ᑭᐃᓂᓂᐏᓰᐏᓈᐣ
Ki-ininewiseewinan
Our Nations
About
As the Five Nations, we work collaboratively as partners leading this project.
We are uniting as five Nayhenaway Ininisewinuk to create a new Indigenous Protected Area in our shared ancestral homelands along the Hudson Bay coast.
We, the Nayhenaway Ininewuk, are a Cree people who are descended from the original inhabitants of Northeastern Manitoba. Since time immemorial, we have lived throughout our vast territory in Northern Manitoba as an organized and self-sufficient society that hunts, fishes, traps, gathers, and harvests. We have always governed our territory under our own laws, customs, and beliefs.
For as long as we can remember our people have exercised our own form of stewardship by distributing our harvesting efforts, letting resource areas rest as needed, and following cultural customs. We show respect and reciprocity and use all the gifts given to us from Askiy.
Once one people, we were divided into the five First Nations through the Indian Act and Reservation system. Today, we are reuniting through this project to celebrate our shared ancestry while strengthening the protection of our homelands.
Five Nations
Niyanan Ininisewinuk
ᑭᐢᒋ ᐚᐢᑳᐦᐃᑲᐣ
Kischi Wáskáhikan Negani Ininewisewin
The York Factory First Nation (YFFN) Ininewuk have lived on the land that is now northeastern Manitoba for thousands of years – since the glaciers melted. During this time, we developed an intimate relationship with the land – an unbroken cultural thread transmitted from our ancestors to current members of the community. To be Ininewuk was, and still is, to be part of an ancient tradition that mastered and specialized in life in a most challenging environment. Through our cultural teachings and practices, our relationship to the land has supported our health and well-being since before recorded history.
Our ancestral lands run all along the coast of the Hudson Bay from Churchill, MB to Fort Severn, ON. The Nelson and Hayes Rivers are significant historical travel routes for our people throughout the lowlands, as well as smaller rivers like the Kaskatamakan, Pennycuttaway, and Owl/ Ohoo Seepee.
In 1957, the last of the Nayhenaway Ininewuk at York Factory were forcibly relocated to York Landing (Kawéchiwásik) and built a new community over 250 km from our original homelands.
There are currently more than 1,500 YFFN members living in Churchill, Thompson, Winnipeg and beyond, with approximately 450 of those living on reserve at York Landing.
ᑕᑕᐢᑿᔭᕽ
Tataskweyak Nayhenaway Ininewisewin
Our home community is located in Split Lake, Manitoba, which is home to more than 2300 of our 4000 plus members. Our ancestral lands are marked by two mighty rivers – the Churchill and the Nelson, as well as rich boreal forest and the Hudson Bay lowlands and coastline. This land is our home, and we maintain a deep spiritual and emotional connection to it.
Through access programs and family camps, our people continue to travel throughout our territory, harvest and share our traditional foods, and maintain our connection to Askiy.
ᒪᐦᑫᓯᐤ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ
Makaso Sakahigan Nayhenaway Ininewisewin
The Fox Lake Cree have inhabited Northern Manitoba for centuries. Our ancestors developed skills to allow them to live a holistic, healthy, and rich life off the land and all it provides. When European settlers arrived with the fur trade, we adapted and found ways to take advantage of the opportunities that these changes brought to our territory, all while maintaining our connection to land and culture. To this day, to the people of Fox Lake Cree Nation say, “The Land and The People are One”.
With the arrival of the Canadian National Railway (CNR), our people came to settle within our territory at what is now known as the town of Gillam. Valued for our knowledge of the northern landscape with skills that complemented a life along the remote tracks, our community adapted to employment on the railway. For decades Fox Lake people have lived in relative cooperation with the CNR, while still engaging in our traditional way of life by living off the land.
Since our settlement in Gillam, the area has become a hub for hydro-electric development along the lower Nelson River, which was our main travel route for our nation to reach our traditional territories along the Hudson Bay coast. While this route has been disrupted, we maintain connection to the lands around the Nelson, as well as the Weir, Kettle and Fox rivers.
Our community is located in Bird, 750 kilometres (1200kms by road) North East of Winnipeg, Manitoba. There are approximately 1300 members, of which approximately 200 live on the Fox Lake reserve land in Bird, as well as on a small piece of reserve land in Gillam. Approximately 1000 members live off reserve, including about 300 in the Town of Gillam, with the remaining living primarily in Winnipeg, Thompson, and Churchill, Manitoba.
ᒨᓱᑯᐟ
Môsokot Negani Ininewisewin
Our Nation has always lived in harmony with the land, sharing the land and its resources. Our members originated from Tataskweyak First Nation and since many resided in Ilford, it was decided among the Elders of Ilford that they wanted their own Reserve. After many talks with the Federal Government, we were granted reserve status and named War Lake First Nation. War Lake First Nation is recognized as “Mooseocoot IR reserve” and is adjacent to the town of Ilford. War Lake obtained reserve status in 1981 and has a population of 330 members living on reserve.
Our community originated as a construction and service centre during the building of the Hudson Bay Railway. Later it served as a marshalling point for prospectors during the Island Lake gold rush, and then as a similar marshalling point for the network of winter freight roads going east from Ilford. It also served as a fishing transport centre to many communities by flying the tubs of fish to fishing depots in the north. Our community was once known as the “hub of north”. The “Gold Trail Inn” operated by Clifford (Kip) and Emily (Mickey) Thompson was the main point of communication for many years.
Our nation continues to maintain strong connections to the land and our traditional territories that connect with the Aiken, Cyril, Fox, Hayes, and Nelson Rivers. We continue to have strong ancestral ties to our homelands along the Hudson Bay coast and seek to protect it for future generations.
ᑭᓭᒫᑖᐘ
Kisêmâtâwa Negani Ininewisewin
Our community resides at the meeting of the Gods and Echoing Rivers, about 350 kilometres southeast of Churchill. Shamattawa has long been a seasonal fishing, gathering, and meeting site for the Nayhenaway Ininewuk, who would travel to and from the York Factory area. During the relocation of the Nayhenaway Ininewuk from York Factory, six people travelled to settle in Shamattawa. From there, our community has grown to more than 1600 members, with at least 1,400 living on reserve.
To this day, our people continue to travel throughout our traditional territories to hunt, fish and trap on the land. Our home is part of a large migratory route for thousands of caribou, which carry great cultural significance for our people. As a remote, isolated community, we have abundant access to our ancestral homelands with all its food and medicines, and it is our responsibility to continue to care for it as our ancestors once did.
History
“I think it’s important that we protect as much as we can, because once it’s gone, we’ll never be able to get it back. We need to let the area heal. That means that we need to do our job as stewards of the land and protect it as our ancestors left it for us.”
Conway Arthurson, FLCN
Vision
ᐃᐢᓯᓇᒧᐏᐣ
Issinumowin
Our ancestors for millennia have been sustained by Kitaskeenan — our land, following their traditional laws, teachings, and practices.
We, the Nayhenaway Ininewuk — the Cree People — know this because this knowledge was passed down orally from generation to generation. Askiy and all that it holds is our legacy from the Creator and was cared for by our ancestors. It is now our turn to protect it.
Kitaskeenan is a gift to our children that carries their histories, language, and identities. Our vision is to protect Kitaskeenan Kanatenihtakwuk — our sacred land — by following the ways of our ancestors to conserve, preserve and honour all of Askiy that the Creator provided. Protecting this land will play a major role in the survival of our culture and language.
We will work together to create a protected area in our shared homelands. The Kitaskeenan Kaweekanawaynichikatek initiative will be Ininewuk-led, guided by traditional laws and the wisdom of our elders, youth, and knowledge keepers.
The Five Nations will have equal representation and responsibility in protecting Kitaskeenan Kaweekanawaynichikatek.
“My vision is for the people to come together and work together. There is no place for future generations to provide for themselves, to follow the seasons. We need land-based healing and teachings, especially for children in a school setting. The caribou are being overkilled. I would like to see and teach respect for our food sources and save these teachings for the next generation.”
Mary Beardy, FLCN
Guiding Principles
ᑲ ᐱᒥᑎᓴᐁᓈᐣ ᑭᐢᑭᐅᑕᐋᒪᑫᐏᓈ
Ka Pimitisuhaynan Kiskinotuhamakaywina
Guided by our ancestors, Elders, and our lived experiences, we recognize the following main guiding principles.
““Looking after our land” is almost a mission statement. We have a mission statement for our Fox Lake Cree Nation Resource Management Area — All the land within the Fox Lake territory is sacred and important and should be preserved and protected for our future generations — so the generations that are to come can have a land base to use for their cultural activities.”
Mary Beardy, FLCN
Project Team
ᑳᐏᒋ ᐋᑐᐢᑫᒥᑐᒋᐠ
Kawichi Atoskaymitochik
