Recreation Manitoba acknowledges that we in Manitoba live, work and play on Treaty 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Territory and on the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene Peoples and in the homeland of the Metis.

We respect the Treaties that were made on these territories as they are an important reminder of the obligations to and shared responsibilities with Indigenous people. We are dedicated to having conversations from a place of learning and collaboration with the Indigenous community as through education we move forward on our journey of reconciliation.  

We acknowledge the harms and mistakes of the past and are committed to improving our relationships with the Indigenous community. Further we believe that recreation and parks can contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together.

We provide these resources to support the journey.

General Resources

• National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation

There are 94 Calls to Action by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. We have identified the following that recreation and parks can support, however we encourage you to identify more, #57 Professional Development and Training for Public Servants, #66 Youth Programs, #87 to #91 Sport and Reconciliation.

• Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
• Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba
• Reconciliation Education
• Reconciliation Canada
  
• National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education (NCCIE) 
• Native Land
  
• Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada
• Indigenous Canada, a course by the University of Alberta

Resources for writing a Land Acknowledgement

• Native Governance Center: A guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
• Amnesty International
  

Resource for working with Elders

• University of Winnipeg Policy
• Brandon University Policy
  

Protocols for Traditional Gathering and Ceremonies

• University College of the North
  

What are recreation and parks agencies doing?

• Parks Canada: Fostering a Culture of Reconciliation within Parks Canada
• Canadian Parks and Recreation Association Policy Statement

What can recreation and parks do?

We invite your feedback on what recreation and parks can do to foster reconciliation and help us build this list.

• Listen with empathy and understanding.
• Practitioners and volunteers can educate themselves. Take courses, we have listed some links above. Read books and articles.The National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education (NCCIE) has links to a number of different articles and resources. Watch and learn from Indigenous films and shows.
  
• Incorporate land based and Indigenous education in programs and serves.
• Invite Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers to speak at programs and in your community.
• Provide low cost or no cost events, programs and services.
• Develop programs with rather than for Indigenous people.