This past Tuesday, November 8, was Indigenous Veterans Day - a day where SCO recognized the 8,000+ First Nation, Inuit, and Metis citizens for their service, bravery, and sacrifice.

When our Veterans returned to Canada, they did not receive the same benefits, honours, and respect as non-First Nation Veterans. Today, more than 2,700 Indigenous members continue to serve in Canada's military forces. 

To continue honouring them throughout the year, SCO has created a Wall of Honour featuring Veterans from our 34 Anishinaabe and Dakota First Nations.

If you would like to submit a photo and story of a Veteran in your life, please send it to media@scoinc.mb.ca.

We thank these courageous and hard-working individuals for their service.

Lest We Forget.

As new Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham takes on the responsibility of leading the largest municipality in Treaty No. 1 Territory, SCO Grand Chief Jerry Daniels and the southern Chiefs of Manitoba would like to thank outgoing mayor Brian Bowman.

Mayor Bowman was the first mayor to make Indigenous land acknowledgements commonplace in Winnipeg. He also worked to incorporate First Nations, Métis, and Inuit symbols into city hall and we thank him and City Council for their support of our Wehwehneh Bahgahkinaghon project. 

Congratulations to Mayor Gillingham and we look forward to working with you and building on that momentum! 

SCO and the Brandon School Division (BSD) have come together to improve outcomes for First Nation students based in Brandon. The BSD becomes the latest school division to add an SCO Jordan’s Principle Coordinator to its team.

“The new Jordan’s Principle Coordinator in western Manitoba will focus on ensuring First Nation students have equitable access to the full scope of services needed to ensure they achieve the best possible educational outcomes alongside their non-First Nation classmates.” said SCO Grand Chief Jerry Daniels

SCO sends prayers and heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of treasured Knowledge Keeper Roger Roulette (left) and Knowledge Keeper Clarence Nepinak (right) who recently made their journey home to the Spirit world. 

These two incredible men were instrumental in the continued revitalization of our languages and culture with Clarence spending the majority of his 25-year career advocating and breathing life into Ojibway ways. Roger, who grew up in a community outside MacGregor, Manitoba was a language specialist and expert in the languages of Ojibway, Cree and Oji-Cree who taught Native Studies at the University of Manitoba and also authored traditional language dictionaries.

May their Spirits shine on and may their loved ones find peace in cherished memories.

Did you know, Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation, is home to a pair of budding golf stars? The best part is, neither has reached their 10th birthday! 

7-year-old Kian Bunn and 6-year-old Connor Hanska are coming off a golf season that most players could only dream of.  

That includes participating in the 2022 Mini Junior Tour, culminating with the National Championship event at the incredible Tswawassen Spring Golf Club in British Columbia. 

Now with fall setting in, Kian and Connor are back home, and prepping for the upcoming hockey season with the Birdtail Blues. 

We are so proud of your accomplishments boys, and we look forward to witnessing what you’ll achieve in the years to come! 

Most importantly, we hope that whatever you may do, you keep smiling! 

As part of Ebb and Flow First Nation’s land-based education program, students are learning how to grow, harvest, and prepare traditional medicines for use in ceremony. 

On this day, Phyllis Racette was teaching her grade 7 class about the importance and sacredness of organic tobacco. 

The students also had the opportunity to perform the delicate task of extracting the seeds from the plant pods. 

Tobacco sits in the east of the medicine wheel, and it is vital for ceremonies that honour the earth. It is also a sacred gift when seeking the wisdom of Knowledge Keepers. 

That includes Knowledge Keeper Phyllis and her team, who are working to ensure our cultures, traditions, and medicines are treasured by the future generations of Ebb and Flow.

Last month, the citizens of Waywayseecapo First Nation will gain access to a gleaming new place to purchase food and other supplies.

Thanks to the efforts of Chief Murray Clearsky and Council, the community is set to open the doors to its state-of-the-art new food store.

Increased food security along with better access to delivering nutritious options to our people is critical for health and well-being.

Congratulations to the community leaders for making this increased access a reality!

Did you catch SCO in the Globe and Mail article Converting office building to hybrid spaces, multi-use facilities, key to downtown planning?  

How about the op-ed in the Winnipeg Free Press, Transforming the Bay Downtown?

To stay up to date on SCO’s media coverage featuring our many different projects and initiatives, check out SCO’s In The Media page.