MFNERC and MFNSS would like to acknowledge Sophia Smoke for her role in the historic ceremony that took place on April 22, 2022, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Southern Chiefs Organization. The HBC building located in Downtown Winnipeg was gifted to SCO in the spirit of reconciliation and reclamation, and the building is set to be renovated into affordable housing for First Nations people, a child care centre, a museum, an art gallery, and restaurants. Sophia Smoke, a young member of the Dakota Plains Wahpeton First Nation, moved many in attendance to tears with her powerful speech and we look forward to hearing more from her in the future as a young leader.
