In February 2018, the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) and Deloitte announced the winners of the IPAC/Deloitte Public Sector Leadership Awards program. Award recipients demonstrated the importance of innovation, strategic thinking, trust and team building, shared vision, and effective collaboration and partnerships. “Despite changes to fishing regulations and longstanding discussions between Nipissing First Nation (NFN) and the Ontario government, 40 years of increased demand for walleye from the province’s Lake Nipissing was pushing the species’ population towards collapse. Instead of renewing the debate, NFN and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) in 2013 initiated a three-year discussion of the broader issues around the matter, with a focus on traditional values, fisheries science, understanding historical grievances, Indigenous fishing practices and compliance challenges, plus a host of other socioeconomic factors. The end result? A ground- breaking Memorandum of Understanding in 2016 that would see the NFN’s Fisheries Law, flowing from their Chi-Naakni- gewin (Constitution or Great Law), be adopted as part of the province’s regulatory regime. Aside from addressing concerns from the First Nations fishers about the provincial regulation, this is the first time Ontario adopted a First Nation law.” Nipissing First Nation Wins the 2018 IPAC/ Deloitte Public Sector Gold Leadership Award “Aside from addressing concerns from the First Nations about the provincial regulation, this is the first time Ontario adopted a First Nation law” ALL ONTARIO CHIEFS CONFERENCE SUMMER/WINTER 2018/19 – Chiefs of Ontario Advocate magazine 28 l