Flora Beardy of York Factory First Nation, the Kitaskeenan Kaweekanawaynichikatek Community Coordinator and Elder speaking to Julia-Simone Rutgers, The Narwhal’s Manitoba reporter. Photo: Karsten Wall
Environment
Five Cree Nations Come Together to Lead Indigenous Protected Area in Northern Manitoba
2024

Since 2020, five Cree (Nayhenaway lninewuk) Nations — York Factory First Nation, Tataskweyak Cree Nation, Fox Lake Cree Nation, Shamattawa First Nation, and War Lake First Nation — have been working together to steward and protect their traditional lands in northeastern Manitoba. York Factory First Nation spearheaded the initial discussions, laying groundwork for what has become the Kitaskeenan Kaweekanawaynichikatek project, which translates to “the land we want to protect.”

Kitaskeenan Kaweekanawaynichikatek is a proposal to establish an Indigenous Protected Area on the ancestral lands of the five Nations, guided by Indigenous laws and governance. Kitaskeenan developed slowly by design and intentionally over time, emphasizing unity and community input at every stage.

 

Following two years of conversations with community members of all ages, over 200 members from the five Nations came together at a gathering in August 2023 to formally sign and adopt a shared vision for the project.

In September 2024, the proposal for Kitaskeenan Kaweekanawaynichikatek formally launched with Elders and community leaders from the five Nations, government representatives, and supporters present to celebrate the milestone. For the communities, Kitaskeenan is about more than protecting land —it’s about reconnecting with each other and sharing knowledge, stories, and cultural practices that reinforce their identity and relationship to the land.

For me, this project represents our reconnection back to that land and our reconnection back to each other. Re-learning who your family is, who your people are, who you belong to.

Louisa Constant, York Factory First Nation Councillor and Project Lead

For a deeper understanding of Kitaskeenan Kaweekanawaynichikatek and what it means to the people and Nations involved, we invite you to read the in-depth coverage from The Narwhal with rich background and insights into the impact and importance of this work. We are honoured to support Kitaskeenan and the Nations’ leadership in protecting and stewarding their ancestral lands and waters.