Wînipêk: Visions of Canada from an Indigenous Centre

From ground zero of this country’s most important project: RECONCILIATION

Niigaan Sinclair has been called provocative, revolutionary, and one of this country’s most influential thinkers on the issues impacting Indigenous cultures, communities, and reconciliation in Canada.

In his debut collection of stories, observations, and thoughts about Winnipeg, the place he calls “ground zero” of Canada’s future, read about the complex history and contributions of this place alongside the radical solutions to injustice and violence found here, presenting solutions for a country that has forgotten principles of treaty and inclusivity. It is here, in the place where Canada began—where the land, water, people, and animals meet— that a path “from the centre” is happening for all to see.

At a crucial and fragile moment in Canada’s long history with Indigenous peoples, one of our most essential writers begins at the centre, capturing a web spanning centuries of community, art, and resistance.

Based on years’ worth of columns, Niigaan Sinclair delivers a defining essay collection on the resilience of Indigenous peoples. Here, we meet the creators, leaders, and everyday people preserving the beauty of their heritage one day at a time. But we also meet the ugliest side of colonialism, the Indian Act, and the communities who suffer most from its atrocities.

Sinclair uses the story of Winnipeg to illuminate the reality of Indigenous life all over what is called Canada. This is a book that demands change and celebrates those fighting for it, that reminds us of what must be reconciled and holds accountable those who must do the work. It’s a book that reminds us of the power that comes from loving a place, even as that place is violently taken away from you, and the magic of fighting your way back to it.

About the Author: Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair is Anishinaabe and originally from St. Peter’s (Little Peguis) near Selkirk, Manitoba. He is an award-winning writer, editor and activist whose written work has appeared in The Guardian, The Globe and Mail and the Winnipeg Free Press. He trains educators across Canada, having written curricula for organizations like the Assembly of First Nations. Currently an associate professor and formerly head of the Department of Native Studies at the University of Manitoba, Niigaan teaches courses in Indigenous literature, culture, history and politics.