Treaty One Nation and City of Winnipeg arrive at the Gaawijijigemangit Agreement for municipal services at Naawi-Oodena site
Winnipeg, MB – Treaty One Nation and the City of Winnipeg have arrived at the Gaawijijigemangit Agreement, a Municipal Development & Services Agreement, that would see the City provide municipal services for a proposed urban reserve at the Naawi-Oodena site (formerly referred to as the Kapyong Barracks). The Governing Council of the Treaty One Nation formally approved the Agreement on May 27, 2022. The Agreement now requires approval of City Council before going forward for signing with the seven Treaty One First Nations.
“This is a time to celebrate the legacy of our First Nations leaders,” said Chief Gordon BlueSky, Treaty One Nation Chairperson. “For two decades, they have pushed to reclaim our rightful place in Treaty One territory. The Gaawijijigemangit Agreement is a symbol of meaningful government to government collaboration and respectful negotiations. The Agreement is a major step forward in expanding Treaty One Nations’ leadership in the Manitoba economy.”
“The collaborative approach to the creation of the Gaawijijigemangit Agreement has been unlike any previous experience, beginning with the clear, mutual understanding that the parties were building an entire community where nothing has actively existed for decades,” said Michael Jack, City of Winnipeg Chief Administrative Officer. “While two other urban reserves currently exist within the City of Winnipeg, Naawi-Oodena is relatively novel in terms of size, magnitude of potential development, and scope of activities to be included.”
After years of work between representatives of Treaty One Nation and the City’s Public Service, the proposed Agreement is the result of discussion, review, and analysis of common and best practices across Canada, through the lens of reconciliation. While the Agreement provides the fundamental framework for all future collaboration and engagement, the City and Treaty One Nation also acknowledge that development of this scale will continue to require ongoing work, and have agreed to the creation of a Joint Committee which will play a crucial role in the implementation and ongoing administration of the Agreement.
Once the Agreement has been formally approved, it is expected that the lands will be added to reserve soon thereafter, with the Treaty One Nation hoping to move forward imminently with development plans.
The proposed Agreement states that Treaty One Nation will develop the overall site in parallel and in conjunction with the Canada Lands Corporation (CLC), with Treaty One Nation developing 68 percent of the lands, and CLC developing the remaining 32 percent. At this time, the City has agreed to provide services in and on Naawi-Oodena land in a scope and manner consistent with the rest of the City. As Treaty One Nation develops further and builds certain capacities, it may choose to provide various services in and on the Naawi-Oodena land.
The proposed Agreement will be discussed at the next meeting of the City’s Executive Policy Committee scheduled for Wednesday, June 15, 2022.