Turtle Island Mankind Project Declaration Of Sovereignty
November 8, 2022
A letter of support and acknowledgement of Indigenous sovereignty and brotherhood
The MKP-BC board salutes and welcomes MKP Turtle Island and all other First Nations programs to the MKP brotherhood. We commit to providing personnel, financial resources and material resources, as we are able, to MKP Turtle Island initiatives occurring in British Columbia. We support recognition by MKP Canada and the Canadian Leader Body of the leadership status of men who lead and co-lead Turtle Island NWTAs. Turtle Island MKP Leaders who are bound by the International Leader Body, or equivalent, Leader Covenant will be welcome to co-lead and lead BC NWTAs.
To our International Brotherhood, Leaders, Elders and Community,
The MKP-BC Board recognizes and affirms the sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples and Communities. We encourage our organizational leaders and those of our Brother Regions to continue to respect, engage, support and honour the First Peoples of every land.
We affirm and believe as an organization engaged in social change that education and awareness through cultural competency are essential qualities and standards within our brotherhood. We ask our brothers to continue to learn of the untold history of First peoples and be in a process of truth, conciliation and authentic relationship.
We ask that the representatives of our Organization build respectful mutual relationships with local Indigenous communities in alignment with our core mission, values, and practices and work together as a collective to strive for a better future, free of oppression, trauma and toxic parts of society that do not serve the collective good.
We acknowledge an ongoing history of relationships with some Indigenous communities and recognize that we have to follow word with action when building equity and inclusion for all.
Further, we encourage our regional leadership to acknowledge the many contributions made by First Nations and Indigenous men to the core of what we know and do and to continue building new relationships based on mutual respect, dignity, peace and cooperation.
We ask our brothers collectively and individually to offer financial support, time, their skills and other forms of support to the many Indigenous MKP initiatives to help realize and actualize our full mission, knowing how generosity goes a long way to making dreams and possibilities come true.
Mankind Project British Columbia Board
Declaration of Sovereignty
June 27, 2022
Turtle Island Mankind Project
From our endured persistence as Indigenous people on Turtle Island, we are making a declaration of sovereignty.
Having the ability to be culturally responsive to MKP and to our communities in a way that functions within our own traditional values and practices.
- We declare the ability to choose and develop our own leaders.
- We declare the ability to choose cultural practices that fit in our communities for those who are participating in our ceremonies and the Indigenous New Warrior Training Adventure.
- We declare the ability to retain the funds collected to create sustainability within our communities.
- We declare we openly invite and select ally’s into our communities that create mentorship for our community members.
- We acknowledge the contributions of Indigenous peoples who have already been developing technology for their communities to support the healing of men.
In the community of Maskwacis, there have been 5 Indigenous New Warrior Training Adventures, in the community of Pine Ridge there has been 1 Indigenous New Warrior Training Adventure.
We acknowledge the work being done in the southern regions of Turtle Island and the connection to the culture of those communities.
The influence of dominant culture interferes with the ability of community and cultural leaders to serve the community members in a cultural and ceremonial way.
We are calling upon all allies to stand with us as we make this declaration of sovereignty for indigenous peoples across Turtle Island.
We would like to define a few terms for the future. Making sure it is clear for all communities.
Ally – Someone who stands with and amplifies the voices of those they support
Accomplice – Someone who does the work of creating equality for the equity deserving group
Partner = someone who contributes to the relationship in a meaningful way
We are seeking to understand those who wish to fill these roles in this declaration and the continued growth as we serve indigenous men and indigenous communities. It is clear we must unite to make sure we are not forced to be laterally violent against ourselves as we claim our sovereignty. Many times through history colonization has created an environment where indigenous people have had to abandon authenticity for inclusion in the mainstream establishment because of the power non-indigenous people and dominant cultures have had over us.
My want is to have men who have initiated into our Indigenous Warrior weekend be accepted and invited into the camaraderie of men healing with men into the MKP world without an asterisk of being different, to have our men be accepted and invited as fully functioning and recognized Leaders, co-leaders and water pourers from our own training for such.
We are also announcing ongoing MKP Turtle Island Trainings in Maskwacis.
My want is Miyo Wahkohtowin, a trusting and good relationship.
John Crier
Morning Sun on Water
Maskwacis, Treaty Six Territory