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Treaties Recognition Week and Indigenous Veterans’ Day (Nov. 8, 2021)

At HWDSB, we continue our journey of reconciliation while working alongside the Indigenous Education Circle (IEC), Indigenous Education Team (IET) and Indigenous community, to honour Indigenous Peoples and give thanks for the land that we are on.

November marks two steps on this journey: we welcome and recognize Treaties Recognition Week (Nov. 1 to 7, 2021), as well as Indigenous Veteran’s Day (Nov. 8, 2021). Below is a message created with the Indigenous Education Team, in the spirit of fostering positive relationships with Indigenous communities.

Treaties Recognition Week (Nov. 1-7, 2021)

In 2018, the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation (MIRR) announced that Ontario has designated the first week of November as Treaties Recognition Week. The MIRR Treaty Awareness campaign is an opportunity to teach and learn about histories, contributions, cultures and perspectives of Indigenous peoples as First Peoples of this land.

A treaty is a legally binding nation to nation agreement (for example – an Indigenous Nation/Community and the Canadian government) that sets out the rights, responsibilities and relationships of First Nations, the Crown and federal and provincial governments. Deeper learning might include examining the truth about unceded lands, Metis land scrips, and pending legal Agreements in Indigenous communities and territories.

As Indigenous Peoples, settlers and allies, we are all treaty people. We have a responsibility to learn about a complex history which inform today’s relationships.

As settlers and allies, we directly benefit from Treaties. It is our responsibility to commit to reconciliation in education, and to teach the future inhabitants and leaders of this land about Indigenous truths and realities. It is important to recognize that studying the evolution of treaties in colonial Canada entails learning about the true histories of this land from Indigenous perspectives.

As educators, we need to disrupt theories such as the doctrine of discovery that justify and legitimize the usurpation of land, animals, peoples and resources and think critically about the land we are on, how we came to be on this land, how we are in relation to the land and in relation to all living things and spiritual beings that co-exist on Mother Earth.

When undergoing treaty-work, it is critical to consider the complex web of relationships and opposing worldviews that were and still are at play. From an Indigenous lens, there was no concept of land ownership. This directly contradicts the European ideals of expansion and possession.

• 2021 Treaties Recognition Week – Let’s Talk About Treaties – a Sway presentation created by the Indigenous Education Team

Indigenous Veterans Day (Nov. 8, 2021)

As a Board, we are working to expand the narratives presented during Remembrance Day observances so that the forgotten histories of marginalized Canadians are also included and honoured. For example, the contributions of Indigenous, Black, Chinese, Japanese and Sikh soldiers are often unknown by many due to the dominant colonial narrative about the veterans of Canada.

It is important to remember that Indigenous Peoples, nations and communities have contributed to all of the major wars and battles that have occurred across Turtle Island (North America). Indigenous People in military service brought skills and strengths that were of great benefit to the Canadian military, such as Cree code talkers, snipers, and a history of keeping peace and loyalty to allies.

Up to 12,000 Indigenous people served in these wars, though exact numbers are unclear. Racist and assimilative policies forced returning Indigenous veterans to lose their status and right to live on reserve. They were not compensated for their service and had to “assimilate” into dominant mainstream society, leaving a legacy on Indigenous families and communities.

On November 8, 2021, please honour and remember Indigenous veterans, families and communities.

For more information, please visit: 

• Honouring Indigenous Veterans
• Indigenous Veterans, Veterans Affairs Canada
• History, Veterans Affairs Canada

Sincerely,

Indigenous Education Team

Sue Dunlop, Associate Director, Learning Services