City recognizes naming of Tikina’gaan Park

Winnipeg, MB – Tonight, the City of Winnipeg recognized Tikina’gaan Park (pronounced Tee-gi-nah-gan) as the new commemorative name for the park located at 100 Comanche Road. Councillor Matt Allard was joined in recognizing Tikina’gaan Park by Indigenous Elders.

The request to rename the park formerly known as Papoose Park was approved by City Council on September 14, 2022, through the Welcoming Winnipeg: Reconciling our History Policy. The name Tikina’gaan Park was recommended by Elders in the spirit of honouring Indigenous children, and was supported by the Welcoming Winnipeg Committee of Community Members.

The tikina'gaan is a traditional Indigenous cradleboard used by a number of Indigenous peoples throughout Turtle Island (North America). The board is typically made out of wood with a cushioned backing. Once properly bundled, the baby is securely bound to the cradleboard by leather ties. It is a way to simulate the time spent in the womb, allowing a child to view the world while still feeling safe and comforted. 

“Moving forward with the name Tikina’gaan Park is very much about education and properly honouring Indigenous peoples,” said Councillor Matt Allard, Saint Boniface. “This park was formerly named with an uninformed term for Indigenous youth, and it’s important that we recognize the harms of that and educate our community on the significance of this name change. This park is a meeting place for families in the community and I deeply appreciate the thought put into choosing the name Tikina’gaan Park.”

The Welcoming Winnipeg: Reconciling Our History Policy was developed to guide the City in making decisions regarding requests to create new, add to, or remove/rename historical markers and place names and resolve the absence of Indigenous perspectives, experiences and contributions in the stories remembered and commemorated.