 What is a treaty and what doesn't mean to the indigenous communities here in Northwestern, Ontario? A treaty is an agreement between nations. Treaty relationships were formed prior to European contact between indigenous nations to create peaceful agreements over hunting and fishing grounds. After European contact, indigenous nations signed treaties with Europeans to outline peaceful economic and military relations. The intent was to be mutually beneficial and often they outlined economic trade, lands and resource usage. The treaties made between the indigenous people and the British Crown, now the Government of Canada, are binding contracts that are meant to be fulfilled for as long as the sun shines and for as long as the rivers flow. Misinterpretation of the historical treaties has been a dispute between indigenous people and the Canadian government for years. Canada often falls short of honoring the treaty relationship by trying to renegotiate terms of these agreements and denying indigenous people land rights that are clearly outlined in the terms of the treaties. A perfect example is the James Bay Treaty also known as Treaty 9 of 1905, which covered James Bay and Hudson Bay in Northern Ontario. The James Bay Treaty was negotiated and signed with a non-English speaking nation. Many commissioners were present at the signing and they left diaries that outlined very clearly that the textual version of the treaty was not represented in the same manner as the dialogue. The journals revealed that, number one, the government would not limit the geographical area in which the First Nations could exercise their hunting and fishing rights and that they would continue to be able to hunt and fish anywhere on their traditional lands and waters as they wished. Two, the First Nations would be allowed to continue to hunt and fish as they and their forefathers had done and that the treaty would preserve this continuity which was central to their way of life. And three, the government would not interfere with First Nations' traditional livelihoods. However, the written document does not outline these obligations clearly. According to the Canadian government, the written treaty document is far less clear about the scope of First Nations' hunting and fishing rights. According to the Treaty 9 diaries, the government claims that the written treaty document gives it the right to limit or extinguish First Nations' hunting and fishing rights. In any time and in any location, just by taking that land and putting it to some other use, accepting such tracks as maybe required or taken up from time to time for settlement, mining, lumbering, trading or other purposes. The government representatives never discussed these words with the First Nations representatives. The First Nations never agreed to a term that would allow the government to limit their hunting and fishing rights in the future without their consent. We often hear half of the stories and news in media, but lack the historical context for the treaties. This is why treaty awareness is so important. As settlers of Canada, we reap the socioeconomic benefits of life on this continent and we need to make sure that Indigenous people and communities are equally as prosperous. We need to do this by insisting that the government of Canada honour the treaty relationship. We need to invest our votes in politicians who progress the status of Indigenous people in Canada and we need to educate ourselves and our children about how to build reciprocal relationships with Indigenous nations for the benefit of everyone. The road of truth and reconciliation may feel unsurmountable at times, but taking time to reflect during Treaty Week is important.