What is the story of Canada? Discovery? Conquest? What about Treaty? Most of us think of Treaty as a different set of laws and rights pertaining only to Indigenous people. Turns out, it affects and includes all of us. Treaties are the story of how this country came to be. Treaties stand as a symbol of how sovereign nations can form bonds of mutual agreement to live and prosper together. At least that is what they are supposed to be. How did it get so messed up? And how can we make it about cooperation and prosperity again? First, we have to understand the history of how treaties came to be and what they really are. Only then can we move into the future and grow together as partners in this experiment we call Canada.

Resources

Matthew Wildcat

Sponsors

West Fraser

GreenLink Forestry Inc.

Damaged Timber

Quotes

1.29.25 - 1.29.37: “In the Canadian situation, what decolonization means is that you have to shift from becoming somebody who is a colonizer to somebody who is a treaty partner.”

Takeaways

Governance (5.14)

Matthew is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and Native Studies at the University of Alberta, interested in how Indigenous peoples govern today.

Laws (10.01)

First nations politics cannot be spoken about without addressing its relationship with Canadian society.

Two-way (17.13)

Treaties are the nuances of the relationship Indigenous peoples share with settlers.

Foundation (21.22)

Understand treaties as the reason for Canada’s creation, to prevent it from devolving into a story of conquest.

Symbiosis (29.09)

Hudson’s Bay Company relied on Indigenous peoples to perform their fur trade and sell them food.

Bison (32.57)

Bison herds were collapsing, which were the pillars of Indigenous economies and food.

Signing (35.36)

Not many Indigenous peoples spoke English, but many non-native people spoke Cree. Indigenous peoples used interpreters during negotiations, but a lot was lost in translation.

Understanding (38.32)

Indigenous peoples did not look to draw boundaries but expected that their permission be sought before sharing land.

The Indian Act (43.24)

The Indian Act was meant to enfranchise native people to become “full Canadian citizens” so there would no longer be “an Indian problem”.

Dishonouring (48.10)

The Riel Resistance of 1885 was bubbling with the general discontent with treaty terms not being honoured.

Barriers (54.30)

Many policies implemented by the Department of Indian Affairs undercut Indigenous farming efforts.

Trauma (1.00.43)

The ever-present trauma that residential school survivors suffer from makes life difficult.

Reserves (1.04.02)

Reserves isolate people and prevent communities from linking. Many Indian agents disallowed people to leave the reserve without a pass.

Difficulty (1.09.33)

Residential schools not only affected the students, but also the parents who had to live without children on their reserves. he can see how addictions could arise in such situations.

Relationships (1.15.05)

The most important aspect of this era is a willingness to have a relationship with Indigenous peoples, with their variety of life experiences and views.

Allyship (1.21.13)

As treaty partners, we all have to believe that Indigenous peoples have political rights, which will form the basis of the political relationships between us.

Partnership (1.26.07)

We have to put more effort into thinking about how Indigenous peoples will prosper and become true treaty partners in recognizing the political relationship.

Change (1.36.12)

The concepts of truth and reconciliation have allowed non-Indigenous peoples to tie the current situation of Indigenous peoples with its historical reasons.