Treaties

Treaties

Treaties Recognition Week was introduced in 2016 to honor the importance of Treaties and to help Ontarians learn more about treaty rights and treaty relationships.​

• An Introduction to Treaties

• Trent University Teacher Resource Package

• Ontario Treaties Resources

• First Nations and Treaties Map of Ontario

• Treaties in Canada Education Guide

• Facing History/Canada

• The benefits of respectful treaty relationships and the importance of understanding treaty responsibilities ~ Gerry Duquette

• Treaties' impact on First Nations languages and cultures ~ Doug Williams

• Justice Murray Sinclair on the Royal Proclamation of 1763

• 21 things you may not know about the Indian Act

• Oral history and the critical role women played in treaty signings ~ Cora-Lee McGuire-Cyrette

• Resources for Treaties Recognition Week in Ontario

• The First Nations and Treaties Map of Ontario: Information for Educators

Treaties Recognition Week in Ontario

In 2016, Ontario marked its first Treaties Recognition Week.  It was introduced to honour the importance of treaties and to help Ontarians learn more about treaty rights and treaty relationships.

First Nations were the original occupants of the land now known as Ontario.  Treaties, which are legally binding agreements that set out the rights, responsibilities, and relationships of First Nations and the federal and provincial governments, were signed with the intent of delivering mutual benefits.   Despite this promise, Indigenous peoples became the target of colonial policies designed to exploit, assimilate, and eradicate them.

At KPRDSB, we recognize the importance of this week and its intent yet we continue to strive in weaving Indigenous knowledge and histories into our daily work in valuing Turtle Island's First Nations, Métis and Inuit.  The activities listed below allow for larger numbers of our KPR community to participate in building greater public awareness but our emphasis remains with the daily classroom work of our students and all KPR staff.

Education for Reconciliation: 

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action

Royal Proclamation and Covenant of Reconciliation 

45. We call upon the Government of Canada, on behalf of all Canadians, to jointly develop with Aboriginal peoples a Royal Proclamation of Reconciliation to be issued by the Crown. The proclamation would build on the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and the Treaty of Niagara of 1764, and reaffirm the nation-to-nation relationship between Aboriginal peoples and the Crown. The proclamation would include, but not be limited to, the following commitments: 

1. Repudiate concepts used to justify European sovereignty over Indigenous lands and peoples such as the Doctrine of Discovery and terra nullius. 

2. Adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as the framework for reconciliation. 

3. Renew or establish Treaty relationships based on principles of mutual recognition, mutual respect, and shared responsibility for maintaining those relationships into the future. 

4. Reconcile Aboriginal and Crown constitutional and legal orders to ensure that Aboriginal peoples are full partners in Confederation, including the recognition and integration of Indigenous laws and legal traditions in negotiation and implementation processes involving Treaties, land claims, and other constructive agreements. 

46. We call upon the parties to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement to develop and sign a Covenant of Reconciliation that would identify principles for working collaboratively to advance reconciliation in Canadian society, and that would include, but not be limited to: 

1. Reaffirmation of the parties’ commitment to reconciliation. 

2. Repudiation of concepts used to justify European sovereignty over Indigenous lands and peoples, such as the Doctrine of Discovery and terra nullius, and the reformation of laws, governance structures, and policies within their respective institutions that continue to rely on such concepts. 

3. Full adoption and implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as the framework for reconciliation. 

4. Support for the renewal or establishment of Treaty relationships based on principles of mutual recognition, mutual respect, and shared responsibility for maintaining those relationships into the future. 

5. Enabling those excluded from the Settlement Agreement to sign onto the Covenant of Reconciliation. 

6. Enabling additional parties to sign onto the Covenant of Reconciliation.

47.  We call upon federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to repudiate concepts used to justify European sovereignty over Indigenous peoples and lands, such as the Doctrine of Discovery and terra nullius, and to reform those laws, government policies, and litigation strategies that continue to rely on such concepts.

Click here to read all the Calls to Action.