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
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.