**MUSHKEGOWUK COUNCIL STATEMENT BY GRAND CHIEF JONATHAN SOLOMON**

 As elected Grand Chief of the Mushkegowuk Cree, on the shores and rivers of James Bay in northern Ontario, I respectfully recognize the new government and Premier of Ontario, and sincerely wish them well in carrying out their great responsibilities on behalf of all the people of Ontario. We also congratulate and welcome our new Legislative representatives Guy Bourgouin and Sol Mamakwa of the two new ridings in Northern Ontario.
I would also like to thank former Premier Kathleen Wynne and her colleagues for their hard work and dedication and trying forge a positive relationship with the First Peoples of this province.

At the same time, I would gently remind the new government and new Premier that we, the Omushkego Ininiwuk, have lived on these lands, and been stewards of these lands in northern Ontario, since eons before there was any such thing as the Province of Ontario, and we will still be here long, long into the future.

We hope that the new government and new Premier can respect our history and our rights, and we look forward to working with them respectfully and productively in the years ahead.

Meegwetch.