Editor’s note: on Friday, September 6, 2024, Grand Chief Cathy Merrick died suddenly in Winnipeg.
We offer our sincerest condolences to the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and to the many people who knew and loved her, and whose lives she touched. She was a wonderful person, a phenomenal leader and leaves an extraordinary legacy to build on.
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BY ÊKOSÂNI, KINANÂSKOMITINÂWÂW,
GRAND CHIEF CATHY MERRICK, ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA CHIEFS
WHAT does it mean to look beyond what you can see? I often ask myself and others this question when contemplating the economic future of First Nations in Manitoba.
Concrete foundations and asphalt roads have replaced lands once used as natural trading hubs. Urban sprawl and industrial development have driven out the native grasslands, ferns, and wildlife that supported our traditional trade economies. This transformation has interrupted our traditional economic practices and disrupted the ecological balance that sustained our Nations for generations.
Yet despite years of environmental degradation by industries and the targeted reduction of our traditional lands and territories through provisions within the Indian Act, Canada is on the verge of a fundamental economic shift. This shift hinges on the recognition and participation of First Nations as indispensable to the Canadian economy—because we are.
The relatively recent and ongoing project of colonization has legally barred or disenfranchised First Nations from engaging in the economy. As Canada realizes that First Nations are, and always have been, economic powerhouses, we begin to experience a shift in our understanding of our shared past.
Dollar after dollar, First Nations spending strengthens the Manitoba economy. In 2016, First Nations in Manitoba contributed $1.4 billion of spending to the provincial economy. This spending generated $930.3 million in gross domestic product (GDP), created jobs for 19,738 individuals, and resulted in $640.8 million in labour income (Indigenous Contributions to the Manitoba Economy, 2019, p. 64).
As such, reconciliation has emerged as one of Canada’s most compelling economic projects to date. First Nations drive economic opportunities in historically unprecedented ways that enhance their decision- making authority while increasing economic self-reliance.
Self-reliance in this context means more than economic independence; it encompasses the reclamation of space and self-expression within the broader economic and Canadian landscape. By investing in and transforming key urban areas, First Nations are reclaiming their place in the economy, challenging historical exclusions, and asserting their rightful role in shaping the future of their citizens.
The truth about our past is that it is often written without the perspectives and experiences of First Nations. If you were to ask us, we would certainly say that First Nations have received the short end of the stick. However, we now have the opportunity to rewrite this narrative to accurately reflect the indispensable contributions of First Nations to Canada and the world.
It is my hope that you join us in writing this next chapter.
Êkosâni, kinanâskomitinâwâw is Grand Chief Cathy Merrick, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
