Just Waters
On a wintery Tuesday in January 2026, nearly 150 people gathered at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People at The Forks for Aadizookaan: Winter Storytelling Gathering, envisioned by Knowledge Keeper Ramona Milliea and hosted by Just Waters with support from the University of Manitoba Faculty of Arts. In a dark, cozy theatre scented with sage and warmed by the crackle of a replica campfire, storytellers Jason Bone, Elder Margaret Lavallee, and Jason Parenteau—guided by MC Rylee Nepinak—shared Anishinaabe teachings in English and Anishinaabemowin with a diverse audience that included secondary students and immersion learners. Through the Anishinaabe Creation Story and other narratives such as Why Bear Has A Short Tail and Why Rabbit Has Long Ears and Feet, the gathering offered moral and ethical principles grounded in natural law, relationships, and respect for water. Rooted in winter as the season for stories across Turtle Island, Aadizookaan also supported Indigenous language revitalization and holistic learning by honouring oral tradition as a living way to carry memory, strengthen community, and pass teachings across generations. Mi’ iw.
