SRWA Response to Manitoba Wildlife Federation’s Letter
February 26, 2026
Our Elders call on us to protect the Seal River Watershed as a way to honour our responsibility to the land, water, and caribou. That means the creation of the Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area has to be done in a good way. It has to reflect Dene and Cree laws and values.
Since our four First Nations launched the Seal River Watershed Alliance in 2020, we have worked hard to uphold those teachings.
We have been inclusive and transparent, inviting neighbours to come to the table and work together. At every step in the process, we have encouraged rights holders, stakeholders, and the public to share feedback and help shape the future of the watershed.
We have collaborated with our Nation-to-Nation-to-Nation partners, and we have negotiated in good faith.
And we have extended a big Dene and Cree welcome to visitors who want to experience the beauty of the watershed for themselves. We want Manitobans and Canadians to come and paddle the river, learn about our cultures, and hunt and fish in respectful ways.
Most of all, we kept the land, water, caribou, and future generations at the heart of our work.
Yet some voices are spreading misformation about the Alliance. The Manitoba Wildlife Federation recently wrote a letter to the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature, making claims that range from simple mistakes of fact to deliberate misrepresentations about Indigenous governance, plans for public access to the watershed, and the work of the Alliance.
To help set the record straight, we sent a letter to Minister Dabrusin. Click here to read the Alliance’s letter.
