The Treaty Primers have been written for educators, students and the general public to provide context to the history and themes woven into the Ontario curriculum.
The construction of each primer has involved consultation with Indigenous scholars and knowledge keepers with a focus in the areas discussed. Ni.:wen, Chi Miigwetch, Ny.•wę, and Chi Miigwetch to Dr. Amber Meadow Adams, Dr. John Borrows, Rick Hill, and Dave Mowat.
Oftentimes, Canada’s Residential School Program is discussed in isolation – as a unit of study disconnected from larger systems is critical to understanding the story of colonization on this land. Understanding the interconnection of Canada’s residential schools with disruption of the Covenant Chain in the 19th century, Confederation and the Indian Act deepens the understanding of the systems within the Canadian State.
As well, it is important that educators, students and the general public know that through Indigenous resistance to these systems, the Treaty relationships, including the Covenant Chain, remain woven into this land. Section 35 of the 1982 Constitution Act, as well as The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples exists because of the resistance of Indigenous Peoples. In Unsettling Canada: A National Wake-Up, Arthur Manual and Grand Chief Ronald M. Derrickson remind their readers, “Nothing we have ever gained has been given to us or surrendered without a fight.”1
The Treaty Primers are meant to be approachable for educators, students and the general public, while at the same time providing a significant level of detail. It is critical for educators to be familiar with the information outlined in these documents before approaching the lessons provided by the Moccasin Identifier™ or circulating the primers to students.
Treaty Primers developed for the Moccasin Identifier:
