The new gathering space at The Forks
There’s a new gathering space at The Forks and it’s connecting the past to the present.
“This is what’s called a Wiigiwaam and it’s a traditional lodge amongst the Ojibwe people or Anishinaabe people,” said Niigaan Sinclair, Indigenous curator for The Forks.
“This is a place that we lived, it’s a place of governance, it’s a place of ceremony, it’s also a place of relationships, where we met non-Indigenous peoples and shared food and time and eventually built relationships together.”
The traditional lodge was built in a clearing along the bank of the Assiniboine River using tree poles from northern Manitoba and stones from southern Manitoba. The space also includes benches, tables, grandfather rocks, and traditional elements, such as a ceremonial offerings table and a fire pit.
Sinclair noted the space is about community, treaty and sharing space.
“This space is different than any other place at The Forks,” he said, noting it’s a space for all communities to come together that serves a specific purpose.
“This space is about honouring the traditions of what happens in this place, which is Indigenous-led, which is thinking about who we are fundamentally as Winnipeggers, as Manitobans, how we share relationships.”
Sinclair added the lodge is also about thinking about the sacredness of space.
“This place, for example, one of our rules, is we don’t have alcohol in this space. We also have a protocol of respect in this place, because it’s about following the laws that have always been here – how to live here the most sustainably, the most responsibly and ethically.”
The lodge is open to everyone and will be available for bookings for events, ceremonies and celebrations.
“There’s lots of possibilities, there’s more yet to come, in fact this is only the beginning,” Sinclair said.
- With files from CTV's Scott Andersson.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
'It was violent': Police tear down U of A pro-Palestinian encampment Saturday morning
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
Trucker's body found in trailer in Newfoundland after failed police search in Ontario
Ontario Provincial Police are facing tough questions about their search for a missing Newfoundland trucker whose rig was found two weeks ago in Ontario, then sent back to Newfoundland, where his body was found Monday in the trailer.
An apartment block collapses in a Russian border city after heavy shelling, injuring over a dozen
An apartment block partially collapsed in the Russian border city of Belgorod on Sunday, leaving at least 19 injured. Officials blamed Ukrainian shelling and said there were also likely deaths.
German men with the strongest fingers compete in Bavaria's 'Fingerhakeln' wrestling championship
Despite the threat of dislocated fingers and strained muscles, over 150 Bavarian men came together Sunday to compete in Germany’s unique national championship of “Fingerhakeln,” or finger wrestling.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
Feds 'committed to doing more,' but minister offers no timeline for Canadian Disability Benefit boost
Amid significant criticism from advocates, Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera is defending her government's long-promised, newly unveiled Canada Disability Benefit, calling the funds an "initial step," but without laying out a timeline for future expansion of the program.