Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba

09/04/2026

The Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba is seeking a Coordinator for our Agowiidiwinan Centre and we'd like you to join our team.

For more information and to receive the full job description, please email [email protected]. Deadline for applications is September 15th, 2026.

09/03/2026

Please welcome Lucy Antsanen as our newest member to our Speakers Bureau.

Lucy is a member of Northlands Denesułinë First Nation from the community of Lac Brochet, Manitoba. Lucy is a certified teacher who has taught over 12 years in a Cree, Anishininew and Dene communities. She has experience teaching elementary, middle years, high school and university students. Lucy has served as a Vice Principal in a northern Cree community.

Lucy is a fluent Dene speaker, and she can write in Dene language using the Roman Orthography writing system. Lucy has taught K-Grade 12 Dene Language and Culture classes, and high school Natives Studies and Culture course.

Lucy received her Master of Education degree from University of Saskatchewan and Bachelor of Education from the Brandon University. In 2022, Lucy completed her 4-year Post Secondary Treaty Education Program hosted by us the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba.

As a teacher, Lucy loves reading storybooks to students, and as an education consultant, she enjoys writing books, Lucy has written several children’s books for classroom use.

Currently, Lucy works at Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre (MFNERC) as an Instructional Resource Developer (Education Consultant). Lucy assists in planning and development of instructional resource materials for First Nations schools.

TOPICS
• Northlands Denesułinë history
• Making of Treaty 10
• Peace Treaty of 1717
• Legacy of Thanadelthur, the Peacemaker in Red

If you would like to book Lucy or any of our Members from our Speakers Bureau please head to our website www.trcm.ca and fill out our request form, https://trcm.ca/contact-us/book-a-speaker/ or contact our Speakers Bureau Coordinator at [email protected]

09/03/2026

Please welcome Frank Abraham as our newest member to our Speakers Bureau.

Frank is a citizen of the Black River First Nation located in Treaty 5 territory where he has lived until the age of five before being sent to residential school. Uses the Anishinaabe language when he can.

He worked as a miner for 10 years of his life. Then was asked to return home at age of 35 where he was asked to take on the leadership role for the community.

It was his knowledge of treaties and understanding of the identity of our people that guided him. He understood that he was only a voice for the community.
He had the community members involved to make decisions for the community development.

Frank served the community a total of 16 years. He continues to be involved with the treaties and the identity of our people.

TOPICS:
• Treaty No. 5

If you would like to book Frank or any of our Members from our Speakers Bureau please head to our website www.trcm.ca and fill out our request form, https://trcm.ca/contact-us/book-a-speaker/ or contact our Speakers Bureau Coordinator at [email protected]

09/02/2026

Today we are releasing the fourth episode of our Podcast Series "Let's Talk Treaty" with our special guest Dr. Maureen Matthews.

This episode reveals special moments in the Treaty making process, curated stories from the Manitoba Museum, and expert historical insights from Maureen in this episode.

Follow our social media pages for updates, you can check out this episode by following the link here: https://youtu.be/ZYSFzGlMmPo?si=a-t7VBJd4E37z6lM

09/01/2026

📚 September 2026 Book of the Month 📚

This month we are featuring Call Me Indian: From the Trauma of Residential School to Becoming the NHL's First Treaty Indigenous Player by Fred Sasakamoose.

Fred Sasakamoose, torn from his home at the age of seven, endured the horrors of residential school for a decade before becoming one of 120 players in the most elite hockey league in the world. He has been heralded as the first Indigenous player with Treaty status in the NHL, making his official debut as a 1954 Chicago Black Hawks player on Hockey Night in Canada and teaching Foster Hewitt how to pronounce his name. Sasakamoose played against such legends as Gordie Howe, Jean Beliveau, and Maurice Richard. After twelve games, he returned home. They say he left the NHL to return to the family and culture that the Canadian government had ripped away from him. That returning to his family and home was more important to him than an NHL career. But there was much more to his decision than that.

Understanding Sasakamoose's choice means acknowledging the dislocation and treatment of generations of Indigenous peoples. It means considering how a man who spent his childhood as a ward of the government would hear those supposedly golden words: "You are Black Hawks property." Sasakamoose's story was far from over once his NHL days concluded. He continued to play for another decade in leagues around Western Canada. He became a band councillor, served as Chief, and established athletic programs for kids. He paved a way for youth to find solace and meaning in sports for generations to come. Yet, threaded through these impressive accomplishments were periods of heartbreak and unimaginable tragedy--as well moments of passion and great joy.

Visit the Agowiidiwinan Centre to explore this month's featured read and deepen your understanding of the ongoing significance of Treaty relationships.

09/01/2026

Here at the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba we're very excited to share another episode of the "Let's Talk Treaty" podcast releasing this Wednesday with our special guest Dr. Maureen Matthews.

This episode reveals special moments in the Treaty making process, stories from the Manitoba Museum, as well as some historical insights from Maureen.

Follow our social media pages for exciting events and activities planned throughout the month.

08/31/2026

Earlier this month we had the privilege of hosting longtime Speaker Bureau Member Allen Sutherland at our most recent Lunch and Learn Session.

Follow the link to view his presentation on the “Reflections of the Making of Treaty No. 2" now showing on our YouTube channel.

https://youtu.be/jqCE1O47dSg

To book a Speaker for your next event please follow the link
:https://trcm.ca/contact-us/book-a-speaker/

Signed at Manitoba House on August 21, 1817, over 150 plus years ag...

08/31/2026

Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba will be hosting their next Lunch and Learn Session:

Thursday, September 24, 2026 – 12:00PM-1:00PM
The Agowiidiwinan Centre, 15 Forks Market Rd, Winnipeg, MB – The Forks

TOPIC: “Treaties and Reconciliation”
In honour of “Truth and Reconciliation Month” we welcome
Elder Florence Paynter and Professor Brenda Gunn

ELDER FLORENCE PAYNTER - A Member of the Sandy Bay First Nation Treaty Territory 1 and a Norway House Cree Nation Treaty Territory 5A. Florence is a fourth degree Mide Anishinabekwe and holds a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Manitoba. Florence speaks Anishinabe fluently and has been involved in many language and cultural initiatives and ceremonies. She helps teach the cultural and spiritual knowledge and traditions of the Anishinabe people. Florence attended residential school and works hard to teach about the history of our people, the legacy of Indian residential schools, and its impact on us as people. She believes that we can be proud of who we are by learning about our own families, our own histories and our own languages.

BRENDA GUNN- Professor Robson Hall Faculty of Law. She has a B.A. from the University of Manitoba and a J.D. from the University of Toronto. She completed her LL.M. in Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy at the University of Arizona. Brenda also worked at a community legal clinic in Rabinal, Guatemala on a case of genocide submitted to the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights. As a proud Red River Metis woman, she continues to combine her academic research with her activism pushing for greater conformity between international law on the rights of Indigenous peoples and domestic law. She developed a handbook on understanding and implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that continues to be a main resource in Canada on the UN Declaration and has delivered workshops on the Declaration across Canada and internationally.

Session will be limited to 50 audience members.

Sign up with our Speaker Bureau Coordinator at [email protected]

08/28/2026

Today marks the 150th Anniversary of Treaty No.6

Made at Fort Carlton and Fort Pitt in late 1876, Treaty No.6 forged a lasting relationship between the Crown and Nêhiyawak, Nîhithawīwin, Anishinaabeg, and Nakota leaders. 150 years later, the treaty anchors rights, responsibilities, and peaceful co-existence of their nations for generations to come.

May we make space today and in our daily lives to cherish our shared Treaty relationships and honor the core promises made within these agreements.

08/21/2026

Today marks the 155th Anniversary of the Signing of Treaty No.2

Knowing what had been discussed weeks prior, the leaders Chief Mekis (The Eagle), Chief Sousonse (Little Long Ears), Chief Ma-sah-kee-yash, Chief François (Broken Fingers), and Chief Richard Woodhouse negotiated on equal footing to protect their ancestral lands and secure their sovereignty.

Today and every day, let us honor our Treaty relationships by actively reflecting on these agreements and upholding their original intent.