Rod E. Bruinooge (born May 6, 1973) is an Indigenous Canadian politician, businessman, and filmmaker. He was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Winnipeg South in the 2006 federal election, and was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians from 2006 until the fall of 2008.
Bruinooge is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada, and is an Indigenous Canadian of Métis descent. He retired from parliament at the 2015 federal election. Bruinooge became CEO of Eventride in May 2016. Bruinooge was later appointed the first Indigenous Film Commissioner for Manitoba in 2021. Later, Bruinooge was appointed the chief executive officer of the Manitoba Research Network in 2024.
Early life and career Bruinooge's father originated from Wemeldinge, Netherlands. After moving to Canada, he married an Indigenous woman. Bruinooge himself was born in Thompson, Manitoba, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Manitoba.Canada Votes 2004, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Winnipeg South riding profile He attended the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada's 1993 leadership convention as a youth delegate, supporting Kim Campbell.John Douglas, "Campbell slips in Manitoba", Winnipeg Free Press, 13 June 1993, Canadian Wire Stories. His name is erroneously listed as "Ron Bruinooge". Bruinooge became chief executive and president of Abject Modernity Internet Creations Ltd. in the late 1990s, and worked as a consultant.Simon Avery, "Canada's video gamers take 'mature' tack", National Post, 13 May 1999, C01/front.
Bruinooge has served as a director of the River View Health Centre and the Manitoba Children's Museum, and has done organizational work for the Winnipeg Aboriginal Film and Video Festival and the North American Indigenous Games.
The Stone
Bruinooge developed an internet game/mystery entitled The Stone in 1995, and launched it as a consumer product in 1997. The game was strongly influenced by the Publius Enigma, a conceptual mystery involving hidden messages in the cover art of Pink Floyd's The Division Bell (1994). The Stone was profiled by Forbes magazine in 1999 and has been featured in other international journals including USA Today and Entertainment weekly.
In February 1999, Bruinooge held a launch event at Time Square in New York City, where 999 copies of The Stone were handed out to guests. Significant media coverage of the launch occurred including CNN and other New York based news stations.
The Stone was completed in 2007 and Bruinooge was active in its final deployment.
Film and television
In September 2004, Bruinooge and co-director Scott Jaworski released a film entitled Stoners,IMDB Entry: Stoners covering the activities of an internet gaming community that emerged around The Stone."The Stone", website The film features several tracks from The Division Bell in its soundtrack, used with Pink Floyd's permission."Creator of online game", Winnipeg Free Press, 21 September 2004, D4.
Bruinooge started the Winnipeg International Film Festival in 2005, and was its executive director until February 2006. The festival including a screening of Stoners during its first year. Some in Winnipeg's arts community believed it was inappropriate for Bruinooge to screen his own film, although it was screened out of competition.Winnipeg Film Fest fuss, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 10 June 2005, 11:37 report, accessed 15 June 2008.
In 2020 Bruinooge appeared in an episode of CBC's Burden of Truth alongside Kristin Kreuk as a First Nation relative of recurring character Cody Chartrand (season 3, episode 4). Rod Bruinooge is a member of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists union, (ACTRA) since 2019.
Bruinooge was appointed Interim-CEO for the provincial crown agency Manitoba Film and Music in 2021 and became Canada's first Indigenous Film Commissioner at that time. During his career as Film Commissioner Bruinooge led a delegation of film industry and government officials on a mission to Los Angeles on the maiden voyage of Winnipeg's first direct flight.Hooray for (Winnipeg to) Hollywood, Winnipeg Free Press, 31 October 2022, Gabriel Piché}
Political career
Candidate Bruinooge was a frequent candidate for public office before his election in 2006. He first sought the provincial Progressive Conservative nomination for Riel in 2002, but withdrew when it became clear that the nomination date would be in flux for some time.Mia Rabson, "Tories look for answers in membership dispute", Winnipeg Free Press, 2 November 2002, A6.
He later campaigned as the Conservative candidate for Winnipeg South in the 2004 federal election. One of his more creative campaign advertisements was a self-directed, fifteen-second promotional film entitled "Big Tobacco", which compared Paul Martin's efforts at government renewal to misleading tobacco advertising. The spot ran as a preview for Shrek 2 in some Winnipeg theatres.Frank Landry, "Campaign trailers", Winnipeg Sun, 26 May 2004.
Bruinooge was one of only three aboriginal candidates to run for the Conservative Party in the 2004 election. The Conservative Party has sometimes been depicted as hostile to aboriginal interests, and at one point in the campaign Bruinooge and party leader Stephen Harper were the targets of a protest by aboriginal activists, including David Chartrand of the Manitoba Métis Federation.Len Kruzenga, "Listen to natives, not just their leaders", National Post, 15 July 2004, A18. Bruinooge finished second in the election against Liberal incumbent Reg Alcock.
Bruinooge sought the Conservative nomination for Winnipeg South for a second time in the spring of 2005, but lost to rival candidate Hugh McFadyen by a narrow margin.Bill Redekop, "Tory stronghold claimed by mayor's former aide", Winnipeg Free Press, 19 October 2005, B3. A few months later, he was defeated by McFadyen a second time in a contest for the provincial Progressive Conservative nomination in Fort Whyte."McFadyen to represent Tories in Fort Whyte", CBC Manitoba, 19 October 2005, 07:55 report. Once again, McFadyen won by a very narrow margin.
McFadyen resigned his federal nomination when he chose to run provincially, and Bruinooge was chosen as the Conservative candidate in his place. His candidacy was endorsed on January 18, 2006 by Vote Marriage Canada, a group which opposes same-sex marriage."Vote Marriage Canada announces fifty pro-marriage candidates in the Prairie Provinces and the N.W.T." (official press release), Canada NewsWire, 08:40 report, 18 January 2006. Although Bruinooge is a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation, that organization endorsed Reg Alcock.Leah Janzen, "Alcock the target for years", Winnipeg Free Press, 25 January 2005, A12.
Bruinooge defeated Alcock by 111 votes on election day, in what most political observers described as a significant upset.The Winnipeg Sun later described Bruinooge's victory as "the biggest political upset of the decade". Kevin Engstrom, "Top 50 Stories of the Decade". "Winnipeg Sun", 24 December 2009. Bruinooge was aided by a national trend toward his party, as well as by Alcock's decision to spend most of his time canvassing with Liberal candidates in other ridings.Daniel Lett, "Winnipeg South/Reg Alcock", Winnipeg Free Press, 24 January 2006, B7.
Parliamentarian The Conservatives won a minority government in the 2006 election. In early February 2006, Bruinooge was appointed parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians. He was the only Aboriginal member of the Government benches until Rob Clarke was elected on the byelections of March 17, 2008. In January 2007, he represented his government in signing a deal with Siemens that was designed to increase aboriginal employment."Canada's new government signs agreement with Siemens to increase Aboriginal employment and economic opportunities" [Government press release], Canada NewsWire, 24 January 2007, 12:05 report.
During his tenure as Parliamentary Secretary Bruinooge was tasked with managing the enabling legislation for both the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada through the House of Commons and Committee. On June 11, 2008 during Canada's official apology to the victims of Residential Schools, Bruinooge had the honour of being part of the official delegation walking into the House of Commons with the four Indigenous leaders and the prime minister."The Commons: The Apology" [Article by Aaron Wherry], Maclean's Magazine, 12 June 2008.
At the Assembly of First Nations General Assembly in Nova Scotia in July 2007, Bruinooge described the Paul Martin government's Kelowna Accord on aboriginal investment as nothing more than an "expensive press release". This statement was strongly criticized by Assembly of First Nations leader Phil Fontaine."Tory comments on Kelowna anger First Nations leaders", Kitchener-Waterloo Record, 13 July 2007, D10. In the same month, Bruinooge vocally supported the Harper government's efforts to place Canada's Indian Act under the provisions of the Canadian Human Rights Act. Some native groups have argued that the Human Rights Act's focus on individual rights will undermine the communal rights of aboriginal communities.Juliet O'Neill, "Opposition parties team up to block Native bill", National Post, 26 July 2007, A4; Meagan Fitzpatrick And Juliet O'Neill, "Opposition MPs delay Tory plan for native rights", National Post, 27 July 2007, A4.
Bruinooge was then tasked with managing the legislation providing First Nation reserves with access to the Canadian Human Rights Act. Though this Act started controversially, in the end Bruinooge was able to successfully negotiate with opposition parties and First Nation leaders to pass Bill C-21. First Nations child welfare advocate, Cindy Blackstock, then filed a claim on behalf of First Nations children to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal which only became valid after the passing of C-21. On April 3, 2023, after nearly 2 decades of effort, Blackstock would settle with the federal government for 23 Billion dollars on behalf on First Nations children impacted by the child welfare system, all due to her initial claim.
In January 2008, Bruinooge said that the Harper government was considering adapting provincial funding models in British Columbia and Alberta to address education and child-welfare programs in Manitoba.Mia Rabson, "MP offers options for children on welfare", Winnipeg Free Press, 19 January 2008, A9.
In the minutes after it was announced that the Order of Canada was being presented to abortion provider and pro-choice advocate Henry Morgentaler on Canada Day 2008, Rod Bruinooge called the award "Reprehensible".Kevin Engstrom, "'Reprehensible' Naming, Local MP derides choice of Morgentaler", Winnipeg Sun, 2 July 2008, A3
He was re-elected over Liberal candidate John Loewen in the 2008 federal election. Immediately after the election, Bruinooge turned down an offer to become Parliamentary Secretary for INAC, citing a desire to focus his attention on the riding and spend more time with his family.Winnipeg Free Press, November 2008
In December 2008, Rod Bruinooge was elected Chair of the Parliamentary Pro Life Caucus and was reported by the Canadian Press as stating that unborn children had less legal value in Canada than a human kidney.Canadian Press, December 28th 2008, "New Chairman of pro life caucus pushing to reopen Abortion debate"