By Cory Bilyea Local Journalism Initiative Reporter SAUGEEN- Tributes are pouring in for a beloved elder and former chief of the Chippewas of Saugeen First Nations, Vernon Roote, who went home to be with the ancestors on Aug. 4, 2023. “Vern’s devotion to his community was demonstrated through his work as chief and a member of council over a 30 year period. He was instrumental in the recent successful Eastern Boundary Land Claim (north Sauble Beach), which began in the 1970s,” his obituary reads. Roote went on to become the Deputy Grand Chief, then the Grand Council Chief of the Union of Ontario Indians (Anishinabek Nation) for 12 years, leading 42 communities and focusing on nation-building for those communities. A pipe carrier, language carrier and lodge-keeper to the Raindance Lodge,…
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