The Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation (Neyaashiinigmiing Anishinaabek) have lived on the Bruce Peninsula since long before European settlement. The reserve was never ceded — the Nawash signed Treaty 72 in 1857 under significant pressure, but the legal status of their land and fishing rights remained disputed for well over a century.
In the 1990s, the Chippewas of Nawash fought a landmark legal battle to reassert their fishing rights in Georgian Bay, facing violent confrontations from non-Indigenous commercial fishers. The Supreme Court of Canada ultimately affirmed their treaty rights. The band today manages the park, a marina, and various community services, and has been recognized internationally for their fisheries management work.
Visitors to the reserve are guests on unceded Anishinaabe territory. The community welcomes respectful visitors to the park and has built it into a meaningful source of revenue for band programs.