Treaties Recognition Week & Indigenous Veterans Day
Treaties Recognition Week (Nov. 7-11, 2022)
In 2018, the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation (MIRR) announced that Ontario has designated the first full week of November as Treaties Recognition Week (Nov. 7-11, 2022).
The MIRR Treaty Awareness campaign is an opportunity to teach and learn about historic agreements, contributions, cultures and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples as the original stewards of this land and of the responsibilities that Canadians have in their role as treaty partners.
A treaty is a legally binding nation-to-nation agreement – for example, Indigenous Nations and Crown – that sets out the rights, responsibilities, and relationships between the Indigenous Nations of these lands, and the federal and provincial governments on behalf of the Crown.
Treaties can only be made between nations and Indigenous nations continue to practice the five pillars of nationhood criteria/status which include: language, distinct culture, way of practicing a common belief system (ceremony), sovereign form of governance, and land/territory.
Treaty agreements between Indigenous Nations and the Crown were based on eternal peace, friendship, and respect.
As Indigenous Peoples, treaty partners and allies, we are all treaty people. We have a shared responsibility to learn about a complex history that will inform today’s relationships. Learning about the history of treaties and their original intent helps everyone to identify those parts of the relationships that require attention for healing and restoration.
As educators, it is important that we honour treaty week by presenting the contextualized truth about treaties. Many treaties were broken, ignored, and displaced by colonial legislation that include but are not limited to the Indian Act, the imposition of provincial hunting and fishing laws that impacted ancient practices for self-sufficiency. The treaties were made in agreement as partners, but the legislation predicated the genocide that was revealed in the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Final Report by Justice Murray Sinclair.
The Indigenous Cultural Safety Team (ICST) within HWDSB acknowledges that the implementation of Treaties Recognition Week lessons and activities is a crucial step toward emphasizing the often- overlooked truth, in Truth and Reconciliation (see Education for Reconciliation, Calls to Action #62-65) .
Indigenous Veterans Day, November 8
Indigenous peoples never surrendered nationhood sovereignty and therefore were not recognized as Canadian citizens during WWl and WWll. This means that they could not be conscripted (drafted) to serve. Every Indigenous soldier that served in both Great Wars did so voluntarily, as allies. Many were enfranchised as a result, meaning that they were stripped of their legal right to be registered as a status Indian. These veterans could not return to their home communities to live as they were no longer band members.
Others, who maintained their Indian status, were not legally eligible to purchase and/or own (off-reserve) land. It was illegal for status Indians, including veterans, to purchase the lands that they fought to protect.
If they attempted to purchase land, the authorities were called to inform them of the consequences, which included jail (Forgotten Warriors by Loretta Todd – NFB).
We remember Indigenous Veterans, warriors who served during the American Revolution, the War of 1812, World War l, World War ll. Because of our sovereign status, many Indigenous soldiers volunteered on either side of the border. We also acknowledge that many served during other conflicts including Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan.
Locally, Mississaugas of the Credit holds the distinction in Canada, of being the community who had the highest number of volunteers per capita. Every man who could, served during World War l and World War ll.
Recently an elementary school in Brantford was renamed Edith Monture Elementary School. She served in the first World War as a U.S. Army Nurse.
On November 8, 2022, please take the time to honour and remember Indigenous veterans, families, communities, and nations.
- Honouring Indigenous Veterans
- Indigenous Veterans, Veterans Affairs Canada
- History, Veterans Affairs Canada
Rock Your Mocs
For your information, there is an annual, online campaign called Rock Your Mocs on Tuesday, November 15. This virtual event was created in 2011 to bring unity to Indigenous communities and awareness to Treaty Partners across Turtle Island (North America). It highlights the differences between nations which is reflective in the style of moccasin made and worn by each distinctive Indigenous nation. Feel free to check it out and maybe post a photo to #ROCKYOURMOCS.
Sincerely,
Indigenous Education Team
Sue Dunlop, Associate Director, Learning Services
Updated on Friday, November 11, 2022.