Drum Rock is located on the Lower French River
Dokis First Nation is a small Ojibway community located on the French River that has been of great interest to historians and scholars alike. With advances in technology there is an opportunity to identify, collect, interpret and preserve existing historical information, landmarks and artifacts. The Ganawandaagwad Institute hopes to promote a sense of belonging among the Dokis membership and provide a resource for researchers and life-long learners. Its goal is to preserve Dokis history and heritage for future generations by leaving a trail for our children yet to come.
Preserve. Protect. Keep.
“Old Indian Head Rock” is located on the Upper French River
The Ganawandaagwad Institute is a small not-for-profit organization led by contributors and friends of Dokis First Nation. Our goal is to assist with the “preservation, protection and retention” of historical and heritage information.
Our Board of Directors:
Lorie Bell, Chair
Doug Dokis, Vice-Chair
Michael Frings, Treasurer
Lynn Leavens, Member
Norm Dokis, President & CEO
Laura Dokis, Secretary (ex-officio)
Established in 2021
Our logo represents our “Duckies” founding name. The motion of the “duck” it portrays us moving forward as a people.
Norm Dokis recounts a story he heard that Chief Michel Migisi Dokis was guiding American duck hunters at Georgian Bay. He was made fun of by his excitement when he saw the ducks and shouted duckies, duckies, duckies! The nickname grew from there to the modern name Dokis we have today.
Another account is that according to band tradition, he acquired the sobriquet Dokis, by which he was usually called, from his tendency as a child to pronounce the plural of “duck” as “duckies.”
Source: http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/migisi_13E.html
Our name Ganawandaagwad can be searched here by clicking: It is taken care of, protected and kept
In 2023...
The Heritage Barn is located adjacent to the Dokis First Nation Museum
A proposal was drafted outlining plans to preserve the last heritage building at Dokis First Nation – the Heritage Barn. The Okikendawt Hydro Revenue & Dokis Community Trust Fund provided funding in May of 2023 to accomplish the first steps.
The Heritage Barn re-roofing and bracing project was completed and additional funding was received for the Maandonming Kinmaaziiwin (Gathering of Knowledge) project to develop this website (launched in 2024) and to obtain drone footage and photographs of a number of heritage sites. They are available throughout the website and on the Ganawandaagwad YouTube Channel.
Visit the Projects page to see updates happening during the fall of 2025. First Nation Renovation & Contracting has been hired to secure the foundation, install a floor, door and move a heritage cast iron stove into it.
Your Contribution
Chaudière Falls is located on the Lower French River
The Ganawandaagwad Institute humbly presents its initial findings and invites the Dokis membership to contribute to creating a more wholistic and actual account of that which happened before our time.
The information presented is as accurate as possible, however it is largely “somewhere to begin” as we look forward to evolving the content of the website, over time, to become as close to our collective story as possible.
Please use kindness in your approach to contributing to the narrative. While we cannot change the facts of history, we can continue to evolve our story from different perspectives and with a legacy of Zaagidiwin (love) for our children and grandchildren.