When we say “We are all treaty people” it simply means we have our own rights and responsibilities with treaties as Canadian citizens. A treaty is a formal written agreement and may be used for peace, trade, land. In short if you live on treaty land you are a treaty person whether you are new to the area or not. A treaty is a formal written agreement that covers the rights, responsibilities First Nations with the federal government. Treaties are building blocks in the creation of Canada. They were to last as long as the grass grows, sun shines and river flows meaning that they are forever.
It is important for everyone to learn and understand treaties because Canada would not exist without treaties and it’s apart of our collective identity. In the readings I learned that examination of race is not an easy topic for educators. Although talking about race can be uncomfortable, it is critical to recognize the emotions we feel and continue to have courageous conversations. Courageous conversations requires everyone to be honest with their thoughts, feelings and opinions. Talking about race will assist in educating us appropriately and assist in breaking the racial stereotypes.
As I recognize myself as a treaty person, I begin to take a look and my rights and responsibilities as a treaty person. Also, I acknowledge that I was not knowledgeable enough to understand that I have take my rights for granted. Seeing racism as a Canadian thing reveals that there are many things in our history that I was not aware of. Hidden Canadian racism is critical because society is unaware and doesn’t end up taking it seriously. As a country Canada strongly promotes multiculturalism but, my question is “If we cannot acknowledge that racism still exists then how can we move forword and promote multiculturalism”? In conclusion racism is systematic and together as a country i believe we need to educate and break down the racial streotypes that cause barriers, classifications and discrimination.