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Dr. Mike Bruised Head - Ninna Piksii - Blackfoot Perspective of Treaty 

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Dr. Mike Bruised Head - Ninna Piksii - Blackfoot Perspective of Treaty 

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Ninna Piksii shares his teachings around the meaning of the Blackfoot Treaty.

Educational Understanding

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Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs

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Treaty 7: What are the Impacts from a Blackfoot Perspective? - SACPA - 10/06/2022

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Chancellor Murray Sinclair on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

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Chancellor Murray Sinclair on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

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The Honourable Murray Sinclair, Queen’s University Chancellor and former chair of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, shares his thoughts on Indigenous history and experiences in Canada, the commission’s work and recommendations, and what must be done to advance truth and reconciliation.

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Chancellor Murray Sinclair on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

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Truth and Reconciliation Week 2025 is a transformative five-day journey for students (grades 1-12), educators, and the broader community to engage with the poignant history and enduring spirit of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

Explore interactive workshops, witness the profound “The Gifts We Carry” youth empowerment gathering, engage in meaningful dialogues, and contribute to our collective path toward reconciliation.

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The teaching resource collection within the archives at the NCTR is composed of over 300 unique English-language resources and 100 French-language resources related to residential schools and other closely related topics.

Choose from downloadable apps, books, computer games, films, graphic novels, lesson plans, teaching guides, and more.

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Reconciliation Through Education

A part of our mandate at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) is to raise awareness of the history and creation of the residential school system, its ongoing legacy, and how it has shaped the country we live in today. The teaching resources and educational programming we offer make it easier for the public to learn the truth about this tragic history.

The NCTR works closely with educators from a variety of sectors including the K-12 school system, post-secondary institutions, public service and professional sectors to provide access to materials and resources that can aid Canadians of any age to learn about and participate in reconciliation.

As said by former Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) Chair, The Honourable Murray Sinclair "Education is what got us into this mess and education is key to getting us out of it."

Learn at the NCTR

The NCTR hosts many groups, organizations, classes, and other visitors for education and learning sessions. Educational presentations, workshops, activities, and tours of the Centre and gallery are available to book, they are welcomed and encouraged.

If you are interested in exploring the Centre, please contact us.

Teaching Resources

The teaching resource collection within the archives at the NCTR is composed of over 300 unique English-language resources and 100 French-language resources related to residential schools and other closely related topics.

Choose from downloadable apps, books, computer games, films, graphic novels, lesson plans, teaching guides, and more.

Resources are organized by grade level:

Additional Resources
Expanding our Resources

Do you have a request or suggestion for additional educational materials we can add to our resources? Please contact us to share your questions or ideas to help us continue expanding our teaching resources.

Educational Programs

Through varied educational programs that emphasize outreach and engagement, the NCTR supports all sectors of the Canadian public to explore uncovered truths, engage in conversations of reconciliation and keep the journey of understanding, healing and empathy alive within themselves, their homes and families.

Formats range from digital resources and online forums to in-person workshops and activities, including:

Truth and Reconciliation Week

Join over 10,000 teachers and over 500,000 of Canadian youth on September 30 to honour Residential School Survivors, their families and communities at an extraordinary virtual event to support and encourage meaningful Reconciliation across Canada.

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Sign up today to stay informed and get regular updates about NCTR.

NCTR's spirit name - bezhig miigwan, meaning "one feather".

Bezhig miigwan calls upon us to see each Survivor coming to the NCTR as a single eagle feather and to show those Survivors the same respect and attention an eagle feather deserves. It also teaches we are all in this together - we are all one, connected, and it is vital to work together to achieve reconciliation.

NCTR is located on the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation sits in the heart of Turtle Island and as a national organization we strive to represent and serve all of Turtle Island's people.

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Reconciliation through Education with NCTR's teaching resources and educational programming make it easier for the public to learn the truth.

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Downie Wenjack Fund - Truth and Reconciliation Week 

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Downie Wenjack Fund - Truth and Reconciliation Week 

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. In recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and the 10th anniversary of the TRC’s final report and its 94 Calls to Action, DWF is offering a week of learning and reflection, including webinars and resources to support your ongoing reconciliation journey.

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Truth and Reconciliation Week 2025 - The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund

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The Path Here | The Path Ahead invites you to share your vision for the next 10 years of reconciliation and commit to one meaningful action you will take to help move it forward. We’ll be sharing community submissions throughout the week to highlight how we can collectively shape the future of reconciliation.

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Understand the historical context of Treaty 7.

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Treaty 7 is the last of the Numbered Treaties made between the Government of Canada and the Plains First Nations (see Indigenous Peoples: Plains). It was signed on 22 September 1877 by five First Nations: the Siksika (Blackfoot), Kainai (Blood), Piikani (Peigan), Stoney-Nakoda, and Tsuut'ina (Sarcee). Different understandings of the treaty's purpose, combined with significant culture and language barriers and what some have argued were deliberate attempts to mislead the First Nations on the part of the government negotiators, have led to ongoing conflicts and claims.

Treaty 7 lands (courtesy Victor Temprano/Native-Land.ca).
The written treaty ceded roughly 130,000 km² of land from the Rocky Mountains to the west, the Cypress Hills to the east, the Red Deer River to the north, and the US border to the south. All nations kept the rights to use the land for hunting.

Historical Context

In 1870, the newly created nation of Canada acquired Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company. Rupert's Land was an enormous area of land stretching north and west. One year later, British Columbia entered Confederation based in part on the promise that a transcontinental railway would connect it to the rest of Canada within 10 years. In order to construct the railway and encourage future settlement, the government considered it necessary to extinguish Aboriginal title to the land ( see Indigenous Territory). Bound by the terms of the Royal Proclamation, Canada was responsible for the protection of its Indigenous people and promised to preserve their rights to unceded (unsurrendered) traditional territories.

The mid-19th century was a time of upheaval for the Indigenous nations that eventually signed Treaty 7. There had been repeated outbreaks of smallpox, and the buffalo herds upon which they had relied began to diminish, in part due to increased competition from Cree and Métis hunters ( see Buffalo Hunt). At the same time, settlers from the United States set up trading forts and introduced whiskey into communities, causing significant chaos at trading forts. In 1874, the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) arrived under Colonel James Macleod and put an end to the trade. The First Nations were thankful and, by many accounts, came to trust Macleod. However, the extent to which this trust determined their willingness to sign a treaty has been disputed.

Impetus

While the federal government sought to extinguish (take away) Aboriginal title to the land prior to settlement, the First Nations sought to make peace between themselves, the government and incoming settlers.

In the summer of 1875, Crowfoot, one of the leaders of the Siksika, was informed by a local Methodist missionary named John McDougall (who had a year earlier taken a government commission to explain the arrival of the NWMP to local Indigenous nations) that treaties were being planned for Blackfoot territory. Soon after, Crowfoot had a meeting with Major General Edward Selby Smyth, who was out west inspecting the NWMP, to discuss the government's plans for his territories.

That fall, Crowfoot and the Siksika met with the other members of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Piikani and Kainai. A petition was drawn up and sent to the lieutenant-governor of the North-West Territories, Alexander Morris. The petition listed a series of complaints, such as the arrival of settlers and Cree and Métis buffalo hunters, and requested the presence of an Indian commissioner so that the "invasion" of their country would stop until a treaty had been negotiated.

Meanwhile, the Lakota, who had just defeated the US Army at the Battle of Little Bighorn, arrived in Canada and met with the Blackfoot. In 1877, Sitting Bull met with Crowfoot face-to-face. Although they made an alliance of peace rather than war, the possibility of facing off against a large, united group of Indigenous nations gave the Canadian government yet another reason to negotiate a treaty.

Negotiations were eventually set for the fall of 1877. Although the nations involved in Treaty 7 had not had extensive contact with the Canadian government, each had a history of treaty-making in order to resolve conflicts with other Indigenous groups. Some leaders from the Blackfoot Confederacy had also been involved in an 1855 treaty with the US government; many of the promises on the American side had not been fulfilled, leaving them frustrated and skeptical.

Negotiations

The treaty commissioners were David Laird, who had recently been appointed lieutenant-governor of the North-West Territories, and James Macleod, commissioner of the NWMP. The question of who was given authority to negotiate on behalf of each Indigenous nation involved is more complex. The Blackfoot Confederacy, for example, did not have a distinct hierarchical structure; the person in charge varied depending on the situation. Although Crowfoot negotiated on their behalf, it is uncertain if his people saw him as their leader in this negotiation.

It is also clear, based on First Nations testimony, that they had a different understanding of the purpose of the negotiation. Each understood it to be primarily a peace treaty, whereby they allowed settlement and promoted peaceful cohabitation in exchange for a series of promises. None thought that it was a land surrender. Part of the confusion arose from cultural misunderstandings, but also from serious translation issues. Jerry Potts, one of the interpreters brought along by the commissioners, has been accused not only of having little or no fluency in the languages spoken by the Treaty 7 nations, but also of having a poor grasp of English - especially with legal terms.

The site for the treaty was originally set to be Fort Macleod, but the Siksika preferred to meet at Blackfoot Crossing, a site on their territory. This was a problem for some of the other nations, as it was distant from their hunting grounds. In addition, a few Kainai chiefs said they would not attend - another suggestion of the relative unimportance that many attached to this negotiation. When the treaty commissioners arrived on 16 September 1877, the Siksika, Stoney-Nakoda and Tsuut'ina were already there. At a meeting the next day, it was decided that they would postpone the treaty-making process for two days to give the Kainai and Piikani time to get there.

On 19 September, the commissioners and some of the leaders met to discuss terms. Not all the leaders had yet arrived, including the main Kainai bands. Negotiations continued, however. Laird gave a speech in which he listed the positive efforts of the government, including passing laws to protect the buffalo, on which everyone was dependent for food, and putting an end to the whiskey forts. He added, however, that the buffalo would soon be gone, and that the government wanted the Indigenous people to switch to agriculture and ranching and would be given support to do so. Many of the leaders wanted assurances that they would be able to continue to hunt and fish in their traditional lands. Annual payments, reserve land, and education were also discussed. However, Crowfoot said a decision could not be reached until the arrival of Red Crow, the head chief of the Kainai.

On 21 September, Red Crow arrived. He was a friend of Macleod and trusted him. After Crowfoot explained what he believed to be the terms of the treaty, Red Crow assented (agreed). While some leaders were still hesitant, a consensus was soon reached and, on 22 September, all parties signed the agreement.

Terms of the Treaty

Crowfoot (centre) with his family in 1884.

In exchange, each group was to receive land equal to 2.59 m ²(6.47 km ²) per family of five, and in proportion to that number depending on whether the family was larger or smaller. The Siksika, Tsuut'ina and Kainai were given a reserve along the Bow River; the Piikani were assigned a reserve at an area near the Porcupine Hills called Crow's Creek; and the Stoney-Nakoda, on the advice of John McDougall, the Methodist who had been ministering to them, were granted a reserve near the Methodist mission in Morleyville.

An immediate payment of $12 was given to every man, woman and child. Annual payments of $25 would be given to every chief, $15 for every minor chief or councillor and $5 to all others. All chiefs were also to receive a Winchester rifle, while head chiefs and Stoney chiefs were to receive a medal and flag to commemorate the treaty. Chiefs and councillors were also to receive a new suit of clothing every three years.

The government agreed to pay the salaries of teachers on reserves. It also agreed to distribute $2,000 worth of ammunition each year. Various tools were also promised by the government, including axes and handsaws.

Finally, each family was to be given cattle in proportion to their size (two for a family of five; three for a family of five to ten; four for a family of ten and up); chiefs were promised one bull each for the use of their band. It was possible to receive one less cow in exchange for farming tools, if that was the band's wish.

Modern Interpretations and Implications

Spiritual-Cultural Advisor Dr. Reg Crowshoe and CEO Ryan Robb, Treaty 7 Management Corporation (7 July 2011).

It is generally agreed that none of Indigenous nations involved in the treaty realized they were surrendering their land, and that none would have agreed to it had they understood the consequences. For the most part, the treaty did not have the effect the First Nations desired: Cree and Métis hunters continued to trespass, the buffalo disappeared, and settlers continued to arrive. The promised support for the transition to an agricultural lifestyle did not take place, and in most cases the land was unsuitable. Only two years after signing the treaty, a local Catholic priest who had encouraged the nations to sign a treaty described in a letter to David Laird their extreme poverty: "I have never seen them so depressed as they are now; I have never seen them before in want of food... They have suffered fearfully from hunger." He went on to argue that, as to the question of whether the Treaty 7 nations understood "the real nature of the treaty" - land surrender - "my answer to this question is unhesitatingly negative." There was, and remains, widespread feeling that the government has not lived up to its promises or dealt fairly with them.

The difference between written and oral cultures - including the settlers' favouring of written documents over oral tradition in terms of legality - has led many elders to claim that there were promises made during the negotiations that never made it into the text of Treaty 7. It is probable that this is the case, given the translation difficulties, differing cultural understandings of binding agreements and the haste with which the government wanted to conclude the negotiations. All the nations involved in Treaty 7 - now represented by the Treaty 7 Management Corporation - have since been involved in claims negotiations with the federal government relating to land surrenders, improperly performed surveys and fraudulent deals, many of which are still ongoing.

Making Treaty 7 (Highlights from 2015 Show) from Chris Hsiung on Vimeo.

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Treaty 7 is the last of the Numbered Treaties made between the Government of Canada and the Plains First Nations (see Indigenous Peoples: Plains). It was signed on 22 September 1877 by five First Nations: the Siksika (Blackfoot), Kainai (Blood), Piikani (Peigan), Stoney-Nakoda, and Tsuut'ina (Sarcee).

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Werklund School of Education - Renewing Treaties & Agreements

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Werklund School of Education - Renewing Treaties & Agreements

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Drs. David Scott (Werklund School of Education), Tiffany Hind-Bull Prete(University of Lethbridge), and Jennifer MacDonald (University of Regina) have partnered with the Calgary Board of Education and the Calgary Catholic School Division to convene a series of immersive learning sessions with local Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Holders.

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Renewing Treaty and Agreements Education

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As part of the new Alberta Teaching Quality Standard introduced in 2022, all K-12 teachers in the province are now required to have a foundational understanding of the implications surrounding treaties with First Nations, as well as legislation and agreements with Métis. In light of this mandate, there has been an expressed interest from the field to gain deeper insights and understandings into the original spirit and intent of Treaty 7 and Métis agreements, as well as the roles and responsibilities of educators leading and enacting Treaty and Agreements education. Drs. David Scott (Werklund School of Education), Tiffany Hind-Bull Prete (University of Lethbridge), and Jennifer MacDonald (University of Regina) have partnered with the Calgary Board of Education and the Calgary Catholic School Division to convene a series of immersive learning sessions with local Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Holders.

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The following list of books have been created by Raven Reads.  Raven Reads was founded in 2017. Located in Kamloops, BC Canada we are 100% Indigenous and woman owned. We respectfully help customers around the world to bring authentic Indigenous books and giftware into their home.
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RAVEN’s 10 Recommended Indigenous Reads - Raven Trust

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Despite the stay-at-home orders and canceled holiday gatherings, this winter can be the perfect time…

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48 books by Indigenous writers to read to understand residential schools

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48 books by Indigenous writers to read to understand residential schools

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Author David Robertson, curated a list of 48 books to help both students and educators develop a better understanding of Residential Schools.  This list he created is not exhaustive in any way, there are more stories available.
"I don't know your role, but I know that youth are inherently better positioned than anybody to create the sort of change we need to see, and so we need to focus on them. Stories reveal the world to kids — the world that was, the world that is and the world that can be. What kind of future do you want to have?" (David Robertson)
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48 books by Indigenous writers to read to understand residential schools | CBC Books

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David A. Robertson curated this list of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and children’s books, all which explore the legacy and impact of the residential school system.

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10 Books to use for Truth and Reconciliation Week

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10 Books to use for Truth and Reconciliation Week

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The following ten books reflect on the residential school experience in different ways. They have all been identified as age-appropriate for children under 12 by reputable organizations, like FNESC and Project of Heart.
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More and more children will be read stories about the legacy of residential schools in the classroom this year.

Provinces are changing curriculums and educators across the country are developing resource guides in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommendations.

"One of the first criteria for choosing anything is that it's a good story," said Jo-Anne Chrona. She has been developing age-appropriate curriculum materials in B.C. through the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC).

It opens up that space for conversation. -&nbsp; Jo-Anne Chrona, educator

For parents reading these books at home to their children, Chrona says it's important to be mindful of what's appropriate, emotionally and developmentally.

"Talk with your children about what it is that they're reading, what it is that they understand," she said.

"It opens up that space for conversation."

The following ten books reflect on the residential school experience in different ways. They have all been identified as age-appropriate for children under 12 by reputable organizations, like FNESC and Project of Heart.

Campbell's story - and illustrations by Kim LaFave - follow Shi-shi-etko as she absorbs the world around her and collects a 'bag of memories' at the instruction of her grandmother. But she doesn't take the memories with her. Instead she buries them under a tree, for safekeeping while she is gone.

As the children are driven away in the back of a cattle truck, Shin-chi's sister tells him all the things they must remember about home. Shin-chi knows it will be a long time before he sees his family, not until the sockeye salmon return.

Shin-chi endures a long year of hard work, hunger and loneliness before returning home to his family with his sister.

The book also includes the story of Agatha being sent away for school, "The nuns did not make very good mothers and the priests, who were called fathers, did not make very good fathers," Kusugak writes.

Throughout the story Kookum reveals what was lost in her life, and how goodness persisted.

When she gets there a mean-spirited nun known as the Raven is intent on making Margaret's time at school difficult. But Margaret refuses to be defeated.

The story follows Margaret as she moves through feelings of rejection and tries to reconnect with her family, language and culture.

The children cope as best they can at Kuper Island Residential School but it's a far cry from the life they're used to.

The book is described as sometimes funny, sometimes sad.

Lawrence learns things like how to care for a baby owl, and how to gather medicinal plants with his Kokom. Loyie's story highlights how his education at home was disrupted by the residential school system.

Sterling's award-winning book has been described as an honest, inside look at the residential school experience - one that highlights the resilience of a child in a place governed by strict nuns, and arbitrary rules.

She also shares the story of her land, Khaii luk, the place of winter fish. She writes in the book, "The land has a story to tell, if you know how to listen. When I travel, the land tells me where my ancestors have been. It tells me where the animals have come and gone, and it tells me what the weather may be like tomorrow."

André is Gwichya Gwich'in from Tsiigehtchic, NWT.

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10 books about truth and reconciliation to read with your kids | CBC News

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More and more children will be reading stories about the legacy of residential schools and reconciliation in the classroom this year.

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The following list has been curated by the Calgary Public Library.
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Residential Schools: Books for Teens - Calgary Public Library

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Residential Schools: Books for Teens by CalgaryLibrary_Indigenous - a staff-created list : This collection includes non-fiction materials to help teens understand the history and traumatic impact of Residential Schools, as well as fiction, memoir, and graphic novels that capture the strength and versatility of the protagonists as they learn what it means to challenge the power of colonial ideologies and racism.

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The following list has been curated by the Calgary Public Library.
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Residential Schools: Books for Children - Calgary Public Library

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Residential Schools: Books for Children by CalgaryLibrary_Indigenous - a staff-created list : For reconciliation, Canadians of all ages must learn and understand the truth. From picture books for preschoolers to novels and non-fiction for school-aged kids, the titles on this list can help parents, teachers, and caregivers talk to children about Residential Schools and the terrible harm they've caused.

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A video resource for teachers to watch in order to start to develop an understanding for Truth and Reconciliation.

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What non-Indigenous Canadians need to know

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Since time immemorial, the land has been the classroom for Indigenous peoples. Each successive
generation has passed on scientific, cultural, and societal knowledge in a continuum that spans tens
of thousands of years. This connection to the land is integral to the physical, mental, social, and
spiritual well-being of communities, as is the interconnection of language, culture, and the land
with the circle of life.
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Rocky View Schools share the importance of Learning from the Land in this short video.
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Missing Children of Indian Residential Schools

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Missing Children of Indian Residential Schools

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Resource to building foundational knowledge about Residential Schools in Canada.

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Carina Xue Luo, Academic Data Centre, Leddy Library 

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Missing Children of Indian Residential Schools

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On discovery of unmarked graves at former Indian residential school sites in Canada

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Video: Short film of the powerful speech the Senator gave when he accepted the WFM-Canada World Peace Award, interspersing the heartbreaking testimonies of former students of residential schools.

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Inspired by a woven blanket, the Witness Blanket is a large-scale work of art. It contains hundreds of items reclaimed from residential schools, churches, government buildings and traditional and cultural structures from across Canada.

Explore the witness blanket through this interactive website.

NOTE: A replica of the witness blanket is currently on display at the Calgary Central Library.

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Teacher Guide: Resource to building foundational knowledge about treaties in Canada, as well as lesson activities.

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Resource to build understanding about being an ally in Treaty 7 territory.

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On this page from the National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education (NCCIE), you will find lesson plans developed with an Indigenous perspective for teaching Indigenous, land-based skills and knowledge;
Indigenous languages; and mainstream K-12 subjects infused with Indigenous knowledge.

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Teaching Resource Centre - National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education

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NEW!! Watch the 'virtual guide' to the Teaching Resource Centre: "Weaving Indigenous Education into Your Practice: A Teacher's Resource Guide" Click here. Welcome! The educational resources you find here are for Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators teaching students and learners of all ages. Here, you will find: Lesson plans developed with an Indigenous perspective for [...]

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A playlist of videos from Rocky View Schools that shares the teachings of Elder Saa'kokoto, who shares stories & knowledge about Indigenous Ways of Life, Ways of Learning & about Na'a (Mother Earth)

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This series of vignettes features the RVS Land Acknowledgement & the teachings of Elder Saa’kokoto, who shares stories & knowledge about Indigenous Ways of L…

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Land as Teacher: Understanding Indigenous Land-Based Education

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Land as Teacher: Understanding Indigenous Land-Based Education

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A UNESCO article that explains the complexity of land-based education by drawing on the understandings of Indigenous teachers from Canada.

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Land as teacher: understanding Indigenous land-based education

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What is Indigenous land-based education and what is it not? Four Indigenous voices from across the country share their insights on what it means to them, why it’s important for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples, and how it can support reconciliation efforts in Canada.

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Land-Based Learning Playlist: Connecting with Land, Language and Culture

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Land-Based Learning Playlist: Connecting with Land, Language and Culture

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The ten videos in this playlist highlight land-based learning and the strong connections between land, language, and culture for Indigenous Peoples. Start with the overview and then watch the ten videos.

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The ten videos in this playlist (to the right) highlight land-based learning and the strong connections between land, language, and culture for Indigenous Peoples. Start with the overview below. Then go to the playlist to the right and watch the ten videos. To explore some more, click on the “Search…

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A video that explains what land-based education is and how it connects to Indigenous knowledge. Created by the National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education.

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Truth and Reconciliation Books for the Classroom

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Truth and Reconciliation Books for the Classroom

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Books to support reconciliation education.

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Treaty Talk and Treaty Walk Documentaries

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Treaty Talk and Treaty Walk Documentaries

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Videos: Two documentary films exploring the meaning and importance of treaties.

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Treaty Talk - Sharing the River of Life is a 50 minute teaching tool to better understand a collective responsibility to treaty. The purpose of this video is to build understanding, allyship and bridges for better relationship and work together. This film combines local storytelling and traditional Cree teaching.

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Interactive map showing the location of Residential Schools.

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Did you live near a residential school? Explore our interactive map to find out.

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The residential school system separated 150,000 Indigenous children from their families - and the last one closed in 1997.

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CBC Interactive Website: The site provides up-to-date status reports on each call to action, as well as extensive summaries explaining those status reports. It includes in-depth features and short video documentaries that tell some of the community stories behind the calls to action. It also features residential school survivors sharing their experiences.

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Teaching and learning resources to support the Secret Path.

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Legacy Schools Resources - The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund

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We provide schools and communities across Canada with reconciliation and residential school history lesson plans that can be implemented.

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Video: Animated film and music by Gord Downie and Jeff Lemire.

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STATEMENT BY GORD DOWNIE Ogoki Post, Ontario

September 9, 2016

Mike Downie introduced me to Chanie Wenjack; he gave me the story from Ian Adam's Maclean's magazine story dating back to February 6, 1967, "The Lonely Death of Charlie Wenjack."

Chanie was a young boy who died on October 22, 1966, walking the railroad tracks, trying to escape from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School to walk home. Chanie's home was 400 miles away. He didn't know that. He didn't know where it was, nor know how to find it, but, like so many kids - more than anyone will be able to imagine - he tried. I never knew Chanie, the child his teachers misnamed Charlie, but I will always love him.

Chanie haunts me. His story is Canada's story. This is about Canada. We are not the country we thought we were. History will be re-written. We are all accountable, but this begins in the late 1800s and goes to 1996. "White" Canada knew - on somebody's purpose - nothing about this. We weren't taught it; it was hardly ever mentioned.

All of those Governments, and all of those Churches, for all of those years, misused themselves. They hurt many children. They broke up many families. They erased entire communities. It will take seven generations to fix this. Seven. Seven is not arbitrary. This is far from over. Things up north have never been harder. Canada is not Canada. We are not the country we think we are.

I am trying in this small way to help spread what Murray Sinclair said, "This is not an aboriginal problem. This is a Canadian problem. Because at the same time that aboriginal people were being demeaned in the schools and their culture and language were being taken away from them and they were being told that they were inferior, they were pagans, that they were heathens and savages and that they were unworthy of being respected - that very same message was being given to the non-aboriginal children in the public schools as well...They need to know that history includes them." (Murray Sinclair, Ottawa Citizen, May 24, 2015)

I have always wondered why, even as a kid, I never thought of Canada as a country - It's not a popular thought; you keep it to yourself - I never wrote of it as so. The next hundred years are going to be painful as we come to know Chanie Wenjack and thousands like him - as we find out about ourselves, about all of us - but only when we do can we truly call ourselves, "Canada."

"Do we want to live in a haunted house the rest of our lives?" - Joseph Boyden

Proceeds from the sale of Secret Path will go to The Gord Downie Secret Path Fund for Truth and Reconciliation via The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at The University of Manitoba.

Gord Downie began Secret Path as ten poems incited by the story of Chanie Wenjack, a twelve year-old boy who died fifty years ago on October 22, 1966, in flight from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School near Kenora, Ontario, walking home to the family he was taken from over 400 miles away. Gord was introduced to Chanie Wenjack (miscalled "Charlie" by his teachers) by Mike Downie, his brother, who shared with him Ian Adams' Maclean 's story from February 6, 1967, "The Lonely Death of Charlie Wenjack."

The stories Gord's poems tell were fleshed into the ten songs of Secret Path with producers Kevin Drew and Dave Hamelin. Recording took place over two sessions at the Bathouse in Bath, Ontario, November and December 2013. The music features Downie on vocals and guitars, with Drew and Hamelin playing all other instruments, except guest contributions by Charles Spearin (bass), Ohad Benchetrit (lap steel/guitar), Kevin Hearn (piano), and Dave "Billy Ray" Koster (drums).

In winter 2014, Gord and Mike brought the recently finished music to comic artist Jeff Lemire for his help illustrating Chanie's story, bringing him and the many children like him to life.

Secret Path acknowledges a dark part of Canada's history - the long-supressed mistreatment of Indigenous children and families by the residential school system - with the hope of starting our country on a road to reconciliation.

The ten song album will be released by Arts & Crafts accompanied by Lemire's eighty-eight page graphic novel published by Simon & Schuster Canada. Secret Path will arrive on October 18, 2016, in a deluxe vinyl and book edition, and as a book with album download.

Downie's music and Lemire's illustrations inspired The Secret Path, an animated film broadcast by CBC in an hour-long commercial-free television special in Sunday, October 23. The Secret Path and Road to Reconciliation panel discussion can be watched at cbc.ca/secretpath.

1. The Stranger
2. Swing Set
3. Seven Matches
4. I Will Not Be Struck
5. Son
6. Secret Path
7. Don't Let This Touch You
8. Haunt Them, Haunt Them, Haunt Them
9. The Only Place To Be
10. Here, Here and Here

STATEMENT BY JEFF LEMIRE
I first met Gord Downie and his brother Mike back in the winter of 2014. They wanted to discuss a potential project and, over coffee, they told me the story of Chanie "Charlie" Wenjack. Gord was then in the final stages of recording his incredible songs based on Chanie's life and he shared the rough mixes with me in the hopes that I would be interested in creating a graphic novel to accompany his album. Before we left the coffee shop I knew I was going to do it. I had to. Chanie's story is one that will not let you go once you hear it. It's a story that can't be ignored. And yet, somehow, it has been ignored. By nearly all of us.

Growing up white in Southern Ontario, I never learned about Chanie Wenjack or about any of the tens of thousands of other indigenous children like him who were part of Canada's residential school system. This is such a massive part of our country's history, yet our schools didn't teach us about it. Why? Maybe because it's easier to live with ourselves if we pretend stories like Chanie's never happened. But they did happen, and still happen. Chanie Wenjack lived and died, and no one knows his story.

I've spent the last three years living with Chanie's story and living inside Gord's music. Gord's haunting songs introduced me to Chanie Wenjack. Music is universal. It crosses languages and cultures and speaks to everyone, and I've always felt the medium of comics could do the same. It's our hope that one day Secret Path will be taught in schools and that it will help to shed a light on this all too often ignored part of Canada's past. I think, above all else, that's what Gord and I wanted to create: something that can't be ignored. Every Canadian should know Chanie Wenjack's name and I hope Secret Path helps to make that a reality.

The Secret Path is an animated film adaptation of Gord Downie's album and Jeff Lemire's graphic novel. Working with Downie's poetry and music, Lemire has created a powerful visual representation of the life of Chanie Wenjack. The film is divided into ten chapters, each a song from Downie's musical retelling of Chanie's story - from his escape from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School, to his subsequent and heartbreaking death from hunger and exposure to the harsh weather. The final product is a uniquely immersive emotional experience - an insight into the life of a little boy who, as Gord has said, he never knew, "but will always love."

The Secret Path was created, written, and directed by Gord Downie, composed by Gord Downie with Kevin Drew and Dave Hamelin, and illustrated by author Jeff Lemire. The film is executive produced by Mike Downie, Patrick Downie, Gord Downie, and Sarah Polley. The Secret Path is produced by Entertainment One (eOne) and Antica Productions Ltd. in association with CBC, with the participation of the Canada Media Fund and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. Jocelyn Hamilton is executive producer for eOne Television and Stuart Coxe is executive producer for Antica Productions. Animation is directed by Justin Stephenson, produced at Solis Animation Inc. and composited by Even Steven Inc.

The Secret Path was broadcast by CBC in an hour-long commercial-free television special in Sunday, October 23. The Secret Path and Road to Reconciliation panel discussion can be watched at cbc.ca/secretpath.

Proceeds from the sale of Secret Path go to the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund and have supported initiatives such as The Gord Downie Secret Path Fund for Truth and Reconciliation via The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at The University of Manitoba.

The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF) is a registered national charity that aims to build cultural understanding and create a path towards reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. With two national programs, Legacy Schools and Legacy Spaces, DWF aims to improve the lives of Indigenous people by building awareness, education, and connections between all peoples in Canada.

DWF's ability to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous peoples is sustained by the generosity of our supporters. Every dollar raised directly supports the development of resources for DWF programming such as Legacy Schools, Legacy Spaces, and events that will improve awareness, and increase education and connections throughout Canada. Please visit www.downiewenjack.ca for information on how you can #DoSomething to further reconciliation.

For Willo, Clare, Louis, Clemens

For the place called 'Canada' - past, present, future

All of us.

Words by
GORD DOWNIE

Graphic Novel & Illustrations by
JEFF LEMIRE

Songs by GORD DOWNIE
with KEVIN DREW & DAVE HAMELIN

Produced and Mixed by
KEVIN DREW & DAVE HAMELIN

Vocals, Acoustic and Electric Guitars by GORD DOWNIE
All other instrumentation by KEVIN DREW & DAVE HAMELIN

Guest Musicians:
CHARLES SPEARIN - Bass
OHAD BENCHETRIT - Lap Steel & Additional Guitar
KEVIN HEARN - Additional Keys
DAVE "BILLY RAY" KOSTER - Drums

Engineered by NYLES SPENCER

Recorded and Mixed at The Bathouse Recording Studios, Bath, ON, Canada
November 3 - November 10, 2013
November 27 - December 2, 2013

Mastered by ERIC BOULANGER, The Bakery, Culver City, CA, USA

Art Direction by JONATHAN SHEDLETZKY
Design & Layout by ISIS ESSERY
Website Design by IAN PORTER

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Secret Path is a ten song album by Gord Downie with a graphic novel by Jeff Lemire that tells the story of Chanie Wenjack, a twelve year-old boy who died fifty years ago on October 22, 1966, in flight from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School near Kenora, Ontario, trying to walk over 400 miles home to the family he was taken from.

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Teaching Difficult Subject With "When We Were Alone"

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Teaching Difficult Subject With "When We Were Alone"

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Video: Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommends teaching children about residential schools as early as kindergarten, and many new curriculum guides across the country integrate Indigenous knowledge and perspectives. Learn how to approach this challenging topic with your students with this video featuring David Alexander Robertson, author of "When We Were Alone."

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Teaching Difficult Subjects with "When We Were Alone"

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Strengthening the Heartbeat of Reconciliation: Advancing Truth and Reconciliation in Classrooms and Schools

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Strengthening the Heartbeat of Reconciliation: Advancing Truth and Reconciliation in Classrooms and Schools

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PDF: Resources, activities and books to support teaching and learning about reconciliation.

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Residential Schools in Canada: A Timeline 

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Residential Schools in Canada: A Timeline 

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Video: The history of Residential Schools in Canada.

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Residential Schools in Canada: A Timeline

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Resource to build foundational knowledge about Residential Schools.

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Resource to build foundational knowledge about Residential Schools.

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Residential Schools is a three-part podcast series created by Historica Canada and hosted by Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais. It aims to commemorate the history and legacy of residential schools, and honour the stories of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Survivors, their families, and communities.

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[Read the full episode transcript here.]

When Gordon's Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan shut its doors in 1996, it was the last federally run residential school to close. More than two decades later, the school's legacy continues to be felt by Survivors, their families, and communities. In this episode, University of Manitoba's Dr. Niigaanwewidam Sinclair describes the effects of residential schools on First Nations peoples. Survivors Riley Burns and Ed Bitternose recount their personal experiences at Gordon's. Hosted by Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais, this is "Residential Schools: First Nations Experiences."

Special thanks to Survivors Riley Burns and Ed Bitternose. Survivor testimony for this episode was provided by the Legacy of Hope Foundation. Additional resources include University of Regina's Shattering Silence and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's final report, Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future. ( See also Reconciliation in Canada.)

Thanks to our consultants: David Perley, a Wolastoqi scholar from Tobique First Nation and the Director of the Mi'kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre and Brian Maracle (Owennatekha), an author, journalist, and teacher, and a member of the Mohawk First Nation.

Additional reading:

Episode 2: Métis Experiences
[Read the full episode transcript here.]
The Métis are sometimes described as the "forgotten people," particularly when it comes to the residential school experience. In this episode, Dr. Tricia Logan, a Métis historian and researcher at the Residential School History and Dialogue Centre at UBC, describes the complex and nuanced experiences of Métis students within the system. Survivors Linda Blomme, Larry Langille and Louis Bellrose recount their experiences in the residential school system. Hosted by Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais, this is "Residential Schools: Métis Experiences."

Special thanks to Survivors Linda Blomme, Larry Langille, and Louis Bellrose. Survivor testimony for this episode was provided by the Legacy of Hope Foundation. Additional resources include University of Regina's Shattering Silence and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's final report, Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future.

Thanks to our consultants: Guy Freedman, Métis from Flin Flon and president and senior partner of the First Peoples Group, and Larry Chartrand, professor in the faculty of law at the University of Ottawa and co-author of Métis History and Experience and Residential Schools in Canada (2006).

Additional reading:

Episode 3: Inuit Experiences
[Read the full episode transcript here.]
In the late 1940s, a Special Joint Committee created by the Government of Canada found that Indian Residential Schools weren't working. Residential schools across the country were ordered to be closed and their students to be transferred to provincial schools. But then, over a decade later, two new residential schools opened in Inuvik, Northwest Territories: Grollier Hall and Stringer Hall. In this episode, Dinjii Zhuh historian Dr. Crystal Gail Fraser, an assistant professor in the University of Alberta's Faculty of Native Studies, explains why the government ignored those recommendations, and what that meant for institutionalized students. Survivors Piita Irniq and Abraham Anghik Ruben give first-hand accounts of life in Northern residential schools. Hosted by Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais, this is "Residential Schools: Inuit Experiences."

Special thanks to Survivors Piita Irniq and Abraham Anghik Ruben. Survivor testimony for this episode was provided by the Legacy of Hope Foundation. Additional resources include University of Regina's Shattering Silence and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's final report, Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future.

Thanks to our consultant, Inuk writer, researcher, and scholar Norma Dunning.

If you or someone you know need immediate support, here are some resources:

National Indian Residential School Crisis Line, 1-866-925-4419

The Hope for Wellness Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 (phone services available in Cree, Ojibway, Inuktitut, French, and English). The Hope for Wellness Help Line also offers online support services at hopeforwellness.ca

Kids Help Phone, 1-800-668-686

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Residential Schools is a three-part podcast series created by Historica Canada and hosted by Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais. It aims to commemorate the history and...

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Residential Schools: First Nations Experience

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Residential Schools: First Nations Experience

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Resource for building foundational knowledge on Residential Schools.

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Indigenous Art Adventures: Reconciliation Tree

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Indigenous Art Adventures: Reconciliation Tree

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Video: Create reconciliation tree with Lance Cardinal.

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Indigenous Art Adventures with Lance Cardinal!

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INDIGENOUS ART ADVENTURES - (Episode 8) Reconciliation Tree

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Book: Phyllis's Orange Shirt by Phyllis Webstad

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When Phyllis was a little girl she was excited to go to residential school for the first time. Her Granny bought her a bright orange shirt that she loved and she wore it to school for her first day. When she arrived at school her bright orange shirt was taken away. This is both Phyllis Webstad's true story and the story behind Orange Shirt Day which is a day for us all to reflect upon the treatment of First Nations people and the message that 'Every Child Matters'.

Educator Information
Phyllis's Orange Shirt is an adaptation of The Orange Shirt Story which was the best selling children's book in Canada for several weeks in September 2018. This true story also inspired the movement of Orange Shirt Day which could become a federal statutory holiday. A page of information about this day is included at the end of the book. A short author biography is also included.

Adapted for ages 4-6.

Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2020/2021 resource list for grades K-1 in the areas of English Language Arts and Social Studies.

This book is available in French: Le chandail orange de Phyllis

Additional Information
30 pages | 9.00" x 8.00"

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Phyllis's Orange Shirt, 2019) - Indigenous & First Nations Kids Books - Strong Nations

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When Phyllis was a little girl she was excited to go to residential school for the first time. Her Granny bought her a bright orange shirt that she loved and she wore it to school for her first day. When she arrived at school her bright orange shirt was taken away.

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Phyllis Webstad Orange Shirt Day Presentation

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Phyllis Webstad Orange Shirt Day Presentation

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Video:
Phyllis Webstad shares her personal story from Residential School and why Orange Shirt Day is important.

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Phyllis Webstad Orange Shirt Day Presentation

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An interactive resource Residential Schools and Indian Hospitals throughout Canada.

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La nouvelle de la mise au jour de 215 tombes non marquées sur le site de l'ancien pensionnat indien de Kamloops a provoqué une onde de choc dans tout le pays et dans le monde entier, alors que les survivants racontent depuis des décennies l'histoire de ces précieux enfants disparus. Cette carte cherche à transmettre des faits véridiques sur les enfants disparus et les lieux de sépulture non marqués, donnés par les survivants, les familles et les communautés. Certains de ces sites ont été retrouvés bien avant 2021 et de nombreux autres font encore l'objet d'enquêtes actives.

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La nouvelle de la mise au jour de 215 tombes non marquées sur le site de l'ancien pensionnat indien de Kamloops a provoqué une onde de choc dans tout le pays et dans le monde entier, alors que les survivants racontent depuis des décennies l'histoire de ces précieux enfants disparus.

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Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada: Truth and Reconciliation 

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Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada: Truth and Reconciliation 

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Resource to build foundational knowledge about truth and reconciliation.

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Truth and Reconciliation

Contents

1. History of Residential Schools

2. Still Standing

3. A Fight for Truth

4. Redress and Healing

5. Litigation and Courts

6. The Road to Reconciliation

7. Frequently Asked Questions

Other Sections

Ry Moran is the director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. On behalf of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, he helped gather nearly 7,000 statements of former residential school students and others affected by the residential school system. He is a proud member of the Métis Nation and is deeply honoured and thankful to have served Survivors, intergenerational Survivors and all Indigenous Peoples.

Ry Moran

There are two primary perspectives on the
country we call Canada - the perspectives of Indigenous Peoples and the perspectives of the tens of millions of people from different backgrounds who have come to this country to find a new home. While there is great diversity among Indigenous perspectives, one fact remains central - the traditional lands, practices, values, cultures, languages, systems and understandings of Indigenous Peoples have been systematically attacked, dismantled and destroyed at the hands of the Canadian state.

In 2008, following mass litigation and the outcry of Survivors of the residential schools for justice and healing, Canada launched the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This Commission was intended not only to bring the voices of Survivors forward, but to fundamentally shift the national narrative away from a culture of domination and oppression and towards a culture of respect, reciprocity and understanding.

To be certain, Indigenous Peoples expected this relationship of equal partnership from the earliest days of encounter with newcomers. Treaties were signed in a spirit and intent of mutual respect and reciprocity. Ceremonies were held affirming this relationship. In areas where treaties were not signed, the expectation was for the self-determination and autonomy that had existed for millennia to continue.

It is through this resistance and the enhancement and rekindling of traditional practices, knowledges and Indigenous rights frameworks that Canada has the opportunity to become the nation that it has always been...

As the state encroached further and further into all aspects of Indigenous people's lives, resistance to the aggressive assimilation policies of Canada was a constant across Indigenous communities, nations and peoples. Elders took ceremonies underground, families fought desperately to retain their languages, and communities created formal political, social, and economic structures aimed at resisting ongoing attempts to eradicate Indigenous Peoples and perspectives from Canada.

As a nation, the opportunity for Canada now is to celebrate and acknowledge the critical role of ongoing resistance. It is through this resistance and the enhancement and rekindling of traditional practices, knowledges and Indigenous rights frameworks that Canada has the opportunity to become the nation that it has always been - a nation of many rich traditions, identities and systems coming together to find solutions to many of the deep-seated social tensions and challenges we face as a collective society.

Reconciliation in this regard means arresting the attacks on Indigenous ways of knowing and being, and working from this day forward in a spirit of mutual respect and understanding.

The section of this atlas focused on residential schools covers some of the most devastating elements of Canada's aggressive assimilation policies. Through these residential schools, Inuit, First Nations and Métis children were forcibly removed from their families and forced to adopt identities and practices not their own. When children resisted, they were punished and abused. All manner of physical, spiritual, emotional and sexual violence was rampant.

Similarly, through racist doctrines such as the Indian Act, parents were prevented from seeing their children, prevented from keeping their children at home with them, and barred from assembling and retaining legal counsel. The umbrella of oppression was expansive, complete and all-encompassing.

But this atlas is more than just a story of the residential schools; it also documents Canada's current state of reconciliation. Across this country, untold numbers of children wait in unmarked cemeteries to be remembered and honoured. As some former residential school sites crumble, the vast majority have already been destroyed or lost to the erosion of history.

Canada's journey towards equality, respect and justice is measured by the wide gaps that exist between the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples and the protection of Indigenous rights, places, spaces and cultural memory.

The other volumes in this atlas series point us collectively in a new direction - a direction that portrays a much more honest and accurate telling of history, and an unfolding of the land, cultures, and identities that existed before western powers drew lines on maps and divided families and communities from one another.

The surfacing of these long-standing understandings of this land is an essential part of creating a new national narrative. It pulls us away from the narrow definition of what it means to be Canadian and points us towards a new framework of understanding - one that acknowledges territory and the long and rich histories of Indigenous Peoples. It pushes us towards a concept of a nation with multiple forms of sovereignty existing within its borders - a place of respect wherein the unique political and social aspirations of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples come together with a sense of common vision and destiny for a healthier, just, and sustainable society.

These volumes will help educate young Canadians for generations to come on what it means to be Canadian - what it means to be accountable to the original promises of treaty and what it means to honour the concept of unceded land. Moreover, they will give all
Canadians an opportunity to reflect further on what it means to take responsibility for successive governments' persistent and omnipresent attempts to eradicate the meaning and context contained within Indigenous places and spaces from this country.

Canada's journey towards equality, respect and justice is measured by the wide gaps that exist between the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples...

The harm inflicted upon Indigenous Peoples is not only a problem for Indigenous Peoples. It is a Canadian problem that requires all Canadians to take responsibility and action to repair the damage done. Former TRC commissioner Wilton Littlechild recently talked about the opportunity presented to us as a whole, stating: "If two people are trying to walk down a railroad track, each balancing on a rail independently, they will not get very far. But if they join hands and walk together they will make it much further down the road."

This is our opportunity - to walk side by side - Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous Peoples walking together towards the destination of a fair, equitable and just country. Gone must be the days where Indigenous Peoples are led down the track by those who know "what's best for them." These atlases equip all Canadians with an important set of tools to realize this goal. I hope you learn much from the materials contained within. Together, if we are willing, we can transform this country into something that we are all proud to call home.

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Truth and Reconciliation History of Residential Schools Still Standing A Fight for Truth Redress and Healing Litigation and Courts The Road to Reconciliation Frequently Asked Questions Other Sections Ry Moran is the director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

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Educational and teaching resources on Indian Residential Schools and Truth & Reconciliation in Canada. Videos and teaching resources.

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Orange Shirt Society Growing awareness of the individual, family and community intergenerational impacts of Residential Schools. At OSS, we believe you can support Reconciliation every day, in your own way. Learn more Growing awareness of the individual, family and community intergenerational impacts of Residential Schools. At OSS, we

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Alberta made resources to support teaching and learning for Orange Shirt Day. Categories include:

Orange Shirt Day / National Day For Truth and Reconciliation Programming Supports for Schools

Professional Learning PD Playlists for Adults

Teaching Tools for the Classroom

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Tansi, Oki, Âba wathtech, Taanishi , Tawnshi, Dadanist'ada, Edlanet'e, Hello, Bonjour

Orange Shirt Day serves as an annual time to reflect on the history and legacy of residential schools. Originating from Phyllis Webstad's account of her first day at St. Joseph Mission residential school where her new orange shirt, a reminder of home, was taken, this day is an acknowledgement of Canada's past and time to hold hope for a future where Every Child Matters. Effective June 2021, Orange Shirt Day is now recognised as a statutory holiday in Canada: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Continuing into the 1990s, mandatory residential schooling in Canada extracted Indigenous children from their homes and communities, depriving them of their culture, traditions and language. Twenty five residential schools were located in the province of Alberta.

This webpage and the resources available here focus on the Treaty Areas, Métis Regions, and Inuit Peoples situated in the province of Alberta and was made possible by grant funding from Alberta Education. We, the Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia (ARPDC) are guided in this work by a Partner Circle of Elders and Knowledge Keepers living in the province of Alberta.

Designed to support the educators in the province of Alberta, this webpage provides educator professional learning and lessons for use in classroom programming, including:

You can find upcoming ARPDC First Nations, Métis and Inuit professional learning events here.

In partnership with Elders and Knowledge Keepers living in Alberta, these professional learning resource focus on the people who live in Treaties 6, 7 and 8, as well as Métis and Inuit peoples.

Testimonials from Indigenous peoples with supporting activities to guide professional conversations and/or personal reflection about the past

Activities and information to support educator foundational knowledge of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples living in the province of Alberta

Information about Indigenous contemporary artists, business and local locations to visit while you continue your personal path to understanding

Examples of how schools across the province are incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing, doing and being

PD Playlists to advance your own learning, or, engage in it together with your school team to learn, reflect, and take action together

Access K to 12 lesson plans and classroom activities to engage your students in learning that explores the history and legacy of residential schools in age appropriate ways and invites Indigenous ways of knowing, doing and being into the classroom including:

K-12 lesson plans for use during the week before Orange Shirt Day/National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Talking Circle Guides

Resources Proudly Developed By:

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Orange Shirt Day and Beyond - Empowering the Spirit

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Orange Shirt Day serves as an annual time to reflect on the history and legacy of residential schools. Originating from Phyllis Webstad's account of her first day at St. Joseph Mission residential school where her new orange shirt, a reminder of home, was taken, this day is an acknowledgement of Canada's past and time to hold hope for a future where Every Child Matters.

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National Film Board: Orange Shirt Day Series

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National Film Board: Orange Shirt Day Series

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A playlist of selected films for Orange Shirt Day and Residential School histories.

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This playlist was created to commemorate Orange Shirt Day, which was launched in 2013 to call attention to 165 years of residential school experiences between 1831 and 1996. These films illuminate the intergenerational trauma inflicted through this and other forced-assimilation policies which continue to ripple through communities even today.

Pour visionner cette sélection en français, cliquez ici.

Films in This Playlist Include
We Were Children
Sisters and Brothers
Holy Angels
Second Stories - It had to Be Done
Christmas at Moose Factory
The Road Forward
Etlinisigu'niet (Bleed Down)
Round Up

We Were Children

Warning: this film contains disturbing content and is recommended for audiences 16 years of age and older. Parental discretion, and/or watching this film within a group setting, is strongly advised. If you need counselling support, please contact Health Canada.

In this feature film, the profound impact of the Canadian government's residential school system is conveyed through the eyes of two children who were forced to face hardships beyond their years. As young children, Lyna and Glen were taken from their homes and placed in church-run boarding schools, where they suffered years of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, the effects of which persist in their adult lives.We Were Children gives voice to a national tragedy and demonstrates the incredible resilience of the human spirit.

Sisters & Brothers

In a pounding critique of Canada's colonial history, this short film draws parallels between the annihilation of the bison in the 1890s and the devastation inflicted on the Indigenous population by the residential school system.

This film is part of Souvenir, a series of four films addressing Indigenous identity and representation by reworking material in the NFB's archives.

Holy Angels

In 1963, Lena Wandering Spirit became one of the more than 150,000 Indigenous children who were removed from their families and sent to residential school. Jay Cardinal Villeneuve's short documentary Holy Angels powerfully recaptures Canada's colonialist history through impressionistic images and the fragmented language of a child. Villeneuve met Lena through his work as a videographer with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Filmed with a fierce determination to not only uncover history but move past it, Holy Angels speaks of the resilience of a people who have found ways of healing-and of coming home again.

Second Stories - It Had to Be Done

This short documentary explores the legacy of residential schools through the eyes of two extraordinary women who not only lived it, but who, as adults, made the surprising decision to return to the school that had affected their lives so profoundly. This intimate and moving film affirms their strength and dignity in standing up and making a difference on their own terms.

Second Stories follows on the heels of the enormously successful First Stories project, which produced 3 separate collections of short films from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Second Stories builds on that success by continuing the training with 3 of the 12 Indigenous filmmakers who delivered such compelling short documentaries. Produced in association with CBC, APTN, SCN, SaskFilm and MANITOBA FILM & SOUND.

Christmas at Moose Factory

Released in 1971, this lyrical short documentary marked the directorial debut of legendary Abenaki director Alanis Obomsawin. Filmed at a residential school in northern Ontario, it is composed entirely of drawings by young Cree children and stories told by the children themselves. Listening has been at the core of Obomsawin's practice since the very beginning. "Documentary film," she said in a 2017 interview, "is the one place that our people can speak for themselves. I feel that the documentaries that I've been working on have been very valuable for the people, for our people to look at ourselves... and through that be able to make changes that really count for the future of our children to come."

The Road Forward

The Road Forward, a musical documentary by Marie Clements, connects a pivotal moment in Canada's civil rights history-the beginnings of Indian Nationalism in the 1930s-with the powerful momentum of First Nations activism today. The Road Forward's stunningly shot musical sequences, performed by an ensemble of some of Canada's finest vocalists and musicians, seamlessly connect past and present with soaring vocals, blues, rock, and traditional beats. A rousing tribute to the fighters for First Nations rights, a soul-resounding historical experience, and a visceral call to action.

Etlinisigu'niet (Bleed Down)

In five short minutes, this short film destroys any remaining shreds of the myth of a fair and just Canada. Children forced from their homes and sent to residential schools, families examined like livestock in crowded tuberculosis clinics, tainted water and land, poisoned for industry and profit at the cost of Indigenous lives, and the list goes on. But filmmaker Jeff Barnaby's message is clear: We are still here. Featuring the music of Tanya Tagaq.

This film is part of Souvenir, a series of four films addressing Indigenous identity and representation by reworking material in the NFB's archives.

Round Up

This short film traces Pete Standing Alone's personal journey from cultural alienation to pride and belonging. As a spiritual elder, teacher, and community leader of the Kainai Nation of Southern Alberta, Pete works with youth to repair the cultural and spiritual destruction wrought by residential schools. At age 81, he has come full-circle in his dedication to preserving the traditional ways of his people.

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This playlist was created to commemorate Orange Shirt Day, which was launched in 2013 to call attention to 165 years ...

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A teacher's guide to 100 Year of Loss: The Residential School System in Canada

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Video series and information on Treaty 7 land acknowledgment.

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Land Acknowledgment | Calgary Public Library

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In 2022, the Library released a systemwide Land Acknowledgment as part of our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation. Learn about honouring the land and Indigenous peoples of Treaty 7 with us.

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Video and text of a Treaty 7 Land Acknowledgment

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Spanning generations, acknowledgement of the land is a traditional custom of Indigenous people when welcoming outsiders onto their land and into their homes. To build respectful relationships, acknowledging the land is an important part of reconciliation. It honours the authentic history of North America, its original people and tells the story of the creation of this country that has historically been missing.

Treaty 7 Territory Land Acknowledgements

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut'ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.
Long version
In the spirit of respect, reciprocity and truth, we honour and acknowledge Moh'kinsstis, and the traditional Treaty 7 territory and oral practices of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda and Tsuut'ina nations. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3 within the historical Northwest Métis homeland. Finally, we acknowledge all Nations - Indigenous and non - who live, work and play on this land, and who honour and celebrate this territory.

This sacred gathering place provides us with an opportunity to engage in and demonstrate leadership on reconciliation. Thank you for your enthusiasm and commitment to join our team on the lands of Treaty 7 territory.

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A page with lots of links to other websites and resources.

Includes links to:

Treaty 7 Nations

Treaty 7 Cultural Sites in Alberta

Learning Tools and Resources

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Education is at the heart of what we do. We believe that there can be no reconciliation until the truth is understood, and there is still a lot of truth yet to be told.

Here, we've provided a number of ways you can learn about the Indigenous peoples and Nations of Treaty 7, including locations and websites to visit, learning tools and resources, and links to higher education courses.

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OLD Educational Resources | Making Treaty 7

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10 Ideas For Kids to Learn About Treaty 7 and Métis Culture This Summer

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10 Ideas For Kids to Learn About Treaty 7 and Métis Culture This Summer

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Links and ideas for lesson activities. Included is a Treaty 7 Children's Booklist.

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1. Read from our Treaty 7 children's book collection

Have you joined the Challenge? Kids ages 0 - 17 can register for the Ultimate Summer Challenge and track their reading with books like these from our Treaty 7 children's book collection. Sign up at calgarylibrary.ca/summer.

2. Read Stepping Stones for help understanding the curriculum

Stepping Stones is a publication of the Alberta Teachers' Association  Walking Together: Education for Reconciliation. It supports teachers on their learning journey to meet the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Foundational Knowledge competency in the Teaching Quality Standard. Parents and caregivers may also find the documents useful to build understanding of their child's classroom curriculum, especially the Terminology Reference and Numbered Treaties: Treaty 7 documents. The Alberta map of Treaty Areas can also be downloaded at the link.

3. Go to a museum virtually

Explore Blackfoot culture and listen to Elders tell stories, like Sky Stories and Indigenous astronomy, through the Glenbow Museum's Niitsitpiisini: Our Way of Life and The Virtual Museum of Canada.

4. Watch Indigenous authors and illustrators on Youtube

Learn from Indigenous authors and illustrators through the Canadian Children's Book Centre's Indigenous channel on YouTube.

5. Meet an Elder

Meet an Indigenous Elder, attend an Indigenous Storytime and more, FREE with your Library card at our Indigenous Services page.

6. Browse the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada

For grades five and up, Canadian Geographic Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada is available free in the Digital Library.

7. Play games and listen to a podcast

CBC Kids is a great resource for elementary school students with virtual games, online articles, video clips, and more about Canada's Indigenous cultures. The Métis Nation of Alberta's Youth Programs and Services team also has a podcast created by youth, for youth, called Keeping It Riel.

8. Explore your own backyard

As Covid restrictions lift, explore your own backyard by visiting historic sites such as those at Blackfoot Crossing (which includes the site of the signing of Treaty 7), Writing on Stone, Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, Métis Crossing, and in downtown Calgary, the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers at Fort Calgary. Indigenous Tourism Alberta is a great resource to find out where to camp, visit, shop, and more.

9. Attend a Powwow

There are thousands of Powwow held across North America every summer and they are open to everyone to attend. Remember to dress in long pants or dresses, sit in areas for spectators (not Elders, dancers, or drummers) and avoid touching regalia or picking up an eagle feather - even though they are beautiful!

10. Read stories by Indigenous authors

Read together and learn from the lived experiences of Indigenous authors with a Library booklist, or check out the Prairie Indigenous eBook Collection. The first of its kind in Canada, this collection increases access to stories by Indigenous authors and writings about Indigenous culture. Check out over 200 eBook titles from publishers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.
This blog post is published as part of The Kitchen Table Classroom: A Series to Support Learning from Home, a partnership with Edmonton Public Library.Visit our websitefor information on the next live, online workshop in the series and for more tips and tools to support learning from home.

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10 Ideas for Kids to Learn More about Treaty 7 and Métis Culture This Summer

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Books, videos, backyard adventures, and more will help enrich your knowledge of Indigenous culture and history.

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Treaties and the Treaty Relationship Educational Package 

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Treaties and the Treaty Relationship Educational Package 

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50 Page Educators guide with extensive teachings on Treaty.

Kayak: 36 page magazine for students on Treaties.

Lesson plan titles for Grade 7 to 12 Social Studies:

The Numbered Treaties

1764: Enduring Relationship

Reimagining History: "Righting" Treaty Wrongs

Treaties: Partnerships and Relationships

Understanding Spirit and Intent

Relevance of Treaties Today

Lesson Activity Titles for Grade 3-6

Making Treaties

Classroom Treaty

Commemorating Treaty Relationships

Treaty Day

We Are All Treaty People

Unceded Land

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Canada's History on your doorstep

Discover a wealth of interesting, entertaining and informative stories in each issue, delivered to you six times per year.

Treaties and the Treaty Relationship

The Canada's History Treaties issue features guest editor Treaty Commissioner Loretta Ross from the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba.

Contributing writers, from throughout Canada, have shared their insights and knowledge on a wide variety of aspects of Treaty history and the Treaty Relationship.

As Commissioner Ross states in her Forward: "For too long, Canadians have learned about Treaties with First Nations from a singular, non-First Nations perspective. The goal of this special issue is to try to provide a more balanced understanding of Treaties and the Treaty relationship."

In addition to this special edition of Canada's History that you can download as a PDF, you can also access the Educator's Guide.

This issue, as well as the corresponding educational resource package, can be found on the French side of our site.

We Are All Treaty People

This edition of Kayak features guest editor Cynthia Bird! Cynthia (Wabi Benais Mistatim Equay) of Peguis First Nation is an educator who lives in Calgary in Treaty 7 territory and works with the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba.

This issue is about Treaties and the historic Treaty relationship between First Nations peoples and the British Crown, now represented by the government of Canada.

Many people might say Treaties are about the past. Yes, they are about the past, but they are also about the present and the future. They are central to what it means to be Canadian. They remain as important today as they were in the past.

Learning about Treaties gives us a chance to reflect on our shared history and to learn why "We Are All Treaty People." Understanding this is important for us as Canadians. We need to know how we have each benefited from our Treaty story. It is who we are.
Download the PDF of this issue Access the Educator's Guide

Encouraging a deeper knowledge of history and Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

The Government of Canada creates opportunities to explore and share Canadian history.

The Winnipeg Foundation - supporting our shared truth and reconciliation journey.

Educator's Guide
Applicable for Grades 3-6 and Grades 7-12.
The lesson plans in Treaties and the Treaty Relationship: Educator's Guide are framed on the Historical Thinking Concepts and offer teachers interactive instructional approaches that foster engaged student inquiry. They are fortified with maps, weblinks, and supporting Blackline Masters.

Lesson plan themes explore Treaties across Canada from time immemorial to the present, making a concerted link between the past and the future.

As well, each learning activity offers adaptions and/or activities based on the lesson theme for exploring Treaties in grades three to six.

It is with the greatest appreciation that we thank the many contributors and supporters of the Treaties and Treaty Relationship: Educator's Guide.
Download the PDF of this guide

We contribute to the well-being of the communities we serve through grants, scholarships, sponsorships, fundraising, volunteering and collaborative relationships with community partners.

Lesson Plans (Grades 7-12)

Classroom Activities (Grades 3-6)

Design a classroom Treaty with your students and use it throughout the year as the typical "class rules."

Immerse yourself in Canadian history in print and digital.

Canada's National History Society acknowledges that we meet and work across the ancestral lands of many Indigenous peoples: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. We recognize the resilience of Indigenous storytellers and Knowledge Keepers who have kept their stories alive despite attempts to silence them. The Society is committed to sharing and amplifying Indigenous histories, perspectives, and voices and walking together with Indigenous peoples on the path to truth and reconciliation. Full statement

Copyright © 2023 Canada's History Society | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions

Website designed and developed by ecentricarts.com

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kayak: canada’s history magazine for kids

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Treaties and the Treaty Relationship - Canada's History

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This year, Canada's History Society is publishing two magazines on Treaties and the Treaty Relationship. The first, under the banner of Canada's History, is aimed at adults and secondary-level students. The second magazine is intended for younger audiences and will be published as the September issue of Kayak.

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5 Episode Documentary about Treaty 7 Territory. Most suitable for 7+.

Cowboy, a Blackfoot person and Chris, a Chinese-Canadian, agree to go on road trip across traditional Blackfoot territory rediscover the stories of their shared home.

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Elder in the Making | Episode 1: Cowboy X

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6 minute video about Treaties.

At the bottom of the page, there are many great linked resources.

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In this section, you will learn begin to learn about about Treaties and Treaty relationships, Inuit Land Claim Agreements and Métis Land Agreements.
Treaty and land agreements between Indigenous Peoples, Crown and Canadian Government shaped the past, present and will continue to shape the future. Indigenous Peoples have never surrendered their sovereign rights and will continue to seek justice through legal, education, health care and all systems of governance that affect nations, communities and individuals.

When considering learning about the spirit and intent of Treaty, it is important to understand that it is a lifelong learning journey that is best undertaken with the guidance of First Nations Elders and Knowledge Keepers. Treaties between First Nations existed prior to European contact, and Indigenous People have an understanding of Treaty that contrasts in many ways to the written version of Crown and First Nations Treaties. There is much more to Treaties than what is written in the Crown's version of these documents.

Understanding the spirit and intent of the Treaty is integral to developing a holistic understanding of Treaties. Spirit and intent refers to the unwritten oral promises as well as the spiritual nature of Treaties as understood by First Nations. Treaties were not entered into by all Indigenous Peoples across what is now Canada. There are many First Nations groups that did not enter into the Treaty. Métis were excluded from Treaty negotiations and eligibility to receive Indian Status under the Indian Act, with the exception of Treaty 3. Métis and Inuit were intentionally excluded from Treaty negotiations and have worked diligently to assert their sovereign inherent rights as Indigenous Peoples on this land.

The phrase "we are all treaty people" is often used to emphasize the need for all Canadians to live up to the intent of the treaties which is inclusive of peaceful relationships, friendship and sharing for the mutual benefit of all. Not all Indigenous Peoples entered into Treaty, yet the essence of Treaty relates to co-existing in a good way and resonates through the statement "we are all treaty people" . Treaties are two sided agreements and when living on Treaty territories, all citizens have treaty rights and responsibilities although the interpretation of these rights and responsibilities might often not be fully understood. The phrase "honour the treaties" is in alignment with the spirit and intent of treaties as understood and entered into by First Nations. Many treaty promises and obligations continue to not be honoured and this is evident "honour the treaties" through past and current social contexts such as mass boil water advisories on reserves, land dispossession, undisturbed hunting, fishing, and harvesting rights, ecocide, environmental racism, lack of access to nutritious food and equitable healthcare, lack of housing, and continued violence and racism projected on Indigenous peoples.

There are diverse understandings of numbered Treaties. Treaties are Nation to Nation agreements between sovereign First Nations and the British Crown, and they predate the creation of the province of Alberta. First Nations entered into Treaties with a view to the future and in good faith based on their understandings of what the spirit and intent of treaties are meant to entail. Many Treaties were entered into under false, deceptive, and forceful tactics such as starvation through the decimation of the Buffalo, violence, cand coercion. First Nations Treaty negotiators believed their people and generations to come would be cared for, respected, and worked with rather than against, and they never agreed to surrender any land. Canada History, the Numbered Treaties:

"Treaty-making was historically used among First Nations Peoples for such purposes as inter-tribal trade alliances, peace, friendship, safe passage, and access to shared resources within another nation's ancestral lands. Respect and reciprocity were foundational principles that resulted in tribal alliances among nations."1

Treaty was not a new concept for First Nations - only the European ideas of treaties were new to First Nations. Treaties were self-serving deals used to strip Indigenous Peoples of land to non-Indigenous Peoples rather than sacred agreements between sovereign nations.2

First Nations entered into a series of treaties with the British Crown (later the Government of Canada) beginning in the early 1600s. The Office of the Treaty Commissioner explains that "the Indigenous Peoples/nations are considered to be the original inhabitants of North America. They were sovereign nations and exercised their powers to negotiate and agree to international arrangements.3 At the time of numbered treaty negotiations lieutenant governors who were representatives of the Queen of Britain would assist in negotiating with First Nations.4 During this time, "the Queen understood the First Nations Peoples to be sovereign and independent nations with full title and occupancy of the land, therefore, it was appropriate to enter into treaties to fully acknowledge their title to the land."5 Treaties were solidified through ceremony. Both sides entered into Treaty through ceremony as well as through the marking of an "X" on English written paper documents that were not translated fully within the First Nations language.

Truth, honor, respect, honesty, integrity, family, reciprocity, and relationships are all integral to First Nations understandings of the Treaty and are inherent values embedded in the Pipe Ceremony that was included in Treaty negotiations. Treaties continue to be relevant today. First Nations always wanted to protect traditional lands, resources, the values of mutual respect, and their ways of life while ensuring peace and friendship. Treaties were understood differently by both parties due to differing world views and underlying intentions.

A Cree perspective of "the treaties were based on the First Nations Peoples' principles: miyowîcêhtowin (getting along with others), wîtaskêwin (living together on the land) and pimâcihowin (making a living)."6 Treaties provided both parties with the means of achieving survival and socio-economic stability, anchored on the principle of mutual benefit.7 Elders continue to pass on the oral understanding of Treaties as being peaceful relationships rather than surrendering of land.8 Treaties as understood in relation to the concept of Wîtaskêwin (Cree), coexisting peacefully by living together on the land, were what First Nations were prepared to enter into with the Crown.9 First Nations' worldviews include the relationship with the land which informed politics, spirituality, and economy in contrast to Europeans view as the land being something to be exploited, controlled, and dominated.10 Language and knowledge transmission differences (oral versus written), as well as coercion and colonization tactics, resulted in treaty misunderstandings and continued unfulfilled promises and methods to eradicate Treaty status descendants

The Treaty Coin provides an example of visual representation of treaty relationships. The gifting of treaty medals was symbolic of shared promises and working together. The visual symbolism on the circular treaty coin gives the impression that both parties are on equal ground and entering a relationship that was supposed to be built on mutual respect. The circular shape of the medal is a Reflection of nature, the circle of life, creation and ceremonial. The sun, land and water on the coin could be symbolic of the interconnection to the natural world as well as the statement "as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the rivers flows". Including tipis on the coin can be interpreted as the commitment to ensure that traditional ways of life inclusive of methods to educate, govern, child-rearing and connection to the land will be maintained. Tipis are also symbolic of the uplifting and valuing of women, family and kinship connections.

There are eleven Numbered Treaties in Canada that were entered into between 1871 and 1921. Treaty 4, 6, 7, 8 and 10 are within what is now Alberta with all but Treaty 7 extending beyond provincial borders. Treaty boundaries are not confined to provincial borders, in fact provincial borders came into effect after Treaties were enacted. Treaty 4 (1874) includes the Nehiyawak (Cree), Nakoda, and Anishnabe. It is primarily in Saskatchewan yet extends into the lower southeast portion of Alberta and into Manitoba. Treaty 6 (1876) includes central Alberta and Saskatchewan and includes the Nehiwayak (Cree), Nakoda, and Anishnabe. Treaty 7 (1877) includes the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Sarcee, and the Nakoda. It is located south of the Red Deer River and extends to the southern Alberta border. Treaty 8 (1899) covers northern Alberta and portions of B.C and the Northwest Territories. It includes Nehiyawak (Cree)Dene, and Dane-zaa. Treaty 10 (1906) is located in northern Saskatchewan with a small portion in east-central Alberta. The First Nations that entered into the Treaties did so for a variety of factors, yet all were entered into with a view to the future. Each Treaty is unique and reflects the concerns that First Nations leaders had for their people. Aside from Treaties there are various modern day Treaties and land claims that can be further learned about and understood.

Violence, sexual assault, disease , manipulation and hunger were used as a weapon to ensure Treaties were entered into, forced relocation and Scrip was taken. Promises such as peace and goodwill, food, medicine (health care), and education were made yet it is evident to this day that these promises remain unfulfilled. With lack of access to clean water and land, poor treatment in health facilities, poverty, child welfare, and a mental health crisis, it is evident that the health and well being of Indigenous Peoples are not a priority for the government. Racist attitudes and beliefs continue to permeate the education, health care, and justice system leaving Indigenous less cared for by those in positions of power and control.

Treaty Right to Education

Educational clauses included in the crown's version of Treaties have established educational policy such as education services and a fiduciary obligation to provide educational services. During Treaty negotiations, both parties understood that education would be necessary for the well being of First Nations. Education to First Nations was holistic, lifelong, with traditional nature-based survival methods, ceremonies, learning through language and relationship. The Crown's idea of education was in stark contrast with Residential Schools being evident of what education for Indigenous Peoples meant to them. 11

The Royal Commission on Aboriginal People state:

Education must reflect the structure, practices, and vision of First Nations communities. Education is a treaty and constitutional right to be treasured and a process that enables First Nations to blend traditional purposes of education, language, and culture with the skills necessary for collaboration in today's global society. The issue of the demand for the recognition of education as a treaty right will not dissipate until profound educational changes occur including appropriate funding and effective control beyond merely administrative responsibility for a poorly funded and externally directed education services. First Nations education must reflect the language, traditions, and culture of their communities and receive the resources necessary to ensure quality educational programming, and to ensure educational attainment and foster the "crucial skills for governance and economic self-reliance.12

The Assembly of First Nations (formerly known as the National Indian Brotherhood) created an education policy "Indian Control of Indian Education" in 1972. The policy addressed disparities in education for Indigenous students while citing recommendations for improvement. These recommendations included the importance of Indigenous communities controlling education, more Indigenous educators, culturally relevant curriculum and teaching resources, Indigenous language instruction, and traditional culture being taught in schools. These recommendations continue to be important and necessary today. For Indigenous students to feel a sense of belonging in schools and achievement much needs to be improved.13 In 2009, 15 year old Shannen Koostachin, addressed Parliament to put forward continued demands for better education, schools, and resources for Indigenous children. Upholding sovereign rights to education continue to be a priority.

Treaty negotiations were rife with instances of coercion and misinterpretation by the Crown, and the written text and oral promises often did not align. These conditions at negotiation, as well as fundamentally divergent worldviews, have led to ongoing disputes around unfulfilled obligations. One example of unfulfilled obligations includes upholding access to opportunity for healthy living (e.g., clean drinking water, equitable food access, equitable education, equitable health care, and peaceful coexistence). Many Nations have been successful in their court cases to get their Treaty rights recognized.14 However, gaps continue to exist in funding for services that fall under Treaty obligations, including education.15 Treaties are still in force and will continue to be "for as long as the sun shines, the rivers flow and the grass grows" according to the numbered Treaties. To learn more about Treaties, connect with First Nations leaders through reserves or through governing bodies such as Alberta First Nations Information Governance Centre , Confederacy of Treaty Six , Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta, and Treaty 7 First Nations Chiefs Association .

Inuit Land Claim Agreements

Inuit Nunangat is an Inuktitut term for the homeland that includes the four Inuit regions: Nunatsiavut (Northern Labrador), Nunavik (Northern Quebec), Nunavut and the Inuvialuit region of the Northwest Territories. Inuit Nunangat encompasses approximately 35 percent of Canada's landmass and 50 percent of its coastline.16 The Crown did not enter into treaties with the Inuit, who were purposefully excluded as "Indians" under the Indian Act. On April 5, 1939, the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously ruled that Inuit were Indians according to the British North America Act of 1867 and therefore subject to the Indian Act. This made Inuit health, welfare, and education the responsibility of the federal government, although Canada was reluctant to take on this role."17 In 1945, following the end of WWII, concerns over Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic turned the nation's attention northward, and many Inuit were forced to relocate to the high Arctic.18 Since 1975, Inuit have many land claim agreements.

The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (1975) and

The Nunavik Inuit Land Claims Agreement (2006).

The creation of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region: the Inuvialuit Final Agreement (1984).

The creation of Nunavut: the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (1999).

The creation of Nunatsiavut: the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement (2005).19

Key aspects of these Land Claims Agreements are the preservation and promotion of Inuit language and culture, protection of the environment and wildlife, including rights to hunt, fish, and trap. As well as responsibility for the economic development, education, health care, justice, and social programs within their respective regions.

These Agreements ensure that the Inuit and Inuvialuit benefit from their years, and in some cases, decades of negotiations with Canada to fulfill their rights to self-determination via comprehensive Land Claims Agreements.

The Royal Proclamation of 1763 recognizes original Indigenous title to the land now known as Canada.20 The Manitoba Act of 1870 set aside 1.4 million hectares for Métis land grants intended for "the extinguishment of the aboriginal title." This land was to be distributed to "children of half-breed heads of families."21 The Métis were not included in Treaty negotiations nor eligible to receive Status under the Indian Act. "Canada's North-West Half-Breed Commission was established to settle the land claims of the Métis. To have Métis relinquish their rights to their land, the Government of Canada created the Scrip System."22 Scrip Commission and other officials traveled across the Prairies issuing certificates (scrip) for 140 or 260 acres of land or dollars, depending on each applicant's circumstances.23 Applicants had no say in the location of their land, leading to a disconnection from home and community. was a widespread practice throughout the scrip process, and land speculators often deceptively traded Métis People meager amounts of money for their scrip or posed as Métis to get Métis land, leaving many Métis People destitute. In response, the Canadian government shortened the statute of limitations on fraud associated with scrip so that Métis could not pursue justice rather than prosecute the offenders.24 This ultimately offered free rein and empowerment to settlers to strip Métis of their land and rights without consequence.

Many landless Métis began to establish homes and communities in ditches or road allowances, and they came to be known as Road Allowance People.2 5 In Alberta, the injustice and often destitute conditions that Métis People lived in sparked outrage among Métis leaders who established the Métis Association of Alberta (MAA) in 1928 to advocate for the rights of Métis in Alberta. This organization is the formal precursor to the Métis Nation of Alberta today. They lobbied the provincial government to take action to improve living conditions for Alberta Métis. This led to the establishment of the Ewing Commission, which made recommendations that the province enact the Métis Betterment Act and eventually led to the creation of Métis settlements.26 The Alberta-Métis Settlements Accord (1989) was aimed at securing a Métis land base for future generations, local autonomy, and economic self-sufficiency. 12 Métis Settlements in Alberta were formed with 4 rescinded by the Government of Alberta. 8 remain: Buffalo Lake, East Prairie, Elizabeth, Fishing Lake, Gift Lake, Kikino, Paddle Prairie and Peavine. Métis live on these 8 Settlements and across all of Alberta.27

The Alberta-Metis Settlements Accord is one example of many Agreements between the Métis Nation and the federal and provincial Governments of Canada. Examples of some other important Agreements include Canada-MNA Self-Government Agreement (2019) , Parks Canada - Métis Nation of Alberta Agreement , Government of Alberta - Métis Nation of Alberta Parks Agreement, Métis Harvesting Agreement , and Métis Nation of Alberta-Government of Canada Framework Agreement for Advancing Reconciliation. Métis Government Recognition and Self-Government Agreement . To learn more about Métis rights in Alberta go to the Métis Nation of Alberta website and access some of the links below.

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In this section, you will learn begin to learn about about Treaties and Treaty relationships, Inuit Land Claim Agreements and Métis Land Agreements. Treaty and land agreements between Indigenous Peoples, Crown and Canadian Government shaped the past, present and will continue to shape the future.

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5 days of lesson activities organized K-3, 4-6.

Lesson Titles include:

Acknowledging the Land

Treaty People

Caretakers of the land

Listening and Reflecting Stories

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