Uncategorised

Year of Collaboration: 7 Highlights

December 8, 2025

This year, Pimachiowin Aki achieved several milestones that highlight the power of collaboration. Residents and visitors can now see new site signs, Guardians strengthened their skills through hands-on training, and communities are working to restore traditional place names for ancestral lands. We also welcomed new Board members, prepared to share our OUV in Anishinaabemowin, and launched our first online shop! These accomplishments reflect the dedication of communities and partners to care for the Land that Gives Life. Here are seven highlights:

1. New Signs on the Land

This summer, five new World Heritage Site signs appeared along PR 304, our very first in Manitoba! Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) worked with Pimachiowin Aki to design and install the signs, which mark the site boundary and help travellers find their way. These signs follow provincial road standards and UNESCO guidelines, making them official and built to last.

Pimachiowin Aki partners are grateful to everyone at MTI and UNESCO who helped bring this long-awaited project to life.

2. Guardians Complete 200-Hour Program

Pimachiowin Aki Guardians Melba Green and Owen Bear completed the intensive five-week Land Guardian Program through the Natural Resources Training Group. They attended lectures, trained in the field, learned to identify plants, birds, fish, wildlife and habitat, and sharpened their environmental monitoring skills.

The program strengthens the important work happening right now in Bloodvein River and Poplar River, provides opportunities for future employment in land management and environmental protection, and meets academic requirements for an Applied Biology Technician program.

Congratulations, Melba and Owen!

3. New Leaders Join the Board

Enil Keeper
Little Grand Rapids First Nation has a new representative on the Board. Enil Keeper—former Chief, long-time Councillor, RCMP officer, assistant Conservation Officer, Home-School Coordinator, and lifelong learner—brings deep community knowledge and decades of experience to this position. Born on Sharpstone Lake and raised on the land, Enil has been part of the Pimachiowin Aki journey from the beginning. He follows Augustine Keeper, who contributed more than a decade of leadership and vision.

Rob Nedotiafko
Rob Nedotiafko was appointed to represent the Government of Manitoba on the Board of Directors. Rob worked closely with Poplar River First Nation on the Asatiwisipe Aki Land Management Plan and now serves as Director of Parks for Manitoba Environment and Climate Change. He steps into the role held for 16 years by Bruce Bremner, whose dedication continues to shape our work today.

Waajiye/Welcome, Enil and Rob
Aapiji miigwech/Many thanks to Bruce and Augustine

4. Our OUV—Now in Anishinaabemowin

The translated OUV, still in its draft stage

Pimachiowin Aki’s Statement of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) will soon be available in Anishinaabemowin—in Roman orthography and syllabics. This translation, completed by Carol Beaulieu and supported with a grant from Parks Canada, brings the language of the land to this important UNESCO text.

The OUV explains why Pimachiowin Aki matters to the world and has cultural and natural significance for all peoples, now and for future generations.

The translated version will be shared on our website and with schools once approved by Pimachiowin Aki partners. Please contact your Director if you would like to review the draft statement.

Outstanding Universal Value means cultural and/or natural significance which is so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity. As such, the permanent protection of this heritage is of the highest importance to the international community as a whole.
—para. 49, Operational Guidelines for Implementation of the World Heritage Convention

Carol shares her story about the translation process > Guided by Teachings—Carol’s Approach to Translation

5. Bringing Traditional Place Names Back to the Map

Mapping in Little Grand Rapids First Nation

Little Grand Rapids and Pauingassi First Nations continued their Traditional Place Names Projects this year, working with Elders, knowledge keepers, Manitoba’s Provincial Toponymist, and a Master’s student. Draft maps are now ready for community review—the moment where Elders confirm spellings, stories, and accuracy.

Once complete, maps will be shared in schools and community spaces. The First Nations will also decide which names to make official so they can appear on Google Maps and future topographical maps.

Miigwech to Manitoba’s Lands and Planning Branch for providing GIS mapping support and helping this project grow.

Excerpt from Little Grand Rapids First Nation

6. A Top Score for Pimachiowin Aki

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Heritage Outlook assesses the health of natural and mixed World Heritage Sites every 3–5 years. In 2025, Pimachiowin Aki received the highest possible conservation outlook.

Drawing on insights from hundreds of experts and partners, this global assessment tracks the state of conservation of all natural and mixed World Heritage sites and raises awareness of their importance. It also serves as an early warning system, helping identify threats and guide actions needed to safeguard the world’s wonders.

Pimachiowin Aki’s outlook is a powerful reminder that when communities, governments, Guardians, and supporters work together, we can protect one of the world’s most important ecosystems and cultural landscapes. The full report is available here: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/explore-sites/pimachiowin-aki

7. Our New Online Shop

*Page from Obaawingaashiing Gichi-Aabijitaawinan – The Pauingassi Collectio*n

Pimachiowin Aki has launched an online store! For now, supporters who donate $300 or more to the Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Fund at The Winnipeg Foundation receive a copy of Obaawingaashiing Gichi-Aabijitaawinan – The Pauingassi Collection as a thank-you gift. Miigwech to everyone who made this possible, including:

Maureen Matthews, Elaine and Joshua Owen, (late) Roger Roulette, and Carol Beaulieu for creating the book
Manitoba Museum for publishing the book as part of the Nametwaawin Outreach Project funded by Heritage Canada with a contribution from Pimachiowin Aki
A donor-advised fund at The Winnipeg Foundation for a significant contribution toward the cost of printing the books
Peaceworks Technology Solutions for programming our new Shop page
Everyone who invested in Pimachiowin Aki this year through your donations, grants to our programs, and in-kind contributions. We thank you for placing your trust in us to steward these resources and maximize their impact

Every Dollar Helps Protect Pimachiowin Aki
In the future, we hope to offer books, maps, posters, and even branded apparel directly through the Shop to support our programs.

Donate Today

Guided by Teachings—Carol’s Approach to Translation

December 8, 2025

If Anishinaabemowin is your first language as a baby and for the rest of your life, you will be Anishinaabe always and will be connected through the language.

For translator Carol Beaulieu, language carries a deep responsibility. Guided by the teachings she grew up with and the legacy of the late Roger Roulette, she translated Pimachiowin Aki’s Statement of Outstanding Universal Value in Anishinaabemowin. In this Q&A, Carol shares her process, the challenges and choices behind the words, and her work to preserve Anishinaabemowin for future generations

1. You translated Pimachiowin Aki’s Statement of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) in Roman Orthograhy and Syllabics. Can you walk us through your translation process? Where did you begin, and how did you ensure accuracy and cultural integrity?

First of all, thank you for trusting me with this translation. I read the content numerous times and researched translations by the late Roger Roulette. We were close friends for many years. He was an expert in translation, transcription, reading, writing, and the linguistics of Anishinaabemowin. I wish I had taken the time to be directly mentored by him, but I did pick up things along the way which helped me complete the translation.

This is the way I try to do it. I read the English a number of times so that I understand the message clearly because I understand one does not translate directly (word for word) but contextually. In this particular translation, I had translations that Roger had done as part of the Pimachiowin Aki project. Part of translating is to not re-invent the wheel but take what already exists and edit it for your translation. Since Anishinaabemowin is my first language and I had both parents and other family members in my life until I was 14 years old, I also believe that I think as an Anishinaabe person. We were not allowed to speak English at home.

If I am not sure about a word or context, I used to ask Roger and/or my brother but unfortunately, they are both gone so I have formed relationships with other speakers, and that has been helpful.

I think as an Anishinaabe person. We were not allowed to speak English at home.

2. When you first read the OUV statement, what stood out to you about how Pimachiowin Aki is described?

My initial thought was that it was long-winded and repetitive. I realize that is how English usually is and moved past that. I find English focuses on being verbose and not getting to the point.

I want Anishinaabemowin to survive for as long as possible.

3. Describe any challenges you encountered. How did you overcome them?

In Anishinaabemowin the context is very important and this can be challenging when translating from English. Time needs to be taken to make sure you understand what context is being portrayed. You can not usually translate word for word; it would not make sense in Anishinaabemowin.

4. Can you provide a specific example of an idiomatic expression or a culturally-specific term that doesn’t have a direct translation, and how you handled it?

The sentence below gives advice and alludes to creating more tourism opportunities. This is an on-going example of the assumptions of “settlers” when it comes to Indigenous perspectives and ideology. The monetary value always creeps in as the most viable.

The management plan could be made more proactive and strengthened to address socio-economic issues by promoting diversification and support for local economies, and through the development of action plans for specific aspects such as visitor management, to ensure it is sustainable in terms of the landscape and its spiritual associations, is under the control of the communities, and offers benefits to them.

5. Do you think the World Heritage system is compatible with Gikendaasowin (Indigenous ways of knowing/worldviews)?

For now, it appears to be, but there is no guarantee for this compatibility in the future from everyone’s perspective.

Since Anishinaabemowin is a verb-based language, one needs to understand what the nouns are trying to do.

6. How do you stay updated with language changes, new terminology, and evolving trends?

Researching, reading, going to conferences and being involved with creating new terminology.

7. How did your upbringing and the teachings you carry influence the way you approached this translation?

I have always been grateful that my parents chose to live off reserve. My father was franchised when he was a young man, so he made his own living. In the home, we were encouraged not to use English and since I was the baby of the family, my parents spoke Anishinaabemowin all the time as well as my older siblings and close family relatives. I do not consider myself an expert translator by any means, but I do my best to capture and convey the essence of what is being said so that it is understood by as many people as possible.

8. How do you ensure that cultural nuances, as well as the meaning and tone of a message, are preserved in your translations?

I think this speaks to thinking in Anishinaabemowin first and then conveying it. In my understanding, if Anishinaabemowin is your first language as a baby and for the rest of your life, you will be Anishinaabe always and will be connected through the language. I believe this because when I went to public school and a concept came up and if I had problems grasping it, I had another way of comprehending and I was able to figure it out on my own.

Language is to be shared and discussed.

9. How do you prepare for a translation project, particularly if the subject matter is new or unfamiliar to you?

I read the whole English article as many times as I need. Since Anishinaabemowin is a verb-based language, one needs to understand what the “nouns” are trying to do. From there it should start to flow.

10. How do you handle situations where you don’t fully understand something that was said? Would you ask for clarification, or try to interpret the general meaning?

I would ask for clarification from a speaker or speakers if I was stuck.

11. In your opinion, how important is building a personal rapport with the people you are translating for, and what steps do you take to foster trust?

It is important to know what they think and that you aren’t doing this alone. Language is to be shared and discussed. There needs to be open dialogue so that everyone is comfortable with the translation.

12. Pimachiowin Aki is a World Heritage site on the basis of UNESCO’s cultural and natural criteria. Which aspect did you feel most connected to as you translated it, and why?

I was so humbled to be a small part of this fantastic endeavor accomplished by Pimachiowin Aki, the First Nation communities, and all the individuals involved in this World Heritage site. I felt most connected and proud of the individuals and communities who were part of this achievement. They need to be celebrated and honoured for many years to come.

I was also grateful for the translations that the late Roger Roulette left behind. His legacy continues even though he is gone.

13. As a knowledge carrier, mother, and grandmother, how do you see this work contributing to future generations?

I only want to be titled as an Anishinaabekwe and anything I can humbly contribute, I will. I want Anishinaabemowin to survive for as long as possible. Aapiji-miigwech.

Miigwech, Carol.

Foundations – Is Our Past Our Future?

September 12, 2025

By Doug Gilmore

Recently I found myself reflecting on the early days of Pimachiowin Aki. Many fond memories quickly floated to the surface. At the time my role was Park Superintendent of Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, located in Northwest Ontario near the town of Red Lake. Woodland Caribou Park is part of the Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Site. I recall that I was very excited to take part in the Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Site process, although at the outset the site had yet to receive that wonderfully appropriate name.

It was in my role as park superintendent only a few years earlier that I had initiated and led a planning process for Woodland Caribou Park. That project was one of my first exposures to working closely with First Nation Communities. To expand on the previous sentence, I must add that this exposure cemented my understanding and belief that working together with Indigenous people is extremely beneficial. Looking back, coming from my Wemtigoshi background, I can easily admit at the outset to looking at things from one perspective, but keeping an open mind to all possibilities. It took no time at all to come to the realization that this was the only way forward and that any product which may result from our efforts would be the better for our working closely together.

At an early Pimachiowin Aki meeting, members from each community expressed very clearly what was important for their community. Things like protecting the rock paintings, not to over harvest the animals, acting carefully around areas that act as water filters for the watershed were comments common to most. People spoke about the high levels of unemployment in their communities and the desire that this project could help to alleviate that. It was clearly stated that their traditional lands used to provide a livelihood for their people but this no longer was the case. Community presentations included the desire from their Elders to “protect traditional lands”. One individual recalled a comment from a grandparent that “we need to protect our lands” and it came with a warning that “there may be difficulties ahead”. Another spoke about how he was raised by his grandparents. They taught him how to preserve food in the summertime and spoke about how they used the land and how he wanted to keep the teachings of his grandfather. He gave an example where people used dried moss as diapers and that one of the teachings of the moss was to put it back in its place.

Someone much smarter than I at an early meeting summarized all the comments by describing the activities of the people on the land as the cultural foundation of the project. The term Living Landscape was used, reflecting on the strong linkage between the land and the people. Strong linkage? I have come to understand it as an inseparable linkage.

Fascinating… an education in real time.

In the months and years to come the World Heritage process continued to be an educational one, enlightening me on what it meant to grow up in a remote First Nation Community where at one time it was normal or part of everyday life to go out on the land or trapline to perform livelihood pursuits. This once normal activity would slowly or in some cases abruptly change to where it became more and more difficult to access the bush to carry out livelihood activities on a regular basis.

The World Heritage process also included working as a member of parallel planning processes with Little Grand Rapids and Pauingasssi First Nations for the part of their traditional territories that lies in the Province of Ontario. This included many opportunities to visit these communities, meet with elders and community members in workshop and open house events. It also included travelling to Weaver Lake as a guest of Poplar River First Nation to attend a Pimachiowin Aki meeting and workshop there.

The workshop events were perhaps the ones that were most impactful for me as we were able to spend a few days in the communities allowing for a less frenetic pace for the exchange of information. Remaining with me are memories of sitting with the late Russell Keeper pouring over maps of his trapline and of him describing in detail the landscape of his youth and how it supported his present-day activities on the land. What also sticks with me is the pride in the voices of various community members as they relayed stories and teachings of their family members and how they are determined to bring them forward and keep them going. Equally impactful was the coordination and care shown by the land use planning representatives for each community, Augustine Keeper and the late Joe Owen, and on the performance of their duties and the responsibility that the community had entrusted them with.

It was brought to my attention that although I was working in partnership toward our common goal, I was sometimes guilty of describing Indigenous land activities as happening in the past, not in the present. Not intentional of course but my background being what it was I periodically fell into the trap of just copying what I heard or read. There is a term for this, a term identified to me by an Indigenous planning partner as “the Invisible Indian Syndrome”. It’s a real thing, definitely! What an eye opener. You’re never too old to learn.

The take away from my perspective is this, the Indigenous people of Pimachiowin Aki gain their life from the land, they always have. Their links to the land are real and permanent and it is through Pimachiowin Aki that they will share it with the world. The stories, traditions and culture they choose to share with the world will be the foundation for the site into the future. For me I think this is unique, for them it’s probably everyday life.

Wisdom of the Living Landscape: 21 Quotes from Knowledge Keepers

September 12, 2025

1. There is a big circle we call The Circle of Life. Every living thing The Creator made fits on this circle side by side. Every living thing, including the smallest insect, was given jobs to do. Plants and trees for example were given many jobs, cleaning the air, medicines, as food for the birds, animals, fish and people. Some of the animals, birds and fish where given the job to feed us and much more. Our job as given to us by The Creator was to take care of all life on earth.
Albert Bittern (November 2013)

2. As Annishinaabe people we want to leave a lasting legacy to protect and preserve of this area for the benefit of the planet.
Sophia Rabliauskas, July 1, 2018 (remarks to the World Heritage Committee following inscription of Pimachiowin Aki on the World Heritage List)

3. We want to keep the area the way it always was, to keep it for our children, grandchildren and unborn children, so that they can use and care for it as we have.
Victor Bruce, March 200

4. Traditional knowledge was offered to others only if the Elder felt it was appropriate. People weren’t forced to know about the tradition, but they would be noticed by the Elders as time went by.
Joe Owen, March 2014

5. Teachings are shared through drumming, singing, community gatherings, offerings. For as long as we remember, the Elder that has the most knowledge and wisdom is the community leader. This Elder would perform traditional drum songs, provide medicine for healing, and use many other traditional methods.
Solomon Pascal (in translation, January 2014)

6. The Creator has a match and that match is the Thunderbird. He brings that match to the land when the forest gets too old and can’t grow anymore. So the thunderbird comes to earth. After the forest is burnt new growth starts. Animals get tired of eating old food. Just like you and me. The Creator knows that animals need new food. The fire there brings fresh food to eat. As an example: rabbit favours new growth area. When you look at rabbit I think it is like a food chain for animals. Rabbits have three litters a summer. Fox, lynx, marten all depend on rabbit. The Creator has to care for all animals so he sends Thunderbird to earth to make food for rabbit. We like to eat rabbit, too. So he burns for us, too. Where fire comes to a rock area, blueberries come after the fire. [That] feeds a lot of animals. We eat blueberries, too. Fire makes good food areas.
Whitehead Moose, June 2006

7. This place is sacred to me. Why? For as long as I can remember my family trapped, hunted, gathered, had ceremonies. My parents and great grandfather would sing pow-wow and play the drum. They used to do this by the end of the day to give thanks to Manidoo, Creator.
Melba Green, March 2014

Giiwiich, Photograph A115, American Philosophical Society

8. Since stones are grammatically animate, I once asked an old man, Alex Keeper (Giiwiich), ‘Are all of the stones we see about us here alive?’ He reflected a long while and then replied, ‘No! But some are.’ This qualified answer made a lasting impression on me.
A. Irving Hallowell, 1930s

9. After the Creator finished making everything on earth, he decided to create human beings. He took pieces of mud from the four directions and made them into the shape of a man. Then he took a miigis [cowrie] shell, blew his breath into it and placed it in the man he had made. The man came to life. The Creator gently took this man in his hands and lowered him onto the earth and said, “This is my beautiful garden and I am asking you to take care of it.
Abel Bruce and Albert Bittern

10. There is a cliff-rock-painting of a snapping turtle [on a certain river]. When someone travels along over there, they’d cut some tobacco. They would hope to kill a moose, they would say. Sure enough, that was exactly what would happen. That person would get the blessing to kill a moose. This is the reason they put tobacco in their pipe. They would say, I will kill a moose, as they placed tobacco in their pipe. That was the purpose of the cliff rock-paintings.
Kenneth Owen

11. The head of the family would make the decisions in regards to the land. If there was a shortage of beaver or muskrat for example they would leave that area alone for a while, until these populations increased. They did this to ensure future use of these resources.
Ed Hudson, September 2013

12. The most qualified wildlife hunter that existed in the boreal forest region. People are very concerned that nobody will carry on or replace such skills.
Joe Owen, 2010

13. Well, the women wear the bells too. Goodness did they sound good when they were sliding their feet and dancing … Mii wa’a igi ikwewag, igi Gichi-Ikwewag! These were the women. The Grand Women!
Maangoons Strang (Little Loon), 1992

14. The medicines have kept us alive and helped to cure sickness. The bush is our drugstore and we are grateful for all those plants that are happy to give up their lives to help us.
Abel Bruce and Albert Bittern

15. Most people think about a landscape as a physical and natural backdrop for life, a sort of stage upon which life happens. But in the Ojibwe way of thinking, the landscape is alive; it is full of human and non-human beings that engage with the people who know a certain place thoroughly.
Pauingassi Lands Management Plan

Sophia Rabliauskas, Pimachiowin Aki Press Conference, November 2010

16. The water represents life to the Anishinaabe people. The Creator gave the responsibility to women to create life and to care for the health of the water. Life begins by being surrounded by water in our mother’s womb. In our ceremonies it is the women’s responsibility to carry that water and share it with others. In our stories and teachings, it has always been the grandmothers who watch over the water and they are still carrying out that sacred responsibility today. We were also taught that the water is very spiritual and that we need to acknowledge that spirit in our prayers each day.
Sophia Rabliauskas, December 2011

17. Ji-ganawendamang Gidakiiminaan is itself a tradition of monitoring, of keeping the land by watching over the land.
Enil Keeper, October 2014

18. My dad told me that I had to have a net, hooks, and snare. If you ever go hungry, you can set snares for rabbits and set those hooks for fish. If you do that all the time, you won’t go hungry. If you use your gun to fish with, you won’t kill fish that way. You don’t kill everything with a gun.
Adam Owen, March 1984

19. We don’t laugh at or tease any animals. We hold them with much respect because it is not proper in our culture to tease animals, whether they are large or small. They will hear you when you don’t respect them and they will come after you, get even with you.
Anishinaabe Elder, in translation

20. Knowledge of when and what to harvest, trap and hunt has been passed down through generations. For Anishinaabeg, it’s like instinct.
Melba Green

21. It’s always important to respect people when you meet them because you don’t know what carries them or what watches over them. It’s not the person that you offend. That person may forgive you but the one that’s watching over that person may not forgive you. That’s why it’s important that we always talk polite to people. Even when we travel, we always travel with tobacco and offerings out of respect.
Clinton Keeper (in response to the Wiindigoo Story told to him by Maggie Duck)

Feature Image: Elder Abel Bruce © Otake Hidehiro

3 Lessons the World Can Learn from Pimachiowin Aki

June 12, 2025

Irene Fogarty’s PhD research began with a question: how can Indigenous-led conservation guide the future? She found answers in the story of Pimachiowin Aki.

1. Congratulations on completing your doctorate! We first met you in March 2020 when you approached Pimachiowin Aki to participate in your PhD research. Your research focuses on Indigenous Peoples and the guardianship of protected areas in Canada including current and tentative World Heritage sites. Can you explain more about this?

Thank you! The greatest honour I had during my doctorate was the opportunity to meet some of my heroes: the Board and Anishinaabe community members of Pimachiowin Aki. The aim of the study was to show how important it is to empower Indigenous Peoples in protecting traditional lands and waters, including through formal partnerships with provincial and federal governments. Pimachiowin Aki is a great example for how to do this.

Irene Fogarty, Doctor of Philosophy in World Heritage, University College Dublin, School of Archaeology.

2. What drew you to this research— was there a moment or story that sparked your interest?

Really, it was the injustice of how Indigenous Peoples are treated in Canada, including in protected areas conservation. While Canada has taken many positive steps to finance Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, only some World Heritage sites in the state have Indigenous Peoples in formal, equal decision-making partnerships alongside federal or provincial authorities. The partnership between Bloodvein River, Pauingassi, Little Grand Rapids and Poplar River First Nations and the provincial governments sets a positive example of formal, shared decision-making in numbered Treaty territory. Anishinaabeg drove the World Heritage nomination. This, along with their determination and resilience to see the site protected, shows the power of Indigenous leadership to make positive changes that benefit everyone.

Irene in discussion with community members and provincial government staff at the Pimachiowin Aki 2022 AGM.

3. You interviewed 43 people across Canada and internationally, including 18 people from Pimachiowin Aki. Was there a conversation or moment during your interviews that stayed with you— something that changed how you see protected areas conservation?

I was honoured and humbled to have spoken with every person who contributed from Pimachiowin Aki. Everyone was so patient and generous with their time. I was moved by how the First Nation communities wanted to protect Pimachiowin Aki as a World Heritage site for the benefit of all. Ed Hudson and Ray Rabliauskas of Poplar River explained how Elders saw what’s happening in this world and wanted to make sure it would be saved for everybody’s benefit. Looking at how Indigenous Peoples are treated in Canada, this is a profound gift. William Young of Bloodvein and Clinton Keeper of Little Grand Rapids both spoke of the importance of ceremonies and their concern for loss of language and culture – a concern shared by many participants. Lands Guardian Melba Green and Councillor Ellen Young, both in Bloodvein, are amazing women. They spoke to me about the importance of encouraging Anishinaabe knowledge and culture in the classroom.

I was so grateful I got to meet Joe Owen of Pauingassi First Nation.
Joe Owen passed away in August 2023

I was so grateful I got to meet Joe Owen of Pauingassi First Nation. He’s a huge loss. He spoke of learning out on the land with family, as did three Bloodvein community members. It was wonderful to hear these recollections. Bruce Bremner and Gord Jones spoke about the difficulties of the World Heritage inscription and the challenges faced by the Pimachiowin Aki partners. Hearing this firsthand really brought home the challenges for everyone. Their insights showed how important it was that the communities kept fighting to get World Heritage recognition, because it compelled the World Heritage system to adopt better processes. Those are just a few examples off the top of my head, but everyone’s contribution was a privilege to hear, and so important. I also found it very moving how Anishinaabeg uphold the Seven Teachings, including through the determination to protect Pimachiowin Aki and all its beings, and have a willingness to work with everyone nationally and internationally to do so. Everyone should learn the Seven Teachings and take to heart the lessons provided by the communities of Pimachiowin Aki.

4. You describe Pimachiowin Aki as a case study in “how to do things right.” What makes this World Heritage site so unique and effective in your view?

The First Nations decided World Heritage inscription was the best way to protect the land and waters and all beings of Pimachiowin Aki. The idea of equitable partnership with the provinces to protect the site respects Treaty rights and constitutional rights of Indigenous Peoples. Furthermore, as the provincial and federal governments respected the aims of First Nations to have Pimachiowin Aki inscribed as a World Heritage site, this supported Article 31 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The destruction of Indigenous Peoples’ relationships with lands and waters was a key strategy of settler colonialism.

Article 31 asserts that Indigenous Peoples have the right to protect, control and maintain their cultural heritage and knowledge systems. This right should be upheld by the state. Furthermore, the World Heritage inscription recognises the importance of protecting Anishinaabe culture as well as the Boreal territory. While the extent of international legal protection offered through the World Heritage Convention is somewhat limited, the inscription gives international visibility to the importance of protecting Anishinaabe culture and landscapes.

Another important point is how shared decision-making power through the Board is vital in challenging inequalities stemming from settler colonialism. The destruction of Indigenous Peoples’ relationships with lands and waters was a key strategy of settler colonialism. Anishinaabe leadership in decision-making for Pimachiowin Aki is vital in maintaining and restoring cultural and spiritual connections with the site.

5. Your research concludes that Pimachiowin Aki offers important lessons to the world. What are some of the lessons we should all pay attention to?

a) How have communities pushed back against coloniality in the World Heritage process—and what can other Indigenous Nations learn from that experience?

Coloniality refers to the unequal power relations which are rooted in colonialism and continue in the present to oppress and marginalise Indigenous Peoples. We see it in the treatment of Indigenous Peoples in healthcare; in broken Treaty promises; in the pollution of traditional territories by extractive industries; in the lack of progress with the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, etc.

The partners of Pimachiowin Aki did incredible work.

Coloniality is not just in Canada—those unequal power relations are everywhere. Another example of coloniality lies in the World Heritage processes which operated during the Pimachiowin Aki nomination. The partners of Pimachiowin Aki did incredible work in progressing with the nomination, yet some of the World Heritage evaluation processes were extremely unfair. They reflected a very “Eurocentric” view, i.e. a Western mindset which disrespected the worldviews of the First Nations. However, the Pimachiowin Aki partners persisted with the World Heritage bid, showing incredible resilience and determination. As a result, the World Heritage Committee made positive changes to ensure a more sensitive approach that better recognises the importance of supporting Indigenous Peoples.

It is important that researchers recognise they are not the expert. Rather they should listen and learn.

b) Respectful research—how did you approach your responsibility as a researcher working with communities who’ve often been studied but not listened to/ignored or misrepresented?

I was very aware that as an outsider I have very little knowledge about the lives and experiences of the Anishinaabe communities of Pimachiowin Aki. It is important that researchers recognise they are not the expert. Rather they should listen and learn. They should acknowledge the immense privilege of working with Indigenous communities. They need to act with humility and ensure Indigenous Peoples’ priorities are the real priority, not what the researcher may have in mind. Researchers should support of the goals of Indigenous communities. The Anishinaabe communities deserve recognition and absolute respect for all they have done at Pimachiowin Aki. To make sure I wasn’t misrepresenting anything, I sent copies of anything I wrote about Pimachiowin Aki to the Board for approval. I have also committed to making sure the stories and experiences of Pimachiowin Aki and its people are responsibly told and shared as widely as possible.

The planet is on its knees in terms of biodiversity loss and climate change.

c) Funding issues—What do they reveal about the federal government’s broader commitments to Indigenous-led conservation?

A huge issue for Pimachiowin Aki is the lack of sustained federal funding. While the provinces supported Pimachiowin Aki in the past, it is shocking that the federal government has not provided sufficient additional support. Among other things, this would help finance activities and initiatives to protect Anishinaabe culture which is directly linked to conservation of the Boreal landscape and all beings. Because of the World Heritage Convention, the state is obliged to provide finance for the continued protection of the site. However, this globally important World Heritage site is being ignored and to me, that’s a betrayal of the First Nations. A substantial investment by the federal government towards long-term conservation of the site is imperative. I note that the federal government, at the time of Pimachiowin Aki’s World Heritage inscription, was very happy to speak of this huge achievement. The government needs to move beyond empty gestures and words.

6. If there’s one message or insight from your research you want people to really take to heart, what would it be?

The planet is on its knees in terms of biodiversity loss and climate change. In many areas of Canada and internationally, Indigenous Peoples are doing the heavy lifting towards positive change. This is despite the continuity of appalling racism, marginalisation, oppression and environmental destruction affecting Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous leadership in protected areas conservation—and indeed land management as a whole—should be fully supported, fully respected and fully funded. This means:

Centring Indigenous governance, laws and knowledges in all aspects of conservation
Substantial funding towards Indigenous cultural continuity, intergenerational knowledge transmission and land-based learning
Respecting the constitutional, Treaty and inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples in addition to internationally ascribed rights

Thank you, Irene. It has been wonderful to work with you. We appreciate what you have done to effect positive change for Indigenous-led stewardship and World Heritage.

Thank you.

People and Place Names: 5 Highlights from Presenter Gerald Neufeld

March 19, 2025

For years, Gerald Neufeld (Kaahkaapish) has been researching original names of people and places in the Pimachiowin Aki area and sharing his discoveries.

He quoted George Orwell while presenting a slide show at the recent Pimachiowin Aki AGM in Winnipeg. “The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.”

Gerald grew up in Pauingassi First Nation and has been working with his father Henry (Ochichaahkons), Elders, and community members in Pimachiowin Aki to restore “histories that have been erased through time.”

He described his research as a slow process, but one that is essential to reclaiming cultural identity and heritage. “Sometimes, it’s like molasses in January to figure this out,” he said.

Gerald with his father Henry (Ochichaahkons) at the Pimachiowin Aki AGM. © Bruce Bremner

He said his discoveries are made possible by the earlier work of anthropologist A. Irving Hallowell, who visited the Berens River Ojibwe in the 1930s and Gary Butikofer, who taught at Poplar Hill Development School in the 1970s.

Here’s what we learned from his presentation:

1. Lakes near Little Grand Rapids were named after aircraft

Ingenium Archives, Ken Molson Fonds, KM-08049, http://collection.ingeniumcanada.org/en/id/KM-08049/

Vickers Viking amphibian aircraft first arrived in Canada in 1922 and in the years following, “planes were active in the [Pimachiowin Aki] area,” said Gerald. “We can see that lakes near Little Grand Rapids were named after them,” he said while pointing out four lakes on a map:

Viking Lake
Vickers Lake
Amphibian Lake
Hangar Lake

*Photo: map custom made for Gerald by Province of Manitoba*

More Lake Names

If you click this link and scroll down to page 17, you’ll find a long list of Manitoba lakes in alphabetical order with details on who or what they were named after. The list includes English and Indigenous names. Examples:

Abraham Lake (64 A/9) North of Split Lake. CPCGN records (1975) indicated this to have been named after Abraham Wavey who trapped in this area years ago.

Ameekwanis Lake (64 K/13) Northeast of Reindeer Lake. A Cree name meaning small spoon.

Amphibian Lake (52 M/13) West of Family Lake. Named in 1926 after the type of aircraft used in photographing the area (Douglas 1933).

Kosapachekaywinasinne (64 C/7) Locality southeast of Lynn Lake. CPCGN records (1979) indicated that this name was Cree meaning looking inside rock. Apparently old people used to go to this place to see into the future.

Kokasanakaw River (53 M/8) Flows northeast into Swampy Lake. A local Cree name meaning lots of fish.

Makataysip Lake (53 D/14) Southeast of Gunisao Lake. A local Saulteaux name meaning black duck.

Makatiko Lake (62 P/9) North of the Bloodvein River. CPCGN records (1978) indicated it to be a local Native name meaning crippled deer.

Vickers Lake (52 M/13) On Pigeon River west of Family Lake. GBC records (1926) indicated that the name was adopted over the common local name Goose Lake. It was the name of the company that manufactured the aircraft used to photograph the area. Goose Lake had been recorded on maps from possibly A. Graham (post 1771; HBC) onwards, although often in the wrong position. GBC correspondence (1929; from the Hudson’s Bay Company) listed the local name Big Goose Lake.

2. Aircraft Changed How Maps Were Made

Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3643612

“This is Amphibian Lake. There’s the airplane, there’s the flying boat, and there’s the camera. They would take photograph after photograph—boom, boom, boom, as they flew along—and they would give that to the mapmakers.”

By using photos taken from the sky, mapmakers were able to create maps that were more accurate and detailed. Gerald described a photo from a 1924 aerial survey, showing the Bloodvein River.

“It is hard to see much here but I circled an area that shows some white spots. You have to look closely, but I think these spots may be dwellings.”

Bloodvein Aerial Photo, Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, marked up by Gerald

“That’s what people lived in back in the day. These white tents are dwellings.”

Little Grand Rapids, 1925, J.W. Pierce, DLS

3. Maps changed how people traveled

The ability to map the area from the sky was a significant technological leap, but the shift also led to a disconnect from the traditional ways that people identified and traveled the land.

“In earlier years, people from the area travelled east-west along the Berens and Bloodvein rivers,” said Gerald. “The rivers were the primary passageways.” Gerald explained that several factors disrupted this over time.

The slow growth of change began with the assignment of the Manitoba-Ontario boundary in 1912. This was followed by the introduction of aircraft. Also, Manitoba and Ontario no longer shared responsibilities for communities. “Eventually, Education and Health services expanded according to provincial jurisdiction,” said Gerald.

“Over time, commercial airplane operations and transportation routes were established, and these ran north-south. Travel increased immensely since then, but east-west travel is almost non-existent. Also, we have transitioned from light-weight, birch bark canoes to heavier alumunium boats with larger motors. These boats are heavy and much more difficult to portage, making the use of traditional travel routes difficult.”

4. Pikangikum residents named the first-ever plane to land there Big Duck

“This photo was taken on July 31, 1922. The G-CYBT made a trip to Kenora and got lost along the way and landed in Pikangikum. There were no maps. Whenever they’d see somebody on the water, pilots would land and ask them to draw a map. Can you imagine flying a big airplane like this and just working off a hastily drawn sketch that has no landmarks? Well, they’d get lost again and they would land again…”

The momentous event of seeing a plane land for the first time is still remembered in the oral histories of Pikangikum residents, said Gerald. “They talk about how afraid they were when this huge gichi zhiishiib, meaning Big Duck, landed. The aircraft was a monstrosity, and it nearly sunk when it struck the only rock near the surface of the lake. They managed to get it to shore, which you see in the photo.”

*T.S.10122, Library and Archives Canada*

What are these women looking at?

*CI [illegible]-1925, Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada*

“These women are all looking to the right,” noted Gerald. “The big question is, what were they looking at?” Gerald solved the mystery by looking at photo archive numbers.

*T.S.10127, Library and Archives Canada*

He explained that pilots and surveyors sent photos to different archives, so their photos were numbered differently. “The first photo was taken by a pilot. The number is illegible, but it ends in 1925. The second photo of the women was taken by a surveyor and labeled T.S.10127.”

By putting surveyor photos T.S.10122 and T.S.10127 in sequence, Gerald noted there were only four pictures in between. “It was that same day,” he concluded. “That’s what these women were looking at. They were probably seeing Big Duck, the very first airplane to land in their area.”

Gerald credits a small group of researchers for helping him “figure this out.” He says, “Their guidance has advanced my understanding of all the activity around airplanes, surveying, etc.”

5. A special treaty list reveals who was standing in line together

Gerald presented Treaty Lists and colonial practices that shaped how local Anishinaabe names were documented and changed.

Blood Vein River Treaty List

Source: Government of Canada Library and Archives

Here, by 1876, they call it Blood Vein River,” said Gerald, as he pointed to the top left of the pay sheet. “Until around 1820, it was named Blood River, and now it’s Blood Vein River. So something happened in there. I don’t know what it is.”

Gerald turned his attention to the 18 names listed on the sheet. “These are Anishinaabe names. At the top of this list is a prominent name, Sagachiwayas, who was the chief,” said Gerald. “He was also known as Peter Stoney. We know that from a different document.”

Sagachiwayas had also collected treaty in 1875 when Treaty 5 was signed at Berens River, said Gerald. “The names with red dots beside them had collected treaty elsewhere, so they weren’t allowed to negotiate this treaty. Only six people on this list, the ones with green dots, were permitted to negotiate the treaty.”

The other ones had already all collected at either Berens River or at Lac Seul (Lac).

Lac Seul Treaty List

The names on the treaty pay list for Lac Seul in 1874 (below) are familiar, said Gerald.

“These are Upper Berens people for the most part, along with [Kisikakishik (#46 in L.S. list and #6 In B.V. list] who’s from Bloodvein. [Oshkineegee #44 In L.S. and #22 in Sandy Narrows list] is from Little Grand. [Kackeekaiwayweetung #36 In L.S. list and #20 on Sandy Narrows list] is from Pauingassi. And the rest are all from Pikangikum and Poplar Hill.”

Sandy Narrows of the Berens River Treaty List

Gerald emphasized the importance of the Sandy Narrows of the Berens River list.

“This was the first time these names got recorded formally,” he explained. Gerald said the list is unique in its accuracy. It is based on Anishinaabe clan names.

“What happened here is that people acted as we do today. When you’re with friends or family that you’re close to, these are the people that you cluster up with in line. They were together in line for the treaty money.”

Gerald pointed out the names of people who were standing together. “Ayasa #5 (also known as Naamiwan, or Fairwind fm Pauingassi)was the son of Shenawakoshkank #6. Newepeenoukumwekwape #4 was another one. He is the brother-in-law to Ayaasa #5 and son-in-law to Shenawakoshkank #6. They’re all very close together. When you get down further, these are all the Pikangikum and Poplar Hill people. So that’s how they clustered up. And that’s just human nature.”

But the traditional Anishinaabe system of lining up based on the strength of kinship ties was soon lost.

“The British were a very regimented people,” noted Gerald. “They were very orderly. They liked things done in a certain way. After that year, people were lined up alphabetically according to the sound of their last name. And after 1891, they were lined up alphabetically according to the English, Scottish, and French names imposed on them.”

The impact of this erasure (loss of the knowledge of clans) continues to affect families, communities, and their connection to the land.

“People have forgotten their history. They’ve forgotten their relationships because it all changed from the traditional Anishinaabe names in the clan system.”

With traditional names having “disappeared off the map,” Gerald now uses “forensic strategies” to track the lineage of community members in Pimachiowin Aki.

His message is clear: remembering the past is crucial to understanding the present, and preserving ancestral connections is vital for future generations.