Treaties and Territories
Indigenous Territory
Indigenous territory — also referred to as traditional territory — describes the ancestral and contemporary connections of Indigenous peoples (external link, opens in new window) to a geographical area. Territories may be defined by kinship ties, occupation, seasonal travel routes, trade networks, management of resources, and cultural and linguistic connections to place.
Indigenous territories are constantly evolving in both a Canadian legal context and on the basis of kinship ties and relationships between Indigenous nations. This article addresses some of the difficulties in mapping Indigenous territories and explores how it is challenging, if not impossible, to accurately capture Indigenous worldviews and understandings of ancestral territories within a colonial map framework.
The making of Treaty 9 from the perspective of historical witness George Spence, an 18-year-old Cree hunter from Albany, James Bay. The 83rd Heritage Minute in Historica Canada's collection.
Pierre Falcon’s “Chanson de la Grenouillère (Gournouillère)” became an enduring anthem in the fight for a Métis national identity.
These videos provide many perspectives through the personal narratives of Elders and recognized Knowledge Holders. The videos also explore how the dispossession of land from Indigenous Peoples took place throughout what is now called Canada. As Indigenous Peoples, our ways of knowing are strongly connected to our history, land, animals, and the sky. It is through our history that we will be guided into the future. Our words and our land are the truth.