SCO Salutes Corporate Partners on Successful Every Child Matters Water Bottle Campaign

January 13, 2023

We appreciate corporate acts of reconciliation – Grand Chief Daniels

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 12, 2023

ANISHINAABE AND DAKOTA TERRITORY, MB — The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is celebrating the success of a recent corporate partnership with Winnipeg-based Corpell’s Water.

“One of my primary mandates as a leader is to ensure all residential school Survivors, and their families, are properly acknowledged at all times,” said SCO Grand Chief Jerry Daniels. “I am so pleased that Corpell’s has chosen to walk with us on a healing and reconciliatory journey.”

Last year, following the discovery of unmarked graves at several former residential school sites across Canada, Corpell’s Water designed and distributed a commemorative Every Child Matters water bottle, with a distinct orange label, to stores around Manitoba. The bottles raise awareness and a portion from sales of those bottles were earmarked for a newly-created SCO scholarship fund at the University of Brandon. The scholarship is geared towards Survivors and their descendants.

In the end, more than 30,000 commemorative bottles of water were sold to Manitobans. Corpell’s Water was able to raise $2508 through water sales, which was generously matched by Domo Corporation for a total of $5016 to be contributed to the SCO Scholarship Fund.

“As a company, and as human beings, we were all struck by the horrific news of the discovery of unmarked graves and by the tragic legacy of the residential school system,” said Corpell’s President, Kurt Friesen. “We encourage all businesses and corporations to take similar steps in supporting Survivors, in doing all that we can to try and right this terrible wrong in our collective history.”

“Healing is a multi-layered journey that will continue to take time and energy,” added Grand Chief Daniels. “The more people who join us, the quicker we will get to that collective place.”

Individuals and corporations can make donations to the Southern Chiefs’ Organization Every Child Matters Scholarship via the Brandon University Foundation online at BrandonU.ca/Give, by phone to 204-727-7374 or 1-877-282-4483, or by mail to 270 18th Street, Brandon, Manitoba, R7A 6A9.

There is more information on all of SCO’s scholarship opportunities for southern First Nation students on our website.

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The Southern Chiefs’ Organization represents 34 First Nations and more than 83,000 citizens in what is now called southern Manitoba. SCO is an independent political organization that protects, preserves, promotes, and enhances First Nations peoples’ inherent rights, languages, customs, and traditions through the application and implementation of the spirit and intent of the Treaty-making process.

For media inquiries:

Email: Media@scoinc.mb.ca