Ten days have passed since I completed my four-day ceremonial fast (July 28–August 1, 2025) outside the Manitoba Professional Planners Institute (MPPI) office.
The purpose was simple but urgent:
To pray, to fast, and to call on MPPI to respond to my April 2025 complaint about planner John Wintrup and his conduct toward Lemay Forest — a sacred and protected heritage site.
MPPI has remained completely silent.
No acknowledgement.
No update.
No willingness to engage.
This silence speaks volumes about the gap between their public commitments to reconciliation and the lived reality of Indigenous peoples defending our lands and ceremonies.
What We’ve Learned So Far
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Silence is a choice – MPPI has had months to respond, and their lack of communication during and after a ceremonial fast shows the depth of institutional avoidance.
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The eyes are always on us – During the fast, a team of professionals observed me while I was being interviewed by media, and later that evening, police circled our ceremonies without engaging us directly.
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The pattern is bigger than Lemay Forest – This is part of a broader history of surveillance, legal threats, and development pressure on sacred Indigenous lands — from Lemay Forest to Rooster Town and beyond.
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Community is our strength – Elders, knowledge keepers, and supporters have shown up in ceremony, in prayer, and in public advocacy. Our unity is unshakable.
Yet, there has been progress 💛
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Awareness is growing – More people are learning about Lemay Forest’s cultural significance and the harmful development patterns that threaten it.
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Support is deepening – I have been surrounded by Elders, ceremonial sisters, spiritual advisors, and allies who stand with me.
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Healing has been real – The fast included a water ceremony, drumming, prayer, closing fire and feasting all of which strengthened my spirit for the work ahead.
The forest still stands.
Our ceremonies continue.
The silence from MPPI will not erase our voices.
What you can do:
📌 Sign & share the petition – The more signatures we have, the harder it is for MPPI and the Province to ignore us.
📌 Share this post – Bring Lemay Forest into more conversations.
📌 Call for accountability – Demand that MPPI respond to my complaint and commit to Indigenous cultural safety in planning.
Lemay Forest is not just trees. It is memory, medicine, and home.
And we will keep protecting it. 🌿💛
#LemayForest #CulturalSafety #IndigenousRights #ReconciliationInAction #MPPIAccountability #SacredLands