Making real commitment to Naawi-Oodena

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/05/2023 (871 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was a big moment for Naawi-Oodena — the housing, retail, green space and commercial development plan for the former Kapyong Barracks site on Route 90.

It’s a big, ambitious blueprint, designed by the seven First Nations who make up Treaty 1 and working with federal Crown corporation Canada Lands Co. to develop the 160 acres over 15 years (in three five-year phases).

The first five years alone will result in 100 residential units, 300,000 square feet of commercial space and $25 million in infrastructure.

By the end of the project, Naawi-Oodena will be the largest First Nations-led urban economic zone in Manitoba. It’s already the largest urban reserve in the country.

A long journey needs a good first step, and this took place Wednesday, with a “land blessing” ceremony, attended by leadership, elders and citizens from all seven First Nations and their partners.

A land blessing is a long-standing tradition of any First Nations development. It’s not really a blessing at all, more a “land commitment” ceremony.

(I participate in them all the time. Most recently, I took part in one for the new Buffalo Crossing building at Fort Whyte.)

In this important ceremony, specific steps are followed to begin the process of building a lodge, ceremonial space or anywhere people are going to interact with the Earth and something is going to be placed or taken.

It’s not just “drop some tobacco and begin,” but follows four specific protocols.

First, there is an invitation to all participants in the work — creation, building and oversight of a project — be it human or non-human.

This usually takes place with the gifting and collecting of tobacco, the lighting of the pipe, and raising and sharing of water. After this, everyone who is about to participate in whatever is to be taking place on the land are asked to prepare and witness what is about to happen there.

The second step is the pronouncement of what is about to happen on the land, when all witnesses are invited to share their visions of how the work is to take place.

This is usually a time of prayer, story and song. The history and reason for the work is discussed, too. Often, this ends in a collective dance or song, unifying all differing visions into one.

The third step comes with offerings, made by all in attendance. This can be prayers, gifts, stories or songs, but most often is food. This feast is placed usually on the land where the work is to take place and covered in red cloth, signifying the offering of our blood, sweat and love. Our heart.

As the food is uncovered, a small portion, called a “spirit plate,” is created before anyone eats. This plate is offered to the Earth, as way of giving the land sustenance before anything is taken. Then, everyone eats together.

The fourth and final step is a commitment made by all in attendance. This is represented by a song, dance or the signing of an agreement, like a treaty.

This demonstration of solidarity is intended to bring the land commitment ceremony to a close but open up the doorway to the work ahead.

Then, the work can begin.

A commitment ceremony recognizes the land as a being that has rights, deserves recognition and must be a part of the lives lived on it. By inviting the land into a relationship, the beings who do work upon it are therefore asked to always remember the invitation, pronouncement, offerings and commitment it took to be there.

Imagine if every building, every project, every action in Winnipeg began this way. If everyone who did work on land committed to it, it would be hard to pollute, misuse or damage it. Everyone (and thing) who worked on it would matter.

There would also be a lot of dance, song, story and feasting.

If we did enough land commitments, we would learn and live with one another, and perhaps even give each other gifts of humility, bravery, honesty, wisdom, truth, respect and love.

We would get to know one another, look after each other’s children, and never let people go murdered and missing, fall into addiction and poverty, and be left behind in institutions, jails and encampment tents.

This is what a land blessing is all about, and it’s how the most important project in this city’s future began Wednesday.

A ceremony for everyone, especially our descendants to come.

niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca