Niigaan Sinclair

Niigaan Sinclair is a columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press and the author of Wînipêk: Visions of Canada from an Indigenous Centre.

When I was a teacher at Kelvin High School in the early 2000s, I had a student who was smart, one might even call him brilliant.

Summer is a big deal for everyone but particularly Indigenous Peoples. It's the time of year when the past is reflected upon and exhaustive preparations are made for the coming season(s). For Indigenous communities, this is the time when everything is refreshed. My family has been attending ceremonies all my life. Our home lodge, called the Three Fires Midéwiwin Lodge, is based in Wisconsin and in particular Madeline Island — a sacred spot for Anishinaabeg. Before the COVID-19 pandemic messed up the world, my family travelled to attend gatherings there four times a year. Revitalized in the 1970s by the late Bawdaywidun Banaise, or Edward Benton-Benai, the Three Fires Midéwiwin Lodge has been in operation for centuries and went underground during the years our traditional practices were outlawed. Now, our membership includes thousands and ceremonies are held throughout the Anishinaabeg nation (including in Winnipeg). The Three Fires Midéwiwin lodge, of course, is not the only Midé lodge in existence; there are many others. Some of our members, in fact, have gone on to help their own Anishinaabe communities revitalize their own lodges and ceremonies too.

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It’s graduation powwow season, a fairly new phenomenon here in Manitoba. It is a time of miracles. In order to graduate from anything, every student from any background has to overcome struggles and a...

It’s graduation powwow season, a fairly new phenomenon here in Manitoba. It is a time of miracles. In order to graduate from anything, every student from any background has to overcome struggles and a...

Wab Kinew wore a red and blue plaid traditional shirt featuring an appliqué with a red, yellow and blue design Tuesday at the legislature.

There's a famous story in the ceremonial lodge attended by me and my family. Read this article for free:

Friday, the 28th anniversary of National Indigenous Peoples Day, is a time set aside for Canada to recognize and honour the diverse cultures, traditions and contributions of its First Nations, Métis a...