November 29, 2021
Land Acknowledgement To Commence House Proceedings In Legislative Assembly Of Manitoba
The first-ever instance of a land acknowledgement will be recited today as part of the formal proceedings of the legislative assembly of Manitoba, Premier Heather Stefanson and government house leader Kelvin Goertzen announced today.
“I feel incredibly honoured and humbled to be the premier of this province when this is starting,” said Stefanson. “This is long overdue, it is the right thing to do and I believe this is an important step in our collective efforts to advance reconciliation and move forward together.”
All three political parties unanimously agreed to the land acknowledgement, following consultation with First Nation, Inuit and Métis leaders. Earlier this fall, a working group was created to help develop the language in the acknowledgment and its terms of use.
“I want to thank Indigenous leadership for their input, guidance and collaboration throughout this process,” said Goertzen. “I also want to thank the opposition parties for their willingness to be part of this important and historic process.”
Starting today, and for the remainder of the fall sitting, the land acknowledgement will be delivered by the Speaker of the house following the opening prayer. In order to formalize this process and make it permanent, the government will formally codify this through the Standing Committee on Rules of the House in the near future, Goertzen noted.
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