Indigenous Dauphin: Treaty 2, Nations and Community

About Dauphin

Dauphin had 8,368 residents in the 2021 census, making it Manitoba's ninth-largest community. The city sits in the Parkland Region of western Manitoba. Riding Mountain National Park rises to the south and Duck Mountain Provincial Park to the northwest. Dauphin Lake lies nearby, with Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipegosis farther out. Grain, oilseeds, honey and livestock still anchor the local economy. Health care, education, manufacturing, retail and tourism add jobs too. Dauphin serves as a supply, distribution and transportation centre for the farms around it. Its Ukrainian roots run deep, and about 30 per cent of residents reported Ukrainian heritage in 2021. The city also hosts regional offices that serve nearby First Nations, including a Treaty 2 and 4 health services office.

Dauphin history

The lands around Dauphin Lake are home to the West Region Anishinaabe. Dauphin sits within Treaty 2, whose boundaries run west from Lake Winnipeg through Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipegosis. Nine First Nations in Manitoba belong to Treaty 2 today. Some nations inside its borders signed other treaties instead. French explorer Pierre Gaultier de La Vérendrye built a post in the region in the 1730s. In 1741 the area took the name Dauphin, after the eldest son of the king of France. Settlers from Ontario arrived in the late 1870s and founded small villages nearby. The present townsite grew after the Lake Manitoba Railway arrived in 1896. Between 1896 and 1898, Ukrainian immigrants built one of their earliest rural communities in Canada here. Dauphin became a village in 1898, a town in 1901 and a city in 1998. It grew into an important centre for shipping grain. The Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Resurrection was completed in 1939. Its design follows the early Kievan style of Eastern Byzantine architecture. It became a provincial historic site in 1994. First World War pilot William Barker was born in Dauphin, and the city airport has carried his name since 1998.

Treaty and territory

Dauphin lies in Treaty 2 territory, the homeland of the West Region Anishinaabe. The treaty’s boundaries take in Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipegosis.

Nearby: Wasagaming · Gilbert Plains · Ochre River · Ebb and Flow First Nation · Duck Mountain Provincial Park · Riding Mountain National Park

Indigenous Dauphin today

First Nations of Treaty 2 and Treaty 4 surround Dauphin. The West Region Tribal Council coordinates eight band governments with about 9,000 members. They include Ebb and Flow, Gamblers, Keeseekoowenin, O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi, Pine Creek, Rolling River, Skownan and Tootinaowaziibeeng. Ebb and Flow First Nation sits about 83 kilometres east of Dauphin. West Region Treaty 2 and 4 Health Services keeps a sub-office on Main Street North in Dauphin. Its stated aim is to support West Region Anishinaabe in building healthy communities. Programs include mental health counselling, diabetes initiatives, Jordan's Principle services, dental care and nursing. The Dauphin Friendship Centre, founded in 1974, serves both Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents. It runs youth activities for ages 6 to 24, a Head Start preschool, prenatal support and a school lunch program. Community events have included a Christmas dinner and dance, a square dance jamboree and a picnic in the park. At Riding Mountain National Park, Parks Canada works with Anishinaabe and First Nations from Treaties 1, 2 and 4.

Life in Dauphin

Dauphin is best known for its summer festivals. Countryfest, running since 1989, is called Canada's longest-running country music festival. Canada's National Ukrainian Festival grew from a group formed in 1965 after a Chamber of Commerce meeting. It is held at Selo Ukraina, a folk arts centre and museum in the RM of Dauphin, with a parade through the city. The 2026 festival was cancelled after severe flooding in early July. Riding Mountain National Park draws people for hiking, camping and wildlife watching in all seasons. Its grasslands, forests, wetlands and lakes shelter wolf packs, orchids and lilies. Wasagaming is the park's gateway community. Duck Mountain Provincial Park offers more forest and lakes to the northwest. Closer to town, Dauphin Lake lies a short drive away.

Dauphin seasons and weather

Dauphin has a humid continental climate with big swings between seasons. The town recorded 43.3°C on June 25, 1919, and has dropped to −44.4°C in February. Winter calls for heavy layers and a warm hat. Summer days can be hot enough for a single cotton tee. Spring and fall bring cool mornings, so a hoodie or long sleeve stays handy for trips into Riding Mountain.

More on the region: Indigenous Manitoba · all of Canada.

Keep learning in the XUSI Journal

• The Numbered Treaties, Explained
• Treaty Annuity Payments and Treaty Days, Explained
• First Nations, Métis and Inuit: What’s the Difference?
• How to Write a Land Acknowledgement That Means Something
• All Journal articles

Dauphin questions