[ footprints ] Dennis Franklin Cromarty: The betterment of his community - inspired, might have been lawyer

Dennis Franklin Cromarty was born on Dec. 2, 1947 in Pickle Crow , Ont. a now non-existent mining town where his father, Isaac, worked in the gold mines. Both his parents were from the north. His father was from Big Trout Lake, his mother, Eila was born in York Factory but grew up in Big Trout. The couple had nine children. Dennis was the second youngest.

Times were tough in Pickle Crow, and became even more so when Dennis' father passed away, leaving his mother to raise her children on her own. Dennis' childhood home was not much more than a tarpaper shack. Living in those conditions, he knew there had to be a better way of life, for himself and his family, and for all First Nation people.

Living in poverty in the shadow of a gold mine, Dennis recognized the inequity. The provincial government was making money from the resources but the Anishnawbe people, whose land the resources were being taken from, were getting nothing. He saw the inequity, and he wanted to help change it.

Dennis attended Pelican Lake residential school, located near Sioux Lookout, then went to high school in Sault Ste. Marie. From 1967 to 1972, he was at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay studying economics. Midway through his studies, the federal government tabled its White Paper on Indian Policy, which outlined the government plan for the assimilation of Canada's Aboriginal people. That document, and the strong reaction it elicited from Aboriginal leaders across the country, further raised Dennis' awareness of Aboriginal rights.

Though education was important to Dennis, so too was working to improve the lives of First Nation people. A friend who worked with the Indian Friendship Centres of Ontario approached him, asking him to help set up a court worker program to assist Aboriginal people who were in trouble with the law. The high number of First Nation people entering the justice system concerned Dennis, and he left school to dedicate himself to the project.

Dennis was also considering entering law school at around this time, and even travelled to Winnipeg to write his Law School Admission Test. But faced with a choice between fulfilling his own goal of becoming a lawyer or working to help his people by establishing the court worker program, Dennis chose the latter, seeing it as a more urgent priority.

Once the court worker program was up and running, Dennis went to work for Grand Council Treaty #9, the forerunner to today's Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN). He worked there from 1974 to 1976, during which time he helped the council establish its community and economic development program. He served as director of the community development program from 1976 to 1979, and also stepped in when needed to act as interim grand chief.

He was elected as grand chief in 1979 and held the post until 1981.

It was in this role that Dennis travelled to Holland in November 1980 to make a presentation during the Fourth Russell Tribunal on the rights of the Indians in the Americas on behalf of the people of Grand Council Treaty #9. He told the tribunal that the federal and provincial governments were violating the treaty and Aboriginal rights of his people. After the presentation, the tribunal ruled that the actions of both levels of government put them in violation of international law.

After his term as grand chief, Dennis was appointed commissioner of the newly renamed NAN. His role was to examine the issues affecting the people of NAN, be they economic, environmental or rights-based. From 1983 to 1984, he was NAN's constitutional advisor and worked with other Aboriginal leaders during the first ministers conferences on Aboriginal rights.

In 1984, he was again elected as NAN grand chief, serving for two terms. During his time in office he negotiated the Memorandum of Understanding between NAN and the provincial and federal governments, designed to pave the way for negotiation of Native self-government.

Dennis went into business as a private consultant in 1989, and was soon appointed to the Osnaburgh/Windigo Tribal Justice Review Committee, which was struck to examine past and present services provided within the Windigo Tribal Council's member communities in the areas of policing, justice and social services. The committee tabled its report, Tay Bway Win: Truth, Justice and First Nations, in July 1990.

It wasn't long after his departure from NAN that Dennis found himself back again, this time as president and chief executive officer of the Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund (NADF), created to help NAN members wanting to start their own businesses and working to assist NAN communities to improve their economies and quality of life.

As part of his duties with the NADF, Dennis became involved in the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce where he worked to create a bridge between First Nation and non-Native businesses. The results of those efforts can still be seen today in the close working relationship that still exists between NAN and the chamber.

In 1991, Dennis took on another role on top of his work with the NADF, that of NAN's chief negotiator in discussions on self-government with the provincial and federal governments.

Throughout his career, in whatever role to took on, Dennis had a reputation for being an easy person to work with. He was very approachable and always ready to provide direction. He expected everyone he worked with to put in their best effort, and under his leadership, they were inspired to meet his expectations.

He was also known as a man of compassion, and as someone who could reach out to youth and have them open up and accept him. He respected the traditional role of women in First Nation society and always tried to ensure that women were involved in any discussion processes. He had a great sense of humor, and never hesitated to laugh at himself whenever things didn't turn out as planned.

Those who knew him also remember him as a man of vision, providing ideas for others to build upon into the future. He spoke of ways to give First Nations youth opportunities not available to past generations by setting up First Nation learning institutions in larger centres like Thunder Bay and using technology to bring the learning opportunities available there out to northern reserves. He also provided the vision for creation of Oskki-Pimache-O-Win, the post-secondary institute that provides training in northern Ontario.
On Feb. 3, 1993 Dennis suffered a fatal heart attack. But though he is gone, others continue to be guided by his vision and inspired by his dedication to his people.

In 2000, one of his visions was realized when a high school opened in Thunder Bay to provide educational opportunities to First Nation students from across Northwestern Ontario. The school, which has as its goals the improvement of the graduation rate among First Nations students while helping them develop a sense of identity and pride in their First Nations heritage, was named the Dennis Franklin Cromarty high school.