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Treaty Education Resources

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Grade 3 – Table of contents

  • Teaching Notes and Approaches
  • Note to Readers
  • Lesson A – Where did we come from?
    Tami wejita’ywkw?
    Tama kilun ktutapeksultipon?
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1- How Klu’scap Keluwoskap Created People
    • References
  • Lesson B – All things are related: Interrelationships are celebrated
    Msit koqowe’l akutultikl
    Psonakutomuwakon
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – About Wolastoq
    • Activity 2 – The Creation of Wolastoq
    • Activity 3A – Mapping Wolastoqey Communities
    • Activity 3B – Mapping Mi’kmaw Communities
    • Activity 4A – Wolastoq (Saint John River) is Renamed
    • Activity 4B – The Sipoq River Song (Listuguj)
    • References
  • Lesson C – We are of the Earth
    Kinu na wskwitqamulti’kw
    Nutapeksipon Nkitahkomikumon
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – Flag Symbols
    • Activity 2 – Flags to Create Solidarity
    • Activity 3 – Create Your Own Flag
    • References
  • Lesson D – All My Relations
    Ta’n Te’sit No’kmaq
    Psi-te Ntolonapemok
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – Who Are You?
    • Activity 2 – Extended Family
    • References
  • Lesson E – Life as we knew it
    Mimajuaqn ta’n tel-nenmekip
    Pomawsuwakon Eli-Kcicihtuweqpon
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – The Many Functions of Water
    • Activity 2 – Keluwoskap (Gal-oo-wos-gob) and the Water Creature
    • Activity 3 – To Dam Or Not To Dam
    • Activity 4 – Mactaquac Dam
    • Activity 5 – Ugpi’ganjig Eel River Bar First Nation
    • References
  • Lesson F – Coming Together
    Mawita’nej
    Mawessultipon
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – Storytelling
    • Activity 2 – What Is In A Name?
    • Activity 3 – Creating a Landform of your Community
    • Activity 4 – Researching an Indigenous Community
    • References
  • Lesson G – What is a Treaty?
    Koqowey net Ankukumkewey?
    Keq nit lakutuwakon?
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – Sharing and Showing Respect
    • Activity 2 – Wampum
    • Activity 3 – Create Your Own Message
    • References
  • Lesson H – Your Treaty
    Ktankukumeweymuow
    Ktolakutuwakon
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – Classroom Treaty
    • Activity 2 – Create a Fair Classroom Treaty
    • Resources
  • Lesson I – We Are All Treaty People
    Kinu na Ankukumkeweye’k Mimajuinu’k
    Psi-te kilun Lakutuwakonicik
    • Curriculum Outcomes
    • Background Notes for the Teacher
    • Activity 1 – We are all Treaty People
    • Resources
  • Resources
  • Interactive Activities
You are here: Home / Lesson H – Background Notes for the Teacher

Lesson H – Background Notes for the Teacher

Student Learning

I will:

  • Create my own treaty
  • Examine the intentions of treaties
  • Give examples of how some treaties were unfair
  • Design a fair classroom treaty

Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy and Wolastoqey treaties were initially about creating alliances that were valuable to all members. These alliances created peaceful relationships that included trade, passage, peace and friendship, and other duties and responsibilities. This is what the First Nations expected with Europeans.

One of the most common and critical misunderstandings about the Mi’kmaw, Passamaquoddy and Wolastoqey treaties with the British is that they address issues of land and territory, which is not the case. These 18th century treaties between the Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqewiyik, Passamoquoddy (Pesktotomuhkati) and the British were treaties of “Peace and Friendship”. They are essentially diplomatic agreements in which Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy and Wolastoqewiyik promised their neutrality during conflicts between the English and French in return for protection of their inherent rights to the land they used and also the rights to fish, hunt, trap and gather.

During the treaty-making period, translating among Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqewiyik, Passamaquoddy, and English was challenging. Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy and Wolastoqewiyik respected oral agreements amongst each other yet they bonded agreements by making wampum belts to confirm the treaty.

This has become a major issue for the courts since the time of the first treaties. Currently, the Supreme Court of Canada has stated that the written word cannot be taken literally. Instead, a broader interpretation is required when implementing the treaties, where governments consider the intent of the signatories and honour the original purpose of the agreements.

One of the most important ideas in contemporary issues related to treaties is the concept of Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy and Wolastoqey Title. For many people this concept is difficult to understand because it does not equate easily to non-Indigenous concepts of property rights and land use. The easiest way to understand it is as “the legal right to unceded territory.” Because Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy and Wolastoqey treaties are about peace and friendship, they never addressed the surrender of land, territory or resources.

Treaties require not just benefits on both sides, but also obligations on both sides. Point this out when doing the next activity. There are several other components of a treaty:

  1. that it is only between nations;
  2. that it must have obligations and benefits on both sides;
  3. that it should have dispute resolution terms;
  4. that it needs to be ratified to be valid;
  5. that once ratified it becomes law, and;
  6. that it cannot be changed or terminated by one side alone.
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