Mtigwaki

Mtigwaki, Ontario is a fictional town in the comic strip For Better or For Worse. The town, located in Northwestern Ontario, is home for a tribe of the Anishinabek Nation. The name, pronounced mm-tigwak-eh, means "Land of Trees".

History
The community is currently growing, despite government efforts to move the community. Highways, pipelines, and hydro are all distant from the area.

Geography
Mtigwaki is situated on an unnamed lake. It is located at the mouth of the Spruce River between Nipigon and Thunder Bay, and has a bay and beaches. There is a dangerous current at the right side of the bay; parents discourage their children from going there.

Economy
The area's primary industry is logging. Residents of Mtigwaki go to the larger nearby community for this occupation.

Sites of interest
The community includes pow-wow grounds,

At the mouth of the Spruce River is a marina and general store. The store primarily stocks dried food and fishing equipment.

There is both a Catholic and a Protestant cemetery in Mtigwaki. A hidden cemetery exists, for those who followed traditional Anishinabek teachings. Burials at this third spot follow traditional rituals.

In real life
For the series of strips in Mtigwaki, strip creator Lynn Johnson received the Debwewin Citation for excellence in Aboriginal-issues journalism.

The community was created with Baloney & Bannock comic creator Perry McLeod-Shabogesic, of the N'biising Nation (Anishinabek Crane Clan). McLeod-Shabogesic collaborated with Johnston to create an authentic world for the characters to inhabit. His son, Falcon Skye McLeod-Shabogesic, created the Mtigwaki First Nation's logo.