Indigenous peoples have lived on the land we call Canada for thousands of years. Most of us are settlers, and many of us or our ancestors came here more recently. We have benefited, knowingly or not, from treaties and the taking of Indigenous peoples’ lands. Before Europeans arrived, Indigenous communities lived in harmony with the land, respecting all species and celebrating their cultures through language, traditions, ceremonies, and sustainable ways of living. Settler colonialism is still happening today, and we continue to benefit from it.

In Winnipeg, Manitoba, we live and work on the original lands of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, and Dene peoples, as well as the homeland of the Red River Métis Nation. Our water comes from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, and our electricity is from Treaty 5 land. At C4F, we commit to learning, listening, educating ourselves, acknowledging past and present wrongs, building respectful relationships, and standing with Indigenous peoples. We are all treaty people. We encourage you to reflect on this and consider actions to build right relationships with the original peoples of this land.

Acknowledging Treaty land Through Play

Communities 4 Families does not have their own bank of activities or land-based play resources available at this time associated with acknowledging treaty lands. Please check out the links below for resources about using play to explore and learn about Treaty land and awareness of the past, present, and future of the space you’re using for your program.

Working in Good Ways: Indigenous Engagement – resources from University of Manitoba’s Community Engagement department. Focuses on accountability, recognition of where you stand, and how to engage with Indigenous communities.  Working in good ways | University of Manitoba (umanitoba.ca)

You can watch one of their videos here.