lennox island first nation receives more than $65,000 in funding to commemorate 300 years of peace and friendship treaties
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lennox island chief tabatha bernard said that everyone is welcome to attend their treaty day event on oct. 1.
kristin gardiner
/
journal pioneer
lennox island, p.e.i. — it’s been three centuries since the first peace and friendship treaty was signed between the british and indigenous people.
to mark the 300th anniversary, lennox island first nation is planning an event on oct. 1 — treaty day — to educate people on the treaty and share their culture.
on may 15 in lennox island, marc miller, minister of canadian identity and culture, announced $65,287 in funding for the first nations community to put toward its commemorative projects.
“it’s very humbling to know that we did receive the funds for the commemorative project,” said chief tabatha bernard.
“jamie thomas, she is our director of culture, she is putting on different activities and cultural gatherings, mawi’omi, to share with the community and invite neighbouring communities to come together, so we can celebrate our culture.”
a significant part of that culture, said bernard, is language. preserving it, and being proud of who they are as mi’kmaq people.
“my grandparents spoke mi’kmaq, but it was taken from me,” she said. “so i learned in school, but then when you go onto hernewood, and westisle, we didn’t have that at my age, there.”
today, bernard is proud to know that mi’kmaq language is being taught at their school, as well as at hernewood and wesistle.
“it’s very good to see that happening,” she said. “it all comes, again, with peace and friendship treaties. it all intertwines. it’s about coming together, working together, respecting one another. i don’t want people to forget who we are and where we come from.”
on may 1, marc miller announced more than $65,000 in funding for lennox island to put toward their treaty day event, commemorating 300 years since the 1726 peace and friendship treaty.
kristin gardiner
/
journal pioneer
peace and friendship
between 1725 and 1779, a number of peace and friendship treaties were signed between the british and the mi’kmaq, wolastoqiyik and passamaquoddy nations. focused on peace, trade and co-existence between the british and indigenous, the treaties aimed to establish relationships based on co-operation and the sharing of land. they involved no land surrender, and affirmed the rights of the indigenous.
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“this is an important milestone and year for canada’s relationship with mi’kma’ki,” said miller. “we sometimes have a tendency, a pretty lazy tendency, to think canada was formed in 1867, which is not accurate and far from the truth.”
instead, he said, the country’s founding began with the indigenous people. the treaty was part of that.
as such, he thinks it’s important to acknowledge the treaty and to support the first nations communities, and hopes the funds announced help further education of the country’s history.
“it is not a festival,” miller said. “it is a commemoration that has various layers of complexity to it. some very painful, some positive. but the educational aspect, i think, whatever your perspective is on this, is extremely important.”
coming together
jamie thomas, lennox island’s director of culture and tourism, highlighted the importance of treaty day and treaty education.
“this project is one that is so vitally important to educate not only our own community members,” thomas said, “but non-indigenous allies that we have, and non-allies that we have, to ensure that they understand the importance of our treaty and to educate people.”
she said l’nuey will assist lennox island in delivering said education.
jamie thomas, director of culture and tourism for lennox island, said their planned treaty day event is important for education and the sharing of their culture, for non-indigenous people as well.
kristin gardiner
/
journal pioneer
lennox island’s treat day commemoration will include speakers, a meal, music with drumming and traditional dance.
“we just come together and talk about the treaty,” said bernard. “it’s a day of celebration, a day of knowledge-keeping, to tell people this is who we are.”
everyone, she emphasized, is invited, indigenous and non-indigenous alike.
“we want to share who we are, our culture, just like mawi’omi,” she said.
“we’re all treaty people. we’re all the same. we want to welcome. and when i say neighbouring communities? everyone. whoever wants to come out, come. we don’t stop you … if you get one thing out of it, that’s all that counts.”
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kristin gardiner is a reporter for the journal pioneer in prince edward island. she can be reached at kgardiner@postmedia.com.
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