Any partnership between Manitoba and Minnesota must center the Indigenous peoples who have lived on these lands since time immemorial.
The Nations:
Manitoba:
- 63 First Nations
- Significant Métis population
- Treaty 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 territories
- Languages: Cree, Ojibwe, Dakota, Dene, Oji-Cree
Minnesota:
- 11 federally recognized tribal nations
- Seven Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) reservations
- Four Dakota communities
- Significant urban Indigenous population in Twin Cities
The Shared Heritage:
The border is a colonial imposition. The Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) people, for instance, have traditional territory spanning both sides of what is now the Canada-US border. Families, communities, and nations were divided by a line they didn't draw.
Current Challenges:
In Canada:
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission has documented harms and issued Calls to Action
- Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls crisis
- Ongoing land claims and treaty rights disputes
- Boil water advisories in many First Nations communities
In the US:
- Similar historical trauma and ongoing challenges
- Different legal framework (tribal sovereignty, reservation system)
- Land Back movements gaining momentum
- Environmental justice issues (pipelines, mining near sacred sites)
Partnership Principles:
Any Manitoba-Minnesota partnership MUST:
- Involve Indigenous nations as equal partners from the beginning—not as afterthought
- Respect existing treaties and sovereign rights
- Support Indigenous-led initiatives for economic development, cultural preservation, language revitalization
- Address historical harms through concrete reconciliation actions
- Ensure free, prior, and informed consent for developments affecting Indigenous lands and waters
Opportunities:
- Cross-border Indigenous commerce: Facilitate trade between First Nations and tribal nations
- Cultural exchange: Language programs, ceremony, traditional knowledge sharing
- Joint advocacy: Unified voice on Indigenous rights issues affecting both sides
- Economic partnership: Indigenous-owned businesses, tourism, resource partnerships
The Hard Truth:
If this partnership proceeds without Indigenous peoples at the table as full partners, it will fail. It will deserve to fail. This isn't a box to check—it's the foundation.
Discussion Questions:
- How should Indigenous nations be formally included in partnership governance?
- What does meaningful reconciliation look like in a cross-border context?
- How can the partnership support Indigenous language and culture preservation?
- What economic opportunities should be prioritized for Indigenous communities?
- How do we address the different legal frameworks for Indigenous rights in Canada vs. US?