Aniin, Wash-way and greetings, my relatives!

It has been a late spring, and climate change is more apparent than ever. Our thoughts are with Chief Glenn Hudson, Peguis First Nation, and its thousands of displaced citizens, who are suffering the worst flooding in years. An illegal land surrender moved Peguis First Nation from Selkirk to a flood zone more than 100 years ago. We support Chief Hudson as he advocates for a ring dyke and other flood mitigation measures that need to be in place immediately.        

Another area of attention this spring is the historic partnership between SCO and the Hudson’s Bay Company, and the economic opportunity that will come from this act of reconciliation. You can read more about our plans below, which include affordable housing, child care, assisted living for Elders, and much more.

Moving forward in a good way, we continue to work hard by advocating for our inherent and Treaty rights while building relationships of accountability with our Treaty partners. Leaders from government, business, institutions and civil society all have a role and responsibility to fulfill their commitments to the TRC's Calls To Action, and we are on this journey together.  

This is the vision of our ancestors – to be able to prosper, while building safe and strong communities in our territories for future generations. 

With the long weekend being the unofficial start of summer, I wish you and your families a healthy season ahead and look forward to continuing to work with, and for, you all. 

Miigwetch, Pidamye and thank you, 

Grand Chief Jerry Daniels 

The multi-million dollar project will create social and economic opportunity, creating more than 280 units of affordable housing for families and students including assisted living for Elders, child care built on the language nest model, health care that incorporates traditional healing, a museum and cultural space that will honour residential and day school Survivors and the children who did not return home, a Governance House with office space, and restaurants including a rebooted Paddlewheel. 

The project will create significant long-term employment, including more than a million working hours during the construction phase.

For more details about this extraordinary project, please visit: Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn 

Full media announcement here

It is hard to imagine a more important or profound moment than the one that took place at the Vatican in April 2022.

First Nations, Inuit, and Metis delegations traveled to Rome, Italy to meet face to face with Pope Francis. They gave him first-hand accounts of the horrors inflicted on generations of Indigenous children by the Catholic run Indian Residential Schools.

They told Pope Francis that the arrival of missionaries and settlers disrupted the rights and obligations of the First Peoples of this land, as churches and governments sought to erase us as a people. 

Among those to have an audience with the Pope was Phil Fontaine, Sagkeeng Citizen, former three-time National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Survivor, and negotiator of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement. 

In the end, the delegation received a public apology from the Pope along with a promise to apologize to Survivors and their families in Canada – a journey has been planned for July 24-29, 2022. 

“The ongoing legacy of colonization, intergenerational trauma, and the continued unsuccessful attempts to assimilate and eliminate First Nation peoples from Turtle Island have impacted generations of our people in profound ways." said SCO Grand Chief Daniels. "I am optimistic that the apology offered by Pope Francis will be a first step to healing for many, however there is still much work to do.” 

The path forward to reconciliation with the Catholic Church has begun, now comes the opportunity for reparations, as we work together on true and meaningful reconciliation.

While much of the attention was on Rome and the meetings between Indigenous leaders and the Pope, the Wa Say Healing Centre continued its’ holistic work, by hosting a 3-day in-person conference focusing on the Survivors of the Indian Residential Schools, Indian Day Schools and the 60's Scoop. The event was appropriately entitled, We’re Still Here.

The incomparable Wayne Mason has been at the forefront of this critical work for more than 30 years. This was three full days of hugs, tears, songs, sharing, smiles, and laughter.

Miigwetch and pidamiye to Wayne, his staff, and everyone who played a part in bringing together more than 700 residential school Survivors and their families.

The arrival of spring also brought with it the financial plans for our federal and provincial Treaty partners.

When it comes to the Trudeau government’s budget, of utmost importance to southern First Nations is a commitment to improving housing outcomes for our communities and people. The Liberals promised $4 billion over seven years to improve and expand housing for Indigenous Peoples. 

That includes $2.4 billion over five years to support First Nations housing on reserve and $565 million over five years to support housing in First Nations Self Governing and Modern Treaty Holder communities.

We were heartened to to see an additional $300 million that will be invested over five years to co-develop and launch an Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous Housing strategy.

On the provincial front, we call on the Manitoba government to commit to working with First Nations to ensure an end to systemic racism in Manitoba’s health care system and working with First Nations as an equal partner in health care delivery. This will reduce the 11 year and growing gap in life expectancy between First Nations and all others living in Manitoba.

SCO was pleased to see Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) identified as a priority and we expect to work collaboratively with our provincial Treaty partner to advance and expedite this work. 

We note the creation of a new Indigenous Reconciliation Initiatives Fund which includes $5 million this year to advance progress on reconciliation as guided by the principles in Manitoba’s Path to Reconciliation Act.

The Chiefs of the southern First Nations will continue to hold all our Treaty partner accountable on the commitments they make.

SCO would also like to welcome the new Chiefs and councils that were recently elected to office by their community members.

Congratulations to newly elected Chief Kyra Wilson of Long Plain First Nation, along with councillors, Allen Dennis Myran, Keely Assiniboine, Marvin Daniels and Garnet Meeches.

In Rolling River First Nation, Chief Wilfred McKay was re-elected for another term with council members Melissa Gaywish, Derrick McKay and Claude Shannacappo. 

Meanwhile members of Brokenhead Ojibway Nation in Manitoba elected Gordon Bluesky as their new Chief.

Joining Chief Bluesky are councillors, Allen Hocaluk, Christopher Kent, Remi Olson and Wendell Sinclair Jr.

SCO would also like to pay tribute to outgoing Chief of Brokenhead Deborah Smith and long-time outgoing Chief of Long Plain Dennis Meeches (*26 years of service) for their dedication to their communities (below).

Holding our provincial Treaty partner to account has been the focus for Councilor Leonard Sumner of KithithKatchewanung Anishinaabe Nation (Dauphin River).

A 3rd generation commercial fisher, Leonard has been working tirelessly to get hydrologists and engineers from the Province of Manitoba to acknowledge the devastating impacts the Lake Manitoba outlet channel is having on his community’s livelihood. 

Because the channel does not properly filter out chemicals from agricultural run-off, they are making their way into pickerel spawning grounds. Leonard says last year’s catch was 65 per cent less than normal and that he will continue advocating for collaborative solutions on proper filtration.

Healing comes in many forms including taking every opportunity we can to acknowledge that every child indeed matters.

With that in mind, SCO is proud to announce a new partnership to acknowledge the tragic legacy of IRS in Canada with Winnipeg based Corpell’s Water and launch a scholarship for Survivors and their descendants. 

Together, we have designed an Every Child Matters water bottle with a distinctive orange label with a powerful message to honour the children who attended the residential schools. For each case of water sold Corpell’s will donate funds to a new endowed SCO Scholarship Fund at the University of Brandon, and SCO will match the donations up to $25,000.

The limited edition bottles are available at Safeway, Sobey’s, Food Fares, Red River Co-op Stores, Esso, One Stop in Selkirk, and the Brokenhead Community Store, with more stores to be announced and upcoming sales at summer festivals. Corpell’s Water plans to sell the bottles as long as there is a demand to support.  

The community of Waywayseecappo just played host to its’ first ever dance recital! 

"A Celebration of Spring" featured a wonderful blend of traditional and contemporary dance styles starring children from the community.

The dance program is a partnership between Wayway's Jordan's Principle program and the Wade Dance Centre from nearby Russell, Manitoba. Congratulations to Grace Mentuck along with Belva Wade-Zentner and her assistant Phoenix Tanner. 

Special mention goes to former council member, Chantel Wilson, and the community's youth for raising enough funds to create a dance studio.

Finally, and most importantly, we honour and salute the children from Wayway and their caregivers for sharing their talents and gifts and keeping our culture alive and well!