A historical presentation titled “Carrying the Empire on Our Backs: Island Lake Stories of the Fur Trade” is scheduled for January 26, 2026, at Knox United Church in Brandon, Manitoba. The event focuses on the often-overlooked history of the Indigenous people who worked in the fur trade.
The talk aims to center cultural perspectives of the Anishininewuk (Oji-Cree) people from Island Lake communities including Garden Hill, Wasagamack, St. Theresa Point and Red Sucker Lake. Historical research and community timelines show these groups provided the tripmen, packers and translators who were essential to the Island Lake Brigade — a transport network that moved goods within the Island Lake region and between the interior and the coast for the Hudson’s Bay Company.
Organizers say the event is part of a broader effort to bring more Indigenous history into public spaces in Brandon’s downtown. Provincial archives confirm an Island Lake HBC post (B.93); historians and community researchers interpret the phrase “Carrying the Empire” as referring to the intense physical labour of the Island Lake Brigade — carrying heavy packs of furs and supplies on portages between waterways.
Knox United Church has a record of hosting community education about Indigenous experiences, including a 2022 mobile learning centre and exhibit about the Brandon Indian Residential School. The presentation is being promoted through the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation (Downtown Biz) events portal to encourage public engagement with the history of the Westman region.
