Treaty belts, such as the Dish with One Spoon belt and the Two Row Wampum, are examples of agreements between Indigenous nations and the provincial and federal non-Indigenous governments.The Brock community is invited to participate in a virtual discussion being held as part of Treaties Recognition Week.
Taking place Thursday, Nov. 4 at 1 p.m., the online event will explore the overall importance of treaties and aims to increase awareness of the treaty relationships between Indigenous nations as well as with non-Indigenous peoples.
Treaties are constitutionally recognized agreements that lay out the rights, responsibilities and relationships of First Nations peoples and the provincial and federal governments.
The Zoom event will see participants engage in an open discussion with Brock Aboriginal Support Assistant/Student Advisor Mac Orlando and Faculty of Education Assistant Professor Stanley ‘Bobby’ Henry, where any and all questions are welcome.
During the discussion, Orlando hopes those in attendance will learn more about the significance treaties hold as the original agreements of friendship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples and about the land they share.
“People often forget how important treaties are,” said Orlando. “We want to answer questions and have a conversation on the significance of treaties and hope that people walk away from the talk feeling a bit more informed. There are a lot of misconceptions about treaties, and we want to provide an open forum to discuss treaties from an Indigenous perspective.”
Along with attending the talk, Orlando also encouraged interested community members to visit the native-land.ca website to learn more about treaties affecting the areas where they live, work or travel.
Further information and registration details for the event can be accessed via the event’s Zoom link.
In addition to observing Treaties Recognition Week, Aboriginal Student Services will mark International Inuit Day on Sunday, Nov. 7 by posting informative resources on its Facebook and Instagram pages.
With the day falling on a weekend, Aboriginal Events Co-ordinator Cindy Biancaniello is inviting any units across campus that are interested in learning more about Inuit culture to contact her at cbiancaniello@brocku.ca to set up a presentation at a time of their convenience.
