'This is long overdue': Land acknowledgement recited in Manitoba legislature
A formal land acknowledgement was recited for the first time in the Manitoba's legislative assembly, which one of the province's Grand Chiefs says is a momentous move to reset a badly tarnished relationship with the province.
On Monday, an Indigenous land acknowledgement was recited as a part of the formal proceedings of the legislative assembly.
"This is long overdue, it is the right thing to do and I believe this is an important step in our collective efforts to advance reconciliation and move forward together," Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said in a news release Monday afternoon.
The province said all three political parties unanimously agreed to the land acknowledgement, adding the government will later codify this through a Standing Committee on Rules of the House to make it permanent.
Grand Chief Arlen Dumas of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs was invited to sit in as a delegation of First Nations representatives to hear the first reading of the land acknowledgement.
"To First Nations, the land acknowledgement is more than symbolic; it is also a key step to righting previous wrongs perpetuated on First Nations in this province and moving forward in the spirit and intent of Reconciliation," Dumas said in a written statement.
"Today’s first reading of the official provincial land acknowledgement in the legislative assembly of Manitoba is another momentous moment in our shared history as we all work in the spirit of cooperation and respect to reset the relationship, which has been badly tarnished over the last few years, between First Nations in Manitoba and the provincial Crown."
The land acknowledgement will be delivered by the speaker of the house for the remainder of the fall sitting.
You can read the full land acknowledgement, as recited by House Speaker on Monday:
"We acknowledge we are gathered on Treaty 1 Territory, and that Manitoba is located on the Treaty Territories and ancestral lands of Anishinaabeg, Anishininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline and Nehethowuk.
We acknowledge part of Manitoba is located on the homeland of the Red River Métis. We acknowledge northern Manitoba includes lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit.
We remain committed to working in partnership with the Indigenous peoples in the spirit of truth, reconciliation and collaboration in accordance with their constitutional rights and human rights."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.