I am writing this workbook on the traditional territory of the Mississauga branch of the Ojibwa Nation. Although the land was claimed to have been ceded in 1923 via the Williams Treaties, it was agreed by Canada that the treaties were not valid and they have been renegotiated.
A new settlement was signed by the Williams treaties First Nations in 2018 which included an apology, additional compensation and a promise to continue the process “in the spirit of reconciliation and partnership”.
As a white settler, I require my governments to honour this commitment, acknowledging that this is their land and that they have full standing as an independent nation with at least the rights outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
I will continue to pester my governments about any failures to honour these treaties or to meet obligations such as act on the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Children and to provide clean drinking water at all homes on reserves and funding for education at least equal to those in nearby municipalities. *** Next: What is this workbook? | Return to Table of Contents