b'PROJECT PROFILEA GREENERMODEL INBy Oscar Baker IIIKIASHKE ZAAGING ANISHINAABEKh o p T h e F i r s t N a t i o nA cross the country, Indigenous communities located off-grid are looking at ways to ease their reliance on fossil fuels, primarily e s i t s m i c r o g r i ddiesel, while at the same time improving their self-determination by generating and owning their own energy supply. Kiashke s o l a r e n e r g y p r o j e c tZaaging Anishinaabek First Nation is a perfect example of an Indigenous community making great strides in this area and doing its parta C a n a d i a n f i r s t to help mitigate the climate crisis. w i l l l e a d t o a c l e a n e rThis Anishinaabe community, also known as Gull Bay First Nation, runs its own solar energy microgrid. Not only does it provide an important source f u t u r e a n d m o r eof energy, but the grid is also completely owned by the Northern Ontario i n d e p e n d e n c ecommunity. This land has always sustained our people and we want it to be that way, says AJ Esquega, project coordinator for the Mashkawiziiwin Energy solar project. 52A CCAB PUBLICATION2022'