We are all treaty people: Canadian society and reconciliation
by Michael Etherington, Manager of Indigenous Relationships, and Christina Sanakidis, Manager of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
“Reconciliation includes anyone with an open heart and an open mind who is willing to look to the future in a new way. Let us find a way to belong to this time and place together. Our future, and the well-being of all our children, rests with the kind of relationships we build today.” – Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, Reconciliation Canada
Treaties Recognition Week, November 3–9, 2024, is about reflecting on our shared rights, obligations, and responsibilities as treaty people to build a better future for our country. We are all treaty people in Canada, and we can guide the relationships in our daily lives through the teachings and principles of treaty-making.
In Canada, we have historic treaties (formed before 1923) and modern treaties (1970s to present). The Kaswentha (Two Row Wampum) Belt is one of the earliest forms of treaty-making that forged pathways for maintaining peace and friendship. Learning about it can be a starting point for understanding treaty principles in practice. We are all treaty people in Canada and have a duty to better understand our relationship with each other as first peoples, settlers, and newcomers on a shared path.
It is time to renew the spirit & intent of the treaty, something well-known to many Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island. Treaties are living documents that guide us to live respectfully amongst all our relations, people and environment. They last as long as the sun shines, grass grows, and the river flows — treaties are meant to be honoured for as long as the natural order of life continues.
By acknowledging this aspiration to walking together and standing together as treaty people, we share a renewed path forward, we act as a bridge to honour past, current, and future generations.
ReconciliACTIONs: Guiding your steps forward
In the spirit of reconciliation, as we learn to walk together on a shared path forward, you can demonstrate your commitment to being a treaty person through acts of reconciliation known as ReconciliACTIONs. Examples include:
- Learn the names and pronunciations of the host First Nations within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and surrounding regions. To learn how to pronounce a community name or Indigenous nation correctly, call the band office after hours to hear a voice recording of how the community pronounces who they are and where they are from.
- Develop your own personalized land acknowledgement to demonstrate your recognition as a treaty person. Register for free training provided by Yellowhead Institute to increase cultural awareness.
- Support Indigenous organizations that advocate and support Indigenous individuals, families, and communities within the GTA, such as local friendship centres, Indigenous youth agencies, and cultural facilities.
- Learn more about Indigenous ways of knowing and the culture, traditions, customs, and practices of host First Nations within the GTA.
- Learn more about the diversity of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples in urban spaces to improve cultural awareness and sensitivity to geographical (urban, remote, and rural) contexts.
Treaties are a framework for honouring relationships with respect and recognition
The YMCA of Greater Toronto takes an anti-colonial approach to reconciliation as outlined in our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging strategy.
During this week and beyond, please join us as we pause, reflect, and better understand what it means to be a treaty person in our homelands. We can act individually and as a charity to deepen our understanding of our shared histories and obligations as treaty people.
"Canada is a test case for a grand notion — the notion that dissimilar peoples can share lands, resources, power, and dreams while respecting and sustaining their differences. The story of Canada is the story of many such peoples, trying and failing and trying again to live together in peace and harmony.”
– Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, 1996
In 2016, Ontario passed legislation declaring the first week of November Treaties Recognition Week. Did you know there are 46 treaties within Ontario? Learn about them on the searchable map of Ontario treaties and reserves.
Resources
Articles
Treaties and the Treaty Relationship
Treaties with Indigenous Peoples in Canada
Treaties From 1760-1923: Two Sides to the Story
What Reconciliation Is and What It Is Not
What Does Reconciliation Mean To Indigenous Peoples?
Videos
Heritage Minutes: Naskumituwin (Treaty)
Canada in Focus: A Promise To Share (The Treaty Relationship)
Books
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
