Reconciliation in Action.
A Bold Vision for a Better Future.
SCO’s Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn Project Reimagines Iconic Hudson’s Bay Heritage Building After HBC Governor Makes Historic Gift
A Bold Vision for a New Future
SCO is transforming the iconic Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) heritage building in downtown Winnipeg. Working closely with HBC and our federal, provincial, and municipal Treaty partners, SCO has developed a visionary plan to turn the building into a space for economic and social reconciliation.
The Wehwehneh Bahgahkinahgohn project is the largest redevelopment of an historic building in Manitoba. Its revitalization will help to revive Winnipeg’s downtown.
Read more about the project here.
Treaty Days & Pow Wows in Southern Manitoba
It is time to gather and celebrate Treaties and our Anishinaabe and Dakota cultures!
The Southern Chiefs’ Organization is sharing schedules for 2026 Treaty Days and pow wows for Nations and urban areas in southern Manitoba.
To see a list of Treaty Days, click here.
To view a list of pow wows, click here.
If you would like to share details about your Nation’s Treaty Day(s) or pow wow, send us an email.
6th Annual Orange Shirt Day Healing Walk And Pow Wow
SCO is hosting the 6th Annual Orange Shirt Day Healing Walk and Pow Wow on September 30, 2026, in Winnipeg, Treaty One Territory.
This event marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day.
We encourage you to take part to honour residential school Survivors, remember the children who never came home, and support healing for all affected families.
To learn more, click here.
Interested in events? Visit our events webpage here!
SCO NEWS
Southern Chiefs' Organization
SCO represents 33 Anishinaabe & Dakota Nations in what is now southern Manitoba https://scoinc.mb.ca/
HOW MANY RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS WERE THERE IN CANADA?
As we prepare to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation—also known as Orange Shirt Day—on September 30, the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is sharing frequently asked questions throughout the month of September.
Today’s question is: How many residential schools were there in Canada?
Answer: It is unclear how many residential schools operated in Canada. It is likely there were close to 200 schools.
There were 139 residential schools in Canada that are formally recognized in the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement.
These were schools that received financial support from the federal government.
However, many other schools also operated without federal funding.
According to Paths to Reconciliation—a project by Canadian Geographic and the Department of Canadian Heritage (2022)—there were at least 61 additional residential schools across the country that have not been formally recognized.
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SCO is hosting the 6th Annual Orange Shirt Day Healing Walk and Pow Wow on September 30, 2026.
Attend the opening ceremony at 9:30 am at the Oodena Circle in The Forks in Winnipeg.
Afterwards, participants are invited to join a healing walk to the Canada Life Centre.
For more information, visit our website: scoinc.mb.ca/orange-shirt-day-2026/
**The photo used with this post depicts the former Portage la Prairie Indian Residential School. It is on display at the National Indian Residential School Museum of Canada.
#SCOINCMB #SCOOrangeShirtDay #NationalDayforTruthandReconciliation #Winnipeg #TreatyOne
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NEVER FORGOTTEN
For many Survivors, returning to Birtle was a walk down a road they had not travelled in years.
For some, it was their first time returning since they left the Birtle Indian Residential School.
The school was in operation for 82 years, from 1888 to 1970.
The Birtle Reunion brought Survivors, family members, and leaders back to this place.
The gathering was organized by the Birtle Residential School Survivors’ Committee, led by Birtle Survivors Percy Ballantyne and Charlie Bittern, along with staff from the Southern Chiefs’ Organization’s Residential School Research Project.
At the proposed memorial site, Survivors and guests took part in a ceremony led by Elder Joe Bunn. The ceremony included opening remarks, stories from Survivors, and an apology from the Presbyterian Church.
Grand Chief Jerry Daniels, Chief Tréchelle Bunn of Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation, Youth Councillor Tyshaundrea Desjarlais, and the Honourable Glen Simard, Manitoba’s Minister of Municipal and Northern Relations also spoke at the event.
Chief Bunn reflected on her grandparents’ time at the school and accepted a star blanket in honour of Elder Terry Wastasay, who recently passed.
Following the ceremony, Survivors and participants toured Birtle Collegiate, visited the Birtle Country Museum, and viewed the former residential school.
For many, seeing the school and walking through the area brought back memories of a place that caused so much pain.
It was a bittersweet walk down memory lane and a chance to revisit a part of their lives that many had not seen, or returned to, in decades.
One message was clear throughout the day: Survivors do not want to be forgotten.
Their stories, the history of residential schools, and the ongoing intergenerational impacts are truths that must continue to be discussed and shared.
They will never be forgotten.
Here is a look back at the day in Birtle, narrated by Grand Chief Daniels and Chief Bunn.
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Learn our Residential School Research Project on our website at: scoinc.mb.ca/rs-research-project/
#SCOINCMB #Birtle #residentialschool #EveryChildMatters #Manitoba
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YOU’RE INVITED: SCO’S ORANGE SHIRT DAY HEALING WALK AND POW WOW
The Southern Chiefs’ Organization invites you to our 6th Annual Orange Shirt Day Healing Walk and Pow Wow on September 30, 2026, in Winnipeg on Treaty One Territory.
✦ Opening Ceremony at 9:30 am, Oodena Celebration Circle, The Forks
✦ Healing Walk from the Forks to Canada Life Centre, 300 Portage Avenue
✦ Pow wow grand entry at 1 pm in the Canada Life Centre
Join us as we honour residential school Survivors, remember the children who never came home, and support healing for all affected families.
Follow us on social media for updates and more information.
You can also learn more about the event on our website at: scoinc.mb.ca/orange-shirt-day-2026/
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Look for this SCO ad in the September issues of Grassroots News.
#SCOINCMB #SCOOrangeShirtDay #NationalDayforTruthandReconciliation #Winnipeg #TreatyOne
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INTERNATIONAL DAY OF INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND GIRLS : WE HONOUR YOU
Today, on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Women and Girls, the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) honours the Anishinaabe and Dakota women and girls who are from our 33 SCO member Nations.
Our women are sacred. They have always been leaders, Knowledge Keepers, caregivers, and advocates.
Their strength, knowledge, and contributions help guide our families, Nations, and future generations.
Today is an opportunity to celebrate our women and girls, while also recognizing the ongoing work needed to address the barriers, discrimination, and violence they continue to face.
SCO is proud to stand with our Anishinaabe and Dakota women and girls, today and every day.
#SCOINCMB #InternationalDayOfIndigenousWomenandGirls #FirstNations #leaders #Manitoba
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A WARRIOR’S WAY FORWARD PROGRAM BEGINS IN A GOOD WAY
Staff from the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) gathered at Sagehill Stables in Treaty One Territory for a pipe ceremony and feast to mark the beginning of our new program called "A Warrior’s Way Forward."
Guided by SCO’s Cultural Advisor, Allen Sutherland, the ceremony provided an opportunity to come together in a good way, honour our cultural teachings, and set an intentional foundation for the work ahead.
A Warrior’s Way Forward is focused on supporting First Nations youth between the ages of 12 to 21 involved in, transitioning from, or at risk of involvement with the justice system.
The program will support them as they move ahead on their healing and wellness journeys, while strengthening connections to culture, their Nations, and traditional teachings.
An important part of A Warrior’s Way Forward are the relationships the youth will build with the horses at Sagehill Stables. By spending time alongside these sacred relatives—learning to understand them, care for them, and earn their trust—youth will have opportunities to strengthen patience, responsibility, confidence, and connection.
In caring for the horses, youth will also discover something about caring for themselves, one another, and the relationships they carry forward.
The gathering marked an important first step, bringing people together to take part in ceremony, feasting, and connecting as this work begins.
To learn more about the SCO Justice Program, visit: scoinc.mb.ca/justice-and-rights/
#SCOINCMB #SCOJustice #wellness #horses #TreatyOne
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Media
SCO represents 33 Anishinaabe and Dakota First Nations in what is now southern Manitoba. Browse our news archive and stay up-to-date on coverage of our work to protect, preserve, promote, and enhance the lives and rights of First Nations peoples.
Programs and Services
SCO works to protect, preserve, promote, and enhance the inherent rights, languages, customs, and traditions of Anishinaabe and Dakota citizens, by working in critical areas such as Child and Family Services, Health Transformation, Justice, Water and Environment, Harm Reduction, Jordan’s Principle, Crisis Response, Non-Insured Health Benefits, Status Card and IDs, and First Nations Veterans.
Education
We compiled a comprehensive resource list to help you find financial supports for post-secondary education, including scholarships, bursaries, awards, and the Canada Learning Bond.
You can also access information on residential and day schools, the Sixties Scoop, MMIWG2S+, getting help on government programs and services, anti-racism, as well as information on how to get your benefits, and a curated list to read, watch, and listen!