Different communities in Manitoba celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day

With Wa-Say Healing Centre celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day at The Forks in Winnipeg, many different organizations and communities around the city and across Manitoba are making sure their communities are also holding events, in an effort to make the day accessible to all Manitobans.

Grace Schedler and Bonnie Loewen, with Circles for Reconciliation, say it’s important to them to hold the event for North Winnipeg at Sargeant Tommy Prince Park every year.

“We need to make celebrations accessible, and I think we need to make a stamp of celebrations inside communities all across Manitoba, to have a presence that this matters for everyone and the only way we build bridges I think, between people, is inside neighbourhoods,” said Loewen.

Schedler adding, “We may have the First Nations, Inuit, Métis people attend, but we also have the non-Indigenous people attending. They’re starting to build that relationship of even meeting each other even in the lineup at the hot dog stand. So the conversations are happening.”

Manitoba’s celebrations are taking place all over the province. Just outside of the city limits, Selkirk’s 17th annual celebration with the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) took place with an all-day event Friday.

“This is like, one of the premier Indigenous Peoples Day events in Manitoba,” said Manitoba Premier, Wab Kinew. “Selkirk, MMF, they do a great job, it’s open to the entire community, so you see people from different walks of life.”

Kinew says he comes to Selkirk every year on June 21st to celebrate with the community. He says it’s also important to him that celebrations are accessible for all who want to join.

“It’s essential. Manitoba’s a big province and we all have a part in celebrating events like National Indigenous Peoples Day. It’s really good to see people having a huge gathering like this outside of the perimeter. It just reminds you of the importance of Selkirk and the history here, the MMF’s presence here. It’s just a great opportunity to have some good food, some good visiting, joke around a bit and have a great celebration.”

For Britney Champagne, it’s her first year celebrating at Selkirk Park.  

“I’ve never actually known this was going on before so I’m very excited to be here,” she said.

“It’s nice to see that we have celebrations in The Pas region, we have some in (the) Northwest region, so we’re able to connect all different Métis people in different parts of the cities and outside surrounding areas and we can have one day of community together. Even if we’re celebrating at different places, we all know we’re dealing with the same thing.”

Champagne says the day means a lot to her, as now she can proudly celebrate her heritage.

“I didn’t even know much about my culture at first, so being able to work with the MMF and be here, just seeing everyone makes me feel so much better about myself and my features and everything,” Champagne explained.

It’s traditional for MMF to provide a pancake breakfast as well as lunch. The day is free to attend, with many family-friendly events on-site, and for Champagne, she says it’s important to be able to support the community throughout the day.

“A huge thing about Métis culture is community. So being able to have all of the supports here for everyone can bring everyone out, and if someone’s not able to have a meal that day, they have one here provided for them.”

June 21^st hits ‘different’ following approval of landfill search

Although it is a day of celebration, for many in the community, it’s also a day they’re celebrating a bittersweet victory — just last week, the Manitoba government approved plans to search the Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of First Nations women.

“Definitely hits different. You know this is gonna be one to remember for the 17th, that we’re able to search the landfills now,” said Champagne.

Schedler says, “Conversations will be happening about the landfill, even with the people that are here.”

Kinew adds, “I think there’s always those really significant ways we’re trying to move society forward. That’s why it’s good to have a day like today to celebrate, and have the music and the pride and the culture and all of that move forward because it’s not every day you get to celebrate. So when you get those chances, gotta make the most of it.”