In ongoing efforts to support reconciliation on campus, Trent University is observing Treaty Recognition Week. Members of the Trent community on the Symons Campus are encouraged to visit the Treaty display in Bata Library to learn more about the Treaty 20 and the Williams Treaty.

All members of the community are also encouraged to visit the First Peoples House of Learning website to access resources designed to support learning and reconciliation, including videos about land acknowledgments and smudging, the Michi Saagiig Protocol Guide Book, and information about the treaties. Additional education resources about Treaty Week are available on the School of Education website.

“We are all treaty people. Treaty Recognition Week is not a week just to remember Indigenous rights, but is a week about acknowledging the fact that whether your ancestors were settlers or Indigenous, or you are a newcomer to this land ,we are all treaty people,” said Dr. Dawn Lavell-Harvard, director, First Peoples House of Learning. “Your right to live on this land, whether on reserves, in rural communities or in major urban centers is only possible because of our historic treaties.”

In addition to campus initiatives, Breaking Down Stereotypes, a photo-based community project is on display until November 14 at ArtSpace, 378 Aylmer St North, Peterborough. These photos aim to challenge racist stereotypes while celebrating Indigenous identity.

Since 2016, the first week of November has been declared Treaty Recognition Week in Ontario. Learn more about Ontario’s treaties on the Government of Ontario’s website.