Chad Solomon With Strawberry and Sid Bobb. © Sara Cornthwaite
The Anishinabek Nation has created a new treaty education resource in time for the 10th anniversary of Treaties Recognition Week in Ontario.
Marci Becking, Director of Communications for the Anishinabek Nation, has teamed up with talented friends to create a series of dynamic, educational videos that accompany the existing Ezhi-Nawending: How we are Related education portal, a free, online resource geared towards elementary students and learners of all ages interested in First Nations history, Indigenous rights, and treaties.
BRINGING TREATY EDUCATION TO LIFE
The project team is comprised of First Nations creatives with a passion for education and storytelling. Actor Sid Bobb, from Stó:lō Nations on the West Coast who lives in Nipissing First Nation, and puppeteer and Rabbit and Bear Paws storyteller Chad Solomon, a citizen of Henvey Inlet First Nation, are featured in videos that teach about wampum belts and individual responsibility in the treaty relationship. Treaty educator Kelly Crawford, a citizen of M’Chigeeng First Nation, wrote the scripts for cinematographer Sara Cornthwaite, a citizen of Nipissing First Nation, to direct and produce.
“We brought together what I like to call my ‘dream team’,” said Becking. “I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working with some of these creatives in various capacities and have witnessed them in their element, so it’s been a real pleasure to bring them all together and create something fun for learners of all ages.”
The videos feature two puppets—Rabbit and Strawberry—that interact with Sid Bobb to learn about various wampum belts and ask questions students might have about treaties.
“In one video, Sid and Strawberry read This is my Treaty, which is an early learner’s book that Kelly and I wrote last year. This video will complement the book being read in the classroom or daycare,” said Becking.
UNDERSTANDING TREATY RESPONSIBILITIES
Crawford explained that responsible treaty citizenship requires an understanding of the spirit and intent of the treaty, and not just simply recognizing rights.
“The book This is my Treaty speaks to the joint responsibility for land, animals, water, and relations with each other,” said Crawford. “As we navigate the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, education plays a critical role in fostering understanding, empathy, and respect.”
The three videos will be available in the Ezhi-Nawending: How we are Related resource on the Anishinabek Nation website and on the Anishinabek Nation’s YouTube channel by mid-October.
LEARNING AS A PATH TO RECONCILIATION
The Treaties Recognition Week Act was legislated in 2016, making the first full week in November Treaties Recognition Week in Ontario. Ontario is the only province to have a designated week for learning about treaties.
Treaties Recognition Week honours the importance of treaties and helps Ontarians learn more about treaty rights, relationships, and responsibilities. It was introduced in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations in 2015 and recommendations from the Report of the Ipperwash Inquiry, released in 2007.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report emphasizes Treaty education as a crucial component of reconciliation, including a call for mandatory age-appropriate curriculum on Indian Residential Schools, Treaties, and Indigenous contributions to Canada for Grades K to 12.
The Anishinabek Nation, a political advocate for 39 member First Nations across Ontario representing approximately 70,000 citizens, has been developing treaty education resources since 2011. It is important for everyone to learn about treaties and the treaty relationship, even at a very early age.
To order education resources for Treaties Recognition Week, please e-mail: orders@anishinabek.ca
Get your free copy of Global Heroes, jam-packed with positive news, straight in your inbox.
The Anishinabek Nation established the Union of Ontario Indians (UOI) as its secretariat in 1949. The UOI was established because the Anishinabek Nation did not legally exist and a legal entity was required to enter into legally-binding agreements. The Anishinabek Nation is a political advocate for 39 member First Nations across Ontario. The Anishinabek Nation is the oldest political organization in Ontario and can trace its roots back to the Confederacy of Three Fires, which existed long before European contact.