Take Action

Got Power? 

“Got Power?” is more than a simple question; it underscores the link between the electricity we take for granted every day and the Indigenous communities impacted by hydro operations in Manitoba.

Hydropower has deeply impacted First Nations and Métis communities in Manitoba, altering once-thriving lands, waters, and traditional ways of life. The flooding of territories and communities, dam construction and operation, and hydro corridors have all contributed to the destruction of vital social and environmental ecosystems, disrupting fishing, hunting, and gathering practices. Promised partnerships and economic prosperity are more myth than reality with First Nations struggling to work with a crown corporation that consistently fails in its duty to consult and be accountable and respectful in its operations.    

Despite the historical and ongoing impacts of hydropower, the fight for energy justice continues as Traditional Knowledge Keepers, Elders, and community leaders advocate for a future that respects Indigenous rights, lands, and traditions, while also acknowledging the true cost of hydropower.

If you “got power”, you can make a difference.  

1. Petition to Protect Sturgeon: Endangered, Not Forgotten

Lake Sturgeons are one of the oldest living species on Earth, and they are disappearing. These powerful water beings have survived for over 200 million years. But today, they face extinction due to hydroelectric development, habitat destruction, and the provincial government’s refusal to act. We are calling on the Government of Manitoba to immediately list Lake Sturgeon as endangered under the Endangered Species and Ecosystems Act (ESEA) and take bold action to protect their habitats, restore their spawning grounds, and respect the Indigenous laws that have long protected them. While this campaign calls specifically on the Manitoba government, its implications extend far beyond provincial borders. Lake Sturgeon are found across vast interconnected watersheds that flow across Turtle Island and beyond. Their disappearance in one region signals harm to many others. What happens to the sturgeon in Manitoba affects ecosystems, communities, and sacred waters across all four directions. This is a global responsibility.

Sign the petition to protect sturgeon and support Indigenous-led efforts to safeguard their future. Click here. 

  Augmented Flow: Licence to Destroy Film Screening & Presentation by Leslie Dysart, CEO of the Community Association of South Indian Lake

For this community whose lifeblood is the Lake, Manitoba Hydro’s relentless pursuit for power has gouged and eroded not only the health of the lake but the First Nation community itself. Since the 1970s the First Nation has been fighting Manitoba Hydro and the Province of Manitoba who perpetrate this destructive and unnecessary water level control in their territory. Now the Province of Manitoba has signed a licence agreement that gambles with the lives and future of the South Indian Lake community. Continuing generations of resistance, the community will not sit back and allow Manitoba Hydro to wash away their lands and lives. Augmented Flow has been developed by the community of South Indian Lake and features Elders, knowledge keepers, and other community members sharing their perspectives on hydro and its impact on their lives and lands.

The film was produced by Leslie Dysart, Directed by Marcel Kreutzer, Written and Narrated by Leslie Dysart Edited by Erika MacPherson & Marcel Kreutzer ©2021

Watch the film now:

Norway House Cree Nation–#erosionunleashed

Norway House Cree Nation has been experiencing unprecedented erosion along 2-Mile and 8-Mile channels that were constructed by Manitoba Hydro in the 1970s as part of the Lake Winnipeg Regulation Project.

The nation was met with silence throughout 2022 when reaching out to Manitoba Hydro and the Province for assistance in dealing with this crisis. They are only now coming to the table to start a conversation after more than six months of stalling.

Manitoba Hydro needs to take responsibility for the erosion problem at 2 Mile Channel and come up with an engineered solution in real time to prevent future damage.

For more information about the impacts of hydro-related erosion on Norway House Cree Nation, please click here

Join us in writing to the our political representatives and ManitobaHydro executives to voice your concern and to recommend that immediate action be taken.

Sign the online letter, Use it as a temple, Create your own

Bill C-226 National Strategy on Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Act

In Canada, polluting industries, resource extraction, and other environmental threats are disproportionally situated in and around Indigenous and racialized communities. This reality is not an unintended consequence of development or resource extraction, instead, these are deliberate decisions that in many cases reflect the creation of “sacrifice zones” that are largely out of sight and out of mind from the general public.

Bill C-226 will require the government to develop a national strategy to advance environmental justice and to assess, prevent and address environmental racism. This includes examining the links between race, socioeconomic status and environmental risks.

Bill C-226 passed its third reading in the Senate and now waits for royal assent before it becomes legislation!

Thanks to all who signed the petition!