Brendan McMurtry-Howlett - Thought #6 - We Are All Treaty People

I've been thinking about and learning about the treaties and the nation-to-nation relationships that underpin the social, political, and legal fabric of this country Canada. I've started reading up on some of the treaty negotiations and agreements across this country, and it's been really interesting, perhaps I should say revealing, to read the official Canadian Government accounts of the treaty agreements, and then the accounts of the first nation or nations who were the other side of that exact same treaties. It makes me consider my responsibility to these treaties that were signed by the government that represents me, but also my responsibility to the land on which each of these treaties were signed, and in many cases, which had a long history of treaties predating the processes with Europeans.  It makes me think of my responsibility as an artist and storyteller to uphold the treaties that govern this land I'm on. And I guess I'm curious as to how many of you out there have actually read the details of the treaties that govern the land you live on.