I've been reading Niigaan Sinclair's new book Wînipêk: Visions of Canada from an Indigenous Centre. Sinclair, a professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of Manitoba is a regular writer on Indigenous issues for the Free Press. The book is a selection of his columns. Some date back to 2018, when Sinclair first started writing for the paper.
The book opens with an essay on the Canada Day toppling of the statues of the two monarchs on the Manitoba Legislative Grounds in 2021. It ends with a piece about the significance of our province electing its first Indigenous premier.
I enjoyed some of the stories of Niigaan's childhood that are included. He has one about playing Joseph, Jesus' father in the Christmas pageant in Ashern, Manitoba and a very moving piece about his grandfather Henry and his relationship with him.
I was surprised to find two stories set in Mitchell Manitoba, a small community close to Steinbach where I was a teacher for some twenty years. One story is about Niigaan Sinclair offering advice when the Mitchell Mohawks hockey team wanted to change its name and the other is about a beautiful land acknowledgement he heard when he was a guest at the Mitchel Community Fellowship church. It had been composed by Val Hiebert.
Niigaan Sinclair is a member of The Bear Clan Patrol, a group who volunteer their time to walk together through inner-city neighbourhoods in Winnipeg providing food, clothing, encouragement, help, safety, security and support to those who need it. Quite a number of the essays in the book reference people the author has met or experiences he has had while walking with the Bear Clan Patrol.
Photo of Niigaan Sinclair from Wikimedia Commons
There are many columns in the book that address difficult issues like the ones about murdered and missing Indigenous women, but there are also hopeful pieces like the ones about the way the Winnipeg Jets hockey team is trying to be a positive force in the work of reconciliation in Winnipeg.
Although I am a regular reader of Niigaan Sinclair's columns in the Free Press it was good to read so many of them again. The way they are organized by topic and theme in the book adds meaning and depth to the essays.
Photo from McNally Robinson Booksellers YouTube video
I watched the launch of Wînipêk: Visions of Canada from an Indigenous Centre online. Mr. Sinclair was introduced by Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham and interviewed by CBC literary luminary Shelagh Rogers. It is well worth watching.
Just a note about the title-Wînipêk is the Anishinabee pronunciation of Winnipeg.
Other posts..........
Living Beings Just Like Us
Good News and Good People
What's In a Name?
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