Gathering Theme

Misconception: Métis equals mixed blood/race (any mixture of Indigenous and non-Indigenous blood/ancestry equals Métis identity).  Facts: In 2002, the Métis National Council adopted the following national definition for Métis identity: Métis means a person who: self-identifies as Métis, Is distinct from other Aboriginal peoples, Is of historic Métis Nation Ancestry, Is accepted by the Métis Nation. In 2003, the Supreme Court of Canada recognized the national definition of Métis and that Métis people have section 35 Aboriginal rights. The ancestors of the Métis Nation were the children of the unions between North American Indigenous mothers and European fathers. They developed…

The Seven Sacred Teachings of the Anishinaabe *LOVE: it is important to care for one another
HONESTY: better to fail with honesty than succeed by fraud
RESPECT: give it, earn it, receive it
TRUTH: it is always easiest to speak the truth
HUMILITY: to be humble about your accomplishments is to be strong
COURAGE: let nothing stand in the way of doing the right thing
WISDOM: with hard work and dedication will come knowledgeWith the help of a talking stick, each person in the circle group will be listened to in turn, treated with respect and valued for their insights.In Zoom Circles, we create a virtual circle…

"Why do Indigenous people stay on reserves when there is often water that has to be boiled, mold in the houses, few educational opportunities and no jobs? For the sake of the children, why don’t they leave and come to the city?"This is a real question that was posed by a non-Indigenous person. The answers are somewhat complex.The answer provided to this person constitutes the text of our theme which was prepared by a non-Indigenous person. Use the controls on the grey bar below to access more viewing options and the download button.

This theme briefly summarizes seven major violations of the intent of the treaties to recognize, respect and acknowledge each Indigenous nation. It brings together an overview of policies and practices that have had, and continue to have, such a profound impact on the lives of Indigenous people in Canada. Use the controls on the grey bar below to access more viewing options and the download button.

While the treatment of children varied from family to family, the children are united in the shared impacts on their connections to culture, identity and languages. While the operation of the child welfare system has experienced changes since the 1960s, it remains a critical failure in upholding basic rights, support for health and for the well being of Indigenous children in Canada.   Use the controls on the grey bar below to access more viewing options and the download button.

Getting beyond or removing the Indian Act, however, is not as simple as it sounds. The paradox of the act is that it is also integral to securing the legal protection of reserve land for the common use and occupation of First Nations—and there remains very little Canadian territory that is set aside specifically for Indigenous groups. For First Nations, the only way out from under the Indian Act is through the negotiation of self-government agreements, a process that is itself subject to some staunch criticisms. Use the controls on the grey bar below to access more viewing options and…

Various First Nations communities across Turtle Island (North America) had and continue to have existing traditions and laws that govern land rights and what would be considered “human rights” in European law. Knowledge of these ceremonies and agreements are passed on through several generations, so records of these laws are used today in First Nations communities through oral histories. They date back to times before the earliest contact with Europeans.It is important to remember that Indigenous nations view land differently from European philosophies. Those beliefs of private property and land ownership did not translate well into Indigenous languages or worldviews.…

Allyship "begins when a person of privilege seeks to support a marginalized individual or group." Allyship requires a commitment to unlearning and learning about privilege, power and oppression and involves a "life-long process of building relationships based on trust, consistency and accountability with marginalized individuals or group." Allyship is hard. Ally is a verb that requires action.  Allyship is not an identity, nor is it a performance. Allyship is a practice. Allyship requires an ongoing commitment to working in solidarity with Indigenous peoples. Allies are not self-defined but are recognized and affirmed by Indigenous peoples.  To practice solidarity, non-Indigenous people…

Students did not stay overnight at the day schools, many were able to go home at the end of the school day, but often the conditions at the school and treatment of the children, by clergy and teachers was similar or identical to that at the residential schools. In other day schools, many children were billeted into homes or stayed at a hostel or residence while they attended the day school. In many large boarding-style residential schools ‘day scholars’ would go home at the end of the day as well but still faced the same treatment, day-to-day as the rest…

In the residential school era, Métis were not considered ‘Indians’ legally, under Canada’s Indian Act. They were considered the responsibility of the provincial governments and often education and health support for Métis fell into a jurisdictional gap between these levels of government. In large boarding-style residential schools, Métis were often considered ‘outsiders’ and their attendance at the schools depended on a number of different variables. At the end of the nineteenth century, Métis were cast as ‘rebellious’ and were often considered to be ‘the dispossessed’.   Use the controls on the grey bar below to access more viewing options and…