A. Heritage and Identity · Communities in Canada, Past and Present

Whose Land Are We On? Indigenous Territories and Treaties

A3.1 A2.3About 45 minutes

Learning goals

I can identify the Indigenous nation or nations on whose traditional territory my community is located.
I can explain what a treaty is and name the treaty (or say that there is no treaty) for my area.
I can read a treaty map and explain what it shows.
I can explain the difference between treaty land and unceded land.

Words to know

traditional territory
The lands where an Indigenous nation has lived, travelled, hunted, gathered and governed for a very long time, often thousands of years.

treaty
A formal agreement between nations. In Canada, many treaties were made between First Nations and the Crown (the British or Canadian government).

the Crown
The government acting for the King or Queen. Treaties were signed with the Crown.

unceded
Not given up. Unceded land is land that a nation never gave up or shared through a treaty.

land acknowledgement
A statement that names the Indigenous peoples whose land you are on, to show respect and remember the relationship.

thematic map
A map that shows one theme or topic, such as treaty areas, languages or population.

reserve
Land set aside under treaties and the Indian Act for a First Nation's use. Many First Nations communities in Ontario are on reserves.

Remember from Grades 3 and 5

In Grade 3 you learned that a treaty is an agreement between nations, and that First Nations and the British often understood treaties differently: many First Nations saw them as agreements to share the land. In Grade 5 you learned about the Dish With One Spoon and about First Nations governments today. This year we start with a question about your own community.

Let's start with a question

Think about the place where you live: your street, your school, your park.

Long before there was a road sign or a school there, that land was already home to Indigenous people. They had names for the rivers and hills. They knew where the berries grew and where the fish ran. Many of their descendants still live nearby today.

So here is a big question for this unit: Whose land are we on?

A river winding between forested hills, with blueberry bushes on the rocky bank. — Long before roads and towns, Indigenous peoples knew lands like this well: where the berries grew, where the fish ran and what the rivers were called. AI-generated image

Every community is on Indigenous land

Every city, town and farm in Canada is on the traditional territory of one or more Indigenous nations: First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

Sometimes more than one nation has lived on, travelled through or shared the same land over time.
Indigenous nations are living communities. They still care for these lands and still have rights there.
In most of Ontario, the land is also covered by a treaty.

Treaties in Ontario

The Government of Ontario says the land we call Ontario is covered by 46 treaties and other agreements, signed between 1781 and 1930.

Here are a few examples:

Treaty 13, the Toronto Purchase (confirmed in 1805), with the Mississaugas of the Credit. In 2010, Canada settled a claim with the Mississaugas of the Credit, because the land had been bought for far too little and the boundaries were unclear.
The Robinson-Superior and Robinson-Huron Treaties (1850), around Lake Superior and Lake Huron. The treaties promised yearly payments, but the payment stayed at $4 per person for more than a hundred years. In 2023, Canada and Ontario agreed to pay $10 billion to settle this for the Robinson-Huron Treaty First Nations.
Treaty 3 (1873), in northwestern Ontario around Kenora.
Treaty 9, also called the James Bay Treaty (1905 to 1906), across a huge part of northern Ontario.

Treaties are not just history. They are agreements that are still in effect today. That is why people say "We are all treaty people": both sides have rights and responsibilities.

Ontario's 46 treaties and other agreements were signed between 1781 and 1930, but they are still in effect: some promises were settled only in 2010 and 2023.

What about unceded land?

Some land was never given up or shared through a treaty. We call it unceded.

For example, the area around Ottawa, Canada's capital, is on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe people. The Algonquins of Ontario and the governments of Canada and Ontario are still negotiating a land claim there.

This shows that even Parliament itself stands on Indigenous land.

Place in Ontario	Some Indigenous nations connected to the land	Treaty
Toronto	Mississaugas of the Credit; also Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Wendat	Treaty 13 (Toronto Purchase), 1805
Ottawa	Algonquin Anishinaabe	No treaty: unceded
Sudbury	Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and other Anishinaabe nations	Robinson-Huron Treaty, 1850
Thunder Bay	Fort William First Nation and other Anishinaabe nations	Robinson-Superior Treaty, 1850
Kenora	Anishinaabe nations of Treaty 3	Treaty 3, 1873
Timmins and Moosonee	Cree and Anishinaabe nations	Treaty 9, 1905 to 1906

A few examples. Many places also have Métis communities, and land acknowledgements in each place may name more nations. Check your own town's or school board's acknowledgement.

Reading a treaty map

A treaty map is a kind of thematic map. It does not show roads or stores. It shows one theme: which treaty covers which area.

When you read a thematic map:

Read the title: what is the theme?
Read the legend (key): what does each colour or pattern mean?
Find your place, then look at the colour or pattern around it.
Read any notes: maps of treaties usually say that the borders are only approximate.

A made-up map (not a real place) showing three areas. Green is the Treaty A area (signed 1850), yellow is the Treaty B area, and the area with the dashed border is unceded land, where no treaty was signed. Blue is a lake. The dots are towns.

Worked example

Let's read the made-up treaty map together

Use the made-up map. Which treaty area is Pine Falls in? Is Maple Bay covered by a treaty?

Read the theme: the map shows treaty areas.
Find the dot labelled Pine Falls. It is on the left, in the green area.
The green area is labelled Treaty A area, signed in 1850.
Find Maple Bay. It is on the right, inside the dashed border.
That area is labelled Unceded land: no treaty was signed.

Pine Falls is in the Treaty A area. Maple Bay is on unceded land, so it is not covered by a treaty.

Just for fun

Why did the student bring a key to the treaty map lesson?

Because every good map needs a key! (That's another name for the legend.) 🗝️

Worked example

Let's write a land acknowledgement in our own words

Maya lives in Sudbury. Help her write a short, respectful land acknowledgement in her own words.

Find the facts. From the table: Sudbury is in the Robinson-Huron Treaty area (1850) and is the traditional territory of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and other Anishinaabe nations.
Name the people in the present tense, because they are living communities.
Say why it matters to you. A good acknowledgement is not just copied: it says what you will do.
Maya writes: "I live in Sudbury, on the traditional territory of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and other Anishinaabe nations, in the Robinson-Huron Treaty area. I want to learn more about these nations and keep our treaty promises in mind."

A good land acknowledgement names the nations, the treaty (if there is one) and an action or promise, in the speaker's own words.

Respect, not a script

A land acknowledgement is a sign of respect, not a magic spell or a box to tick. It means most when it is followed by learning and action: learning the nation's name and language, reading the treaty, supporting Indigenous-led events.

Hands-on activity

Find out whose land you are on

You need: paper, a pencil and, if you can, a grown-up with an internet connection.

With a grown-up, look up your town's or school board's land acknowledgement. Many are on their websites. You can also look at the Government of Ontario's map of First Nations and treaties in Ontario.
Write down: the nation or nations named, and the treaty (or whether the land is unceded).
Draw a simple map of your neighbourhood. Add a title, a legend and a note at the bottom naming the nation(s) and treaty.
Write a land acknowledgement of 2 or 3 sentences in your own words, ending with one thing you will do to learn more.

Tip: websites such as Native Land Digital (native-land.ca) can help you start, but that site itself says it is not an official source. Check with your local First Nation, school board or municipality.

Your turn

What is a traditional territory?

What is a treaty?

About how many treaties and agreements cover Ontario?

What does unceded mean?

Name the people on whose unceded territory Ottawa stands.

What does "We are all treaty people" mean?

Why is a treaty map called a thematic map?

More practice: warm-up

Which treaty covers Toronto?

Which two treaties were signed in 1850 around Lake Superior and Lake Huron?

What part of a map tells you what the colours mean?

True or false: Indigenous nations only lived in Ontario long ago.

What is a land acknowledgement?

More practice: on your own

On the made-up map, which town is in the Treaty B area?

Why was the Robinson-Huron Treaty settled with a $10 billion payment in 2023?

Why should you write a land acknowledgement in your own words instead of copying one?

Why might a land acknowledgement name more than one nation?

Why do maps of treaty areas usually say the borders are approximate?

Challenge

Someone says, "Treaties are old papers that don't matter now." Use two facts from this lesson to answer.

Parliament is in Ottawa, on unceded Algonquin Anishinaabe land. Why might this be an important fact for Canadians to know?

Two students write acknowledgements. A: "We acknowledge the land." B: "We are on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, in the Treaty 13 area. I will learn about their history this year." Which is stronger, and why?

Check your understanding

Quiz

What is a treaty?

What does unceded mean?

Ottawa is on the unceded territory of which people?

Which treaty covers Toronto?

According to the Government of Ontario, about how many treaties and agreements cover Ontario?

A treaty map is an example of a...

Which is the best land acknowledgement?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Every community in Canada is on the traditional territory of Indigenous nations, and most of Ontario is covered by treaties that are still in effect (A3.1). Your child also practises reading a thematic map (A2.3).

How to help at home:

Look up your municipality's or school board's land acknowledgement together and read the Government of Ontario's "Ontario First Nations maps" page, which includes a treaty map.
If there is a First Nation or Métis community near you, look for public events such as powwows or Treaties Recognition Week (the first week of November in Ontario) that welcome visitors.
Native Land Digital (native-land.ca) is a helpful starting point, but it states that it is not an official or legal source; encourage your child to check with local nations or official maps.

Common difficulties:

Past tense only: gently correct "used to live here" to "live here and have lived here for thousands of years".
Thinking treaties are finished history: point to the 2010 Treaty 13 settlement and the 2023 Robinson-Huron settlement.
Copying an acknowledgement word for word: encourage your child's own words plus an action.
Treaty borders on maps are approximate; it is fine to say "the map shows roughly...".