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The weight — and wait — of words

At 80, Wanbdi Wakita from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation is a Sundance chief, president of Indigenous Veterans Manitoba, and grandfather-in-residence to the University of Manitoba Access Program. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press)

In the spirit of reconciliation, the Winnipeg Free Press has been profiling knowledge keepers in the Indigenous culture. Wanbdi Wakita is the fourth to be profiled in the ongoing series.

The 80-year-old grandfather is from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, located on the banks of the Assiniboine River in southwestern Manitoba. He is a Sundance chief. Currently, he sits on several boards and is the president of Indigenous Veterans Manitoba as well as the grandfather-in-residence to the University of Manitoba Access Program. He has received many honours, including the Order of Manitoba in 2016.

For the softspoken Wakita, the preservation of culture and language is critical.

To read more of this story first reported by the Winnipeg Free Press, click here.

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