Land Acknowledgement
Winnipeg Folk Fest takes place at Birds Hill Provincial Park, Manitoba, Canada on Treaty 1 territory and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.
The Winnipeg Folk Festival respects the Treaties that were made on this territory. In a spirit of reconciliation, we work with an Indigenous Advisory Circle and Indigenous partners to further develop relationships and opportunities to share Indigenous culture at and through our Festival and year-round activities.
Grandmother
Chickadee Richard (Benais Quimiwin Ikwe)
Thunder Rain Woman
Chickadee Richard is a member of the Sandy Bay First Nation and was raised near the west side of Lake Manitoba.
Chickadee is a mother of three biological children, two adopted sons, grandmother of seven children and grandmother to many in the Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. Chickadee has collaborated with many exceptional grassroots leaders of Indigenous communities to help make safe places for Indigenous peoples.
She is a proud anishinabaa kwe who has dedicated her life to the betterment of the land, water and Indigenous communities. For many years, she has been an advocate and educator for change and justice in Manitoba and across Canada, by creating awareness of the strength and beauty of Indigenous culture and perspectives.
Chickadee works with people that are open and willing to change the current ways which harm the land, lakes and Indigenous people’s ways of life.
Guiding Principles
- To work with members of the Indigenous community as part of our Indigenous Advisory Circle, to create an ongoing dialogue regarding programming and the sharing of Indigenous culture as it relates to the Winnipeg Folk Festival.
- To program Indigenous artists whose voices and perspectives are heard as part of the folk music and storytelling traditions at the Festival.
- To open our Festival and welcome all attendees to our Festival with a blessing from a Knowledge Keeper from the Indigenous community.
- To welcome artists from all over the world to our Festival with a traditional welcoming ceremony including prayer, song and a tribute to the land we are on.
- To bring projects from Indigenous visual artists to our Prairie Outdoor Exhibition to create interactive artistic experiences.
- To present Indigenous artisans in our Hand-Made Village where Festival attendees can interact with the artisans and purchase their hand-crafted works.
2026 Winnipeg Folk Fest Indigenous Initiatives
- Land Blessing - Throughout the year we work with an Indigenous Advisory Circle who helps guide our work on festival operations and programming and our work in Truth and Reconciliation. In response to one of their recommendations, we held a Land Blessing Ceremony at Birds Hill Park on June 5th with staff, Indigenous advisory circle and board members represented.Knowledge Keeper Raine Seivewright and Knowledge Keeper Michael Pierre led the pipe ceremony to bless the land for the Festival in July. The ceremony also included honouring the water and the berries with songs and sharing of the water and berries.
- Main Stage Opening Blessings
- Thursday evening Grandmother Chickadee will open the Festival with a blessing, joined by GiinawindRiverbend Community School Abinoojiiyag Nagamog, an Indigenous Children’s choir from the Ojibwe bilingual program in the Seven Oaks School Division.
- Friday and Saturday Main Stage will open with a blessing from Knowledge Keeper Michael Pierre, as per recommended by the Indigenous Advisory Circle.
- Grandmother Chickadee will close the Festival on Sunday night with the final Main Stage Opening Blessing.
- Smudging at the Festival - During the Festival smudging will be available for those you need it from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM Friday, Saturdayand Sunday at Folk School. Everyone is welcome to stop by and smudge and/or learn about smudging.
Knowledge Keeper Michael Pierre Bio:
Michael is a traditional Anishinaabe/Ininiw man. His spirit names include: Clubfoot Wolf, The One That Gets Things Done, Buffalo Spirit Man, Kept By the Bears and Night Hawk Warrior Spirit. Michael belongs to the Kingfisher Clan. He was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario and has called Manitoba home for most of his life.
He is a traditional knowledge keeper, teacher, sun dancer, whip man, traditional singer, sweat lodge Conductor and Sacred Pipe carrier. Michael is called to do healing ceremonies all over Manitoba, and has conducted traditional ceremonies across Canada, USA, Mexico, Peru and New Zealand.
Michael has been with Manitoba Justice since January 2011. He is the Executive Director, Indigenous Services, Corporate and Strategic Services. The focus of his Reconciliation branch includes: Indigenous Awareness, and Land based Education for Justice staff; Indigenous Recruitment, Retention and professional development and: Employee wellness through access to Traditional Indigenous Ceremony Providers, knowledge keepers and Elders. Although the focus of his branch is Justice wide, guidance and care have been provided to several other departments within the Government of Manitoba.
Michael sits as a Board member on the National Board for CANFASD. He was a board member and past Chair of the St. Norbert Arts Centre Board of Directors. He is also a board member for Project Neecheewam Inc. He provides cultural education workshops to students, teachers, and administrators in several school divisions and higher-level institutions. Michael works to serve the community and implement strategies that create wellness and growth.
Michael has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Manitoba. In 2014 Michael was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award from Aboriginal Circle of Educators.
Michael and his wife Christine have four children and seven grandchildren.
Indigenous Canada - University of Alberta
As part of our ongoing commitment to education in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion the Winnipeg Folk Festival staff completed the 12-week Indigenous Canada course provided by the University of Alberta. This online course includes lessons on the fur trade, land claims, legal systems, political conflicts, Indigenous political activism, contemporary Indigenous life and art. Indigenous Canada is a free online course that anyone can sign up for at any time through Coursera.
Do you have any comments or suggestions on how we can improve our Indigenous Initiatives?
Please contact us at info@winnipegfolkfestival.ca
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