The Blog

Follow along as we work towards systems change and help create better outcomes for kids in our community.

#IIS2015: Indigenous Innovation Summit – Nov 18-20

November 16, 2015

If you haven’t noticed yet, The Winnipeg Boldness Project has been plugging the Indigenous Innovation Summit, to be held here in Winnipeg on Nov 18 – 20, quite a bit. That’s because we’re very excited about this awesome event taking place this week!

The summit is truly first of it’s kind, created with the purpose of promoting Indigenous innovation from across the country, with an emphasis on local efforts in our great city. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the field of innovation and the great projects and initiatives that are happening in our city.

The Winnipeg Boldness Project has the great opportunity of sharing some of the tools we’ve learned over the last year by hosting a 2-day solutions lab at the event. This solutions lab will take participants through the process of a social innovation lab, while using real life challenges and opportunities in the North End of Winnipeg as the subject matter. It’s going to be a very cool session that will ultimately help to influence our work as a project.

There will also be countless speakers attending to share their knowledge, including (but not limited to): Justice Murray Sinclair, Wab Kinew, Michael Champagne, Stephen Kakfwi, Tina Keeper, Mayor Brian Bowman, and also #wpgboldness project director, Diane Roussin, just to name a few.

Check out www.nafc.ca for more information on confirmed speakers and how to purchase tickets. If you’re not able to attend daytime sessions, there is an evening event at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on the Thursday evening that is only $10 to attend or free for survivors.

The future is Indigenous. Be a part of it.

Land Acknowledgement

The Winnipeg Boldness Project resides in and works on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg (Ojibwe), Anishinabewaki (Oji-Cree), Dené, Michif Piyii (Métis), Nêhiyawak (Cree), and Očhéthi Sakowin (Dakota). We recognize that we have benefited from and continue to benefit from colonization on the Treaty 1, Treaty 3, and Treaty 5 Territories.

It is important to also acknowledge how we benefit in this territory at the cost to Indigenous Peoples. Winnipeg has been drinking clean water for over a century via an aqueduct from Shoal Lake. In 1917, 3000 acres of Treaty 3 was declared property of the city of Winnipeg to build the aqueduct. This aqueduct was built over ancestral burial ground, to build these structures, the ancestors were disinterred and reburied. Construction of the aqueduct changed the waters significantly, causing the peninsula to become a man-made island. This now isolated Nation faced many challenges as a direct result from this aqueduct; Necessities like water, groceries, schools, and mail were only accessible via the dangerous trek to the mainland. Lives of adults and children were lost crossing to and from the mainland. Freedom Road, an all-weather road access finally opened summer 2019, over a century after displacement. This road, a testament to the success of Indigenous-led solutions, helps bring materials to build schools and a water treatment plant.

“I always think of it, even when I turn on the tap I’m like this comes from our community and this water probably contains our ancestors and the spirits of our ancestor. I think about the hardships of the people from Shoal Lake 40 who have gone through so many things for the benefit of Winnipeg’s drinking water,” says Angelina McLeod.¹

Another benefit we reap in Winnipeg at a cost to Indigenous Peoples and land is the Hydro Electricity Development in Treaty 5. To optimize water movement for greatest power production the Province of Manitoba increased waterflow by creating the Churchill River Diversion in 1976. The modification of the waterflow caused flooding, shoreline erosion, and changes to water quality. This destruction of habitat has caused disruption to waterway travel, fishing, and hunting.

https://www.aptnnews.ca/facetoface/spirits-of-our-ancestor-shoal-lake-40-is-rectifying-a-century-of-hardships/