in both Forestry and in Electronics, and has spent 15 years working for the Ministry of Natural Resources and in electronics repair in private industry and in operating his business. He has taught drivers education at high schools throughout Eastern Ontario for 18 years. He is married with three children and three grandchildren.

Richard has spent his entire adult life asserting and protecting the aboriginal rights of the Algonquin people. He began serving the community in his late teens, first as a board member and then as chairman of the Bonnechere Algonquin First Nation (BAFN) governing council. Working for essential social and economic services, he successfully developed a housing and repair service, employment retraining programs and several economic development initiatives. Throughout his 30 years of leadership, Richard has developed a number of corporate bodies based on the concept of self-determination to help improve the quality of life for the Algonquin people by instilling the importance of independence and rediscovering of the Algonquin’s legacy. Richard has served as the elected Chief of the BAFN since 2003. The BAFN, which has a membership of over 1,800 people, has prepared an extensive genealogical and in depth history of its community dating back to the early 1600s. He is Vice President of the Algonquin National Tribal Council (ANTC) and is the elected ANR for BAFN. Richard is dedicated to the healing, rebuilding and strengthening of the Algonquin people.