Two separate marches in Winnipeg Friday morning brought hundreds of people to The Forks national historic site, a traditional aboriginal meeting place, as part of the Canada-wide day of action on native issues.

"A lot of times I look at myself and ask myself why I'm doing this. It's because I want to end the suffering in our communities," Morris Shannacappo, newly elected head of Manitoba's Southern Chiefs Organization, told the crowd assembled at The Forks.

'I can't remember ever having this kind of support we're going to have, so that's very encouraging.' —Ron Evans,
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs

Shannacappo said governments must start honouring the treaties they signed so many years ago.

Until that happens, he says, the poverty and crises among aboriginal people won't end.

Bodie Castel, 19, travelled all the way from Pukatawagan, 700 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, to attend the day of action events in Winnipeg.

"Give us this equality, equality for people on the reserve to get the same treatment as people off-reserve," he said.

Mike Pierre lives in Winnipeg, but he says land claims are very important to him.

"My home community in Ontario, we have one square mile of swamp land. That's where they put us," he said. 

"We have no place to grow. Every possible square inch of land is used, just for housing."

Unions, students join in events

Several non-native groups in Manitoba asked their members to join the aboriginal community at day of action events.

Gary Swanson, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500, says unions have been quietly working with the aboriginal community for some time.

"Both the aboriginal community and the union community want the same things," said Swanson, whose local represents City of Winnipeg workers.

"The union movement, of course, is for workers' rights and improved wages and living conditions. Those are the same things that aboriginal people want. They want a decent life, and … comfortable living and decent water and food, and we're all for that."

The Canadian Federation of Students is also joining the marches.

Spokesman Matt McLean wants Ottawa to boost financial support to aboriginal students, and to honour its obligations to aboriginal people.

"Like all people who are supporting this cause, we hope to see a better system being put in place for dealing with land claim issues," he said. "In general, we hope that the government begins to uphold its end of these treaty obligations."

Other non-native groups, including the Canadian Auto Workers union and Amnesty International, will also join the day of action.

"I can't remember ever having this kind of support we're going to have, so that's very encouraging," said Ron Evans, head of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.

"That means we've come a long way. We're slowly educating."