Manitoba Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba

The Honourable Anita R. Neville, P.C., O.M.

Raising our Voices Gala

Remarks by

The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.

Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba

RAISING OUR VOICES GALA

Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Wednesday, November 6, 2024, 6:20 p.m.

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Fellow Manitobans, believers in a sacred calling, it’s a pleasure to join you as you raise your voices at this beautiful museum.

As Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, I am pleased to acknowledge first that we are gathered on Treaty 1 land and in the heartland of the Red River Metis and that our province is located on the treaty territories and ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe, Anishininew (ANISH-IN-INEW), Cree, Dakota, Dene and Nehetho (NE-HET-HO) Nation and the homeland of the Red River Métis.

As well, Manitoba includes northern lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit.

As Manitobans, we respect the spirit and intent of treaties and treaty making and remain committed to working in partnership with First Nations, Metis and Inuit people in the spirit of truth, reconciliation and collaboration.

Tonight, we are gathered to celebrate 10 years since the Canadian Museum for Human Rights opened its doors to tell stories of human rights violations and victories, and of the men and women who have worked for centuries to build a world of freedom, dignity, equality and understanding.

We will hear more about the innovative and beautiful design of this museum, and of the architect who envisioned it.

And we will pay tribute to the champions who led this organization through its founding and emergence as one of Canada’s great educational and cultural institutions.

But we are not just here to look back on a day of great excitement in Winnipeg and on the hard work and passion that went into creating this beautiful museum.

Tonight, we are also looking forward.

We are celebrating young champions of human rights who have many years of advocacy and leadership ahead of them.

We are joining together to raise our voices – and in doing so, considering what can be done by bringing more voices into the chorus.

We know that injustice and inequality cannot simply be abolished. We know that as Martin Luther King put it, the moral arc of the universe is long.

That moral arc may, as Dr. King put it, “bend toward justice,” but it doesn’t bend on its own. We need to bend it. Ultimately, all progress in human rights depends on a growing chorus of voices.

To all who have organized this evening and to all who have supported the development of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights – thank you for your voices and thank you for your actions and thank you for inspiring many others to join in harmony.

Thank you. Merci. Meegwich. Shalom