Ontario Marks First Treaties Recognition Week

Ontario Marks First Treaties Recognition Week

Province and Anishinabek Nation Launching New Treaty Resource for Teachers, Students

Oshawa, ON – Nov. 7, 2016

As part of its commitment to rebuilding relationships with First Nations based on trust and respect, Ontario is honouring the importance of treaties and helping people learn more about treaty rights and treaty relationships.

David Zimmer, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, and Mitzie Hunter, Minister of Education, joined Anishinabek Nation’s Grand Council Chief Patrick Wedaseh Madahbee at David Bouchard Public School in Oshawa to celebrate Ontario’s inaugural Treaties Recognition Week.

Ontario recognizes the wrongs of previous generations and is committed to changing the future. This includes educating people in Ontario about the role that treaties play in each of our lives and in our relationships with each other.

The province and Anishinabek Nation are launching a new resource, called Gdoo-sastamoo kii mi: Understanding Our Nation to Nation Relationship, to help students learn about Ontario’s treaty relationships. The kit includes a teacher’s guide, books and activities that connect to Ontario’s secondary school curriculum. The province is also working with Indigenous partners to raise awareness by supporting Indigenous speakers in schools and online learning resources available at Ontario.ca/Treaties.

Raising awareness about treaties is one of many steps on Ontario’s journey of healing and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

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