November 5 – 10 is Treaty Recognition Week in Ontario. This is part of a series of days bringing awareness to Indigenous issues known as Indigenous Education Month. OISE Library has a number of valuable materials for K-12, postsecondary and graduates students alike on Treaty Education.
The Land which is now known as Toronto has been the subject of a treaty since the Toronto Purchase in 1787. It is also subject to the Williams Treaties. The current stewards and treaty holders for Toronto are the Mississauga of the New Credit First Nation. For more information on the treaties affecting Toronto, please see the Mississauga of the New Credit First Nation website on the Toronto Purchase and Treaty Lands & Territory. The University of Toronto Libraries also has a Research Guide entitled The Indigenous History of Tkaronto.
Treaty Baby is written by two Mohawk sisters, Sara and Alyssa General. This book explains the concept of treaties to children from Kindergarten to Grade 2. On the cover, two babies hold up a Wampum belt, representing the Haudenosaunee Tree of Peace. This book begins at birth and illustrates throughout early life why treaties are important and that we must honour them. The characters further speak about connection to the Land and the importance of stewardship and how treaties respect boundaries and relationships between people.
Nation to Nation: A resource on treaties in Ontario is a useful guide for educators to bring into upper year classrooms. It is filled with information about the treaties in Ontario. It begins with the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and shows a timeline of subsequent treaties. Other treaties that are detailed and explored in this resource include Treaty of Niagara 1764, Chippewa Treaties, Manitoulin Treaties, Robinson Superior Treaty, Robinson Huron Treaty, and Williams Treaties. It is also available in French.
Treaty Tales: We are all Treaty People is one book in a trilogy exploring the history of treaties, known ass the Treaty Tales. It follows the adventures of Neepin and his kookoo as they walk through the history of relationships between settlers and Indigenous nations.
From Treaty Peoples to Treaty Nation: A Road Map for All Canadians is an important title in the scholarly conversation around the values of treaties to Indigenous peoples. This resource sheds light on the various debates on Indigenous sovereignties and what court decisions and developments have meant for treaty relationships. The central question that they seek to address is how Canadians should move forward with Indigenous peoples as treaty people.
For a full list of materials on Treaty Education, please see our Treaty Education and Geography display list.