The 2019 Ki Ta Ski Naw Conference was held from the 8th to 10th of November in downtown Winnipeg on the University of Winnipeg. It brought together participants from Manitoba, B.C, Newfoundland and Labrador, the USA, Mexico, Latin America, as well as India, to discuss social, environmental and economic hydro-development impacts and solutions. Ki Ta Ski Naw means Our Land in Cree and the theme for this year was ‘Reflecting and Acting on Hydropower and Energy Justice’. Read More
In May 2018 community members, researchers and NGOs met in Thompson for Wa Ni Ska Tan’s 5th Annual Spring Gathering. We gathered as a group for large discussions at the Friendship Centre, where key priorities were discussed and stories were shared. We had presentations from the Lake Winnipeg Indigenous Collective and Sylvia McAdam, co founder of the Idle No More movement. Breakout sessions were hosted by the University College of the North, where participants had the freedom to choose which discussions and ideas they’d like most to take part in during the day. Read More
Our 2017 Spring gathering was hosted in Norway House, Manitoba. Community members, including youth and elders were well represented, providing an opportunity for everyone to share stories, participate in workshops, and make decisions for the future of the Alliance. The gathering kicked off with food and dancing, and was followed by a sunrise ceremony the next morning before people began to gather for the week’s events. A presentation from Sujata Manandhar, Lorraine Stick and James Allen provided insight into the implications of hydroelectric development on Champagne & Aishihik First Nations, and the present co management process. Drawing comparisons between the Yukon and Manitoba they helped to provide a valuable discussion on management and impacts. Read more
Over the course of three days, from April 28th to 30th, 90 community members, researchers and NGO representatives met in Brokenhead Ojibway Nation to discuss the impacts of hydro development in Manitoba and celebrate the successful application of the Hydro Research Alliance Partnership Grant. A total of 20 communities and 11 organizations were represented, along with researchers and students of both the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba. Topics ranged from application updates, licencing, the creation of a living archive, youth camps, cross-community visits, and the possibilities of community action research and hearing of success stories from previous partnership grants. Read More
Our 2015 Gathering in Opaskwayak Cree Nation brought together 60 people representing 19 communities. The outcomes of the Gathering informed our report for our SSHRC Application, which we successfully attained, and has been vital in the ongoing success of the Alliance. The Gathering helped shape the Alliance and community partners’ research priorities going forward. Read More
On December 4th and 5th, 2014, the first meeting of what would later become Wa Ni Ska Tan: An Alliance of Hydro Impacted Communities took place at the Friendship Centre in Thompson, Manitoba. The meeting was attended by 62 people, including representatives from 13 Cree and Anishinaabe First Nations, five NGOS, and 11 researchers. Importantly, the meeting represented the first opportunity for many of these communities to share their experiences as well as to identify ways of grieving these losses and to move forward. This first meeting would also inform a SSHRC Letter of Intent by identifying research priorities and activities important to hydro-impacted communities. Read More
