Treaties Recognition Week
24 Nations Wampum Belt; Two Row Wampum Belt; Dish With One Spoon Belt; 1794 Canandaigua Treaty Belt (George Washington Belt) and the 1764 Niagara Treaty Belt.
The first week of November is Treaties Recognition Week
Treaties Recognition Week honours the importance of treaties and aims to empower students, faculty and staff with a greater awareness and understanding of treaty rights, treaty relationships and their relevance today. In 2016, Ontario passed the first legislation (external link) of its kind in Canada declaring the first week of November as Treaties Recognition Week.
Thank you for joining this year’s events
From November 7 to 9, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) community participated in events to honour Treaties Recognition Week. Events included engaging talks, a read-in for educators, film screenings and the unveiling of Justine Wood’s beaded Saagajiwe Totem.
November 7 | International Inuit Day
International Inuit Day (November 7) opened with a performance by Monica Ittusardjuat. Monica is an Inuktitut language expert and Inuktitut editor at Inhabit Education, a Nunavut-based educational resource development company. (Photo: Carrie Davis)
Katherine Minich, PhD student in Policy Studies at TMU, led an engaging talk on Inuit treaties and their importance. She joined online from Ottawa, where she is a lecturer at Carleton University with a focus on the practices of Indigenous self-determination in community, particularly Inuit self-determination practices in Nunavut. (Photo: Carrie Davis)
November 8 | Talking Treaties: A Read-In for Educators
Led by the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT), TMU educators and staff gathered for a community read-in to learn about the treaties that cover the territory that TMU sits on. Participants collectively read excerpts from several treaties to better understand them. At the start of the event, participants were invited to draw a representation of home and place it on the map, showcasing our relationship to the land and obligations to treaties.
November 9 | A Celebration of Indigenous Remembrance and Treaties
Following the film screening of Forgotten Warriors, Justine Woods unveiled her beaded Saagajiwe Totem. (Photo: Carrie Davis)
Community members, including T’hohahoken Michael Doxtater, Gabby McMann, Derek Sands, Joginder Singh, Justine Woods, Brian Norton, Amy Desjarlais and Carrie Davis gathered in front of Saagajiwe Totem and Saagajiwe mural. (Photo: Carrie Davis)
November 9 | Film screening of Trick or Treaty? with Alanis Obomsawin
Lead organizer for Treaties Recognition Week events, Cher Trudeau, Administrative Coordinator, Indigenous Education Council and Indigenous Initiatives, greeted the audience at the film screening. (Photo: Carrie Davis)
Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano, Provost and Vice-President, Academic, provided opening remarks to welcome the audience. (Photo: Carrie Davis)
Community members were invited to explore the treaties map and place a pin where they live, work, study or play. (Photo: Carrie Davis)
Following the film screening of Trick or Treaty?, director Alanis Obomsawin participated in an interactive Q&A session led by Karina Brant, student in the School of Social Work and member of the Indigenous Education Council. (Photo: Carrie Davis)
Participants were invited to engage with five wampum belts
During this week's events, participants were invited to engage with five wampum belts cared for by the Archives and Special Collections, TMU Libraries.
According to Kimberly Boissiere and Jeremie Caribou, "Wampums are visual memory keepers, recording history and communicating ideas. Beaded patterns represent a person, nation, event, invitation, shared values, and understandings/agreements between two or more parties. Traditional wampum belts were used as covenants and petitions for understanding."
For more information about the wampum belts, please contact the Archives and Special Collections at asc@torontomu.ca.
24 Nations Wampum Belt
Two Row Wampum Belt
Dish With One Spoon Belt
1794 Canandaigua Treaty Belt (George Washington Belt)
1764 Niagara Treaty Belt
Brought to you by the Treaties Recognition Week committee
This year’s event is organized by a collective of Indigenous and non-Indigenous colleagues, led by Cher Trudeau, Administrative Coordinator, Indigenous Education Council and Indigenous Initiatives.
The committee includes staff from Gdoo-maawnjidimi Mompii Indigenous Student Services and Indigenous Initiatives in the Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion; Indigenous Education Council in the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic; the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching; the Ceremonials Office; the Indigenous Law School Students Association (ILSSA); Saagajiwe in The Creative School; TMU Libraries, Archives and Special Collections; Toronto Metropolitan Association of Part-Time Students (TMAPS); Toronto Met Students Union (TMSU); and Treaty Relations in Business Education (TRIBE).
Questions?
If you have any questions, please email Cher Trudeau, Administrative Coordinator, Indigenous Education Council and Indigenous Initiatives, at cktrudeau@torontomu.ca.