Craig Nootchtai

Gimaa Craig Nootchtai is a descendant of Chief Shawanekezhik who signed the Robinson Huron Treaty in 1850 on behalf of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek. He started his term as Gimaa of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek in July 2020 and is the first Gimaa to serve a 4-year term under Atikameksheng’s Custom Election Code. He was re-elected in June 2024 for a second term as Gimaa and is very honoured to have served his Nation over the last 4 years. Gimaa Craig has a Civil Engineering background and is an entrepreneur but for the last four years has focused primarily on building a solid foundation for his home community of Atikameksheng. Under direction from Council and Community, he created an underground service mining company with partners Wahnapitae First Nation and Technica Mining called Aki-eh Dibinwewziwin Limited Partnership (ADLP) to capitalize on the mining opportunities in their traditional lands. This new company has transformed Atikameksheng Anishnawbek into a main player in mining activities in the Sudbury basin.