Making Treaty Road - Episode 1

During the production of the first season of TREATY ROAD, hosts Saxon de Cocq and Erin Goodpipe kept these journals of their experiences and thoughts on Treaty and their personal journey that touches on the production, history and family legacy. Here are their thoughts while shooting the first episode about the Stone Fort Treaty, more commonly known as Treaty No. 1.

Saxon’s Journal

“We hit the road today. It’s the start of an adventure and I have no idea what’s in store for us. Erin is clearly excited to start. Being a host of a show is a role that she is very comfortable in. I, on the other hand, don’t have any experience as a host and prefer to live safely on the other side of the camera with a coffee in one hand and a notebook in the other. My plan is to keep it simple; ask questions and listen.

We met with Franky this morning, who is acting as a bit of guide for us in Treaty 1 territory. He also arranged for us to start our process with a pipe ceremony. During the ceremony we spoke from the heart about our intentions for taking this journey. I feel like we are starting this journey in the right way.

It’s day three and I feel a little more comfortable in front of the camera now that we have the first few days of filming out of the way. I’m lucky to be able to rely on Erin, who is much more articulate than I am and is way better on camera. I will learn a lot from her on this journey.

Today, we met with Wayne from Swan Lake First Nation and that was very intense conversation. Wayne is a very passionate speaker, and he knows his Treaty history well. At times I felt uncomfortable while listening to him talk as I initially felt that his passion was directed toward me, as I clearly represented the colonial perspective of the relationship. But I soon discovered that he wasn’t directing it at me specifically but that he was taking the opportunity and platform to speak bluntly, truthfully, and to articulate the impact of colonialization without holding back his emotions. I imagine that we will speak with many more people that will be as honest as Wayne.”

Erin’s Journal

“Treaty. A sacred agreement between two nations and Wakȟáŋ Tȟáŋka/kihcimanitōu/creator. A commitment to ongoing relationship rooted in mutual respect for one another; a responsibility to honour and preserve life, all life, while we live out our lives in these land, sky, and water territories. Territories my people have existed in and honoured for thousands of years. What we call time immemorial.

On my reserve, Tataƞka Najiƞ Dakóta Oyáte/Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation, I grew up listening to our respected old ones speak about our inherent rights in our homelands as Dakóta Oyáte. I also heard them speak about the sacred agreements that neighbouring Nations had made. Many times this was during and after ceremony, where members of my community would come together to pray for one another, give thanks and share words of wisdom to help us focus on living a healthy life. Sometimes this was at the kitchen table sipping tea over breakfast or it was sitting on the couch, listening to stories late into evening. Other times, I heard the lamentations of our older ones, advocating for our rights at rallies or at band meetings with lawyers where we had claims with the government. They always spoke with humility and strength because they were rooted in their identities that carried stories and knowledge rooted in a relationship to land and lineage.

This was a great time of healing for me as a teenager because I began to piece together a sense of belonging and identity, alongside being equipped with an understanding of our relations with the colonial state of Canada. I learned that the abuses, adversities and atrocities that my grandparents, parents and now my own generation, were a direct result of a colonial design, meant to commit cultural and literal genocide and assimilate any Indian people left, into so called civilized Euro-Canadian society (I say indian since this is the term I grew up with, though, I am well aware of the political nature of the many terms that the original inhabitants of these lands have). My ongoing healing then and now, was and is a direct result of the older relatives in my community, who shared their stories, oftentimes of the traumas they faced (or were still facing) and the healing they were working towards. It was also because of the advocacy of spiritual leaders in our community who worked hard to revitalize our culture and carry our stories, despite it having to go underground (our ceremonies and languages were banned by the Canadian government).

Becoming aware of what is happening in your family, community and Nation can also be a deeply emotional and grievous process on its own too, because you remember and reflect on what was lost, who was lost and why this was and is allowed to happen. Indigenous people makeup 5% of the total national population and yet, face the worst outcomes in all sectors of society; in child welfare, education, employment, health, housing and justice systems. When you live in this reality, deeming it an “injustice” feels like an understatement. While we carry these harsh realities, we also carry the beauty and strength of our culture and people and relish in the triumph that we are still here, despite it all.

I share some of this to outline a fraction of my life story that is connected generationally to my people’s story. That my people, specifically the Dakóta Oyáte, have never signed a treaty and maintain their sovereignty, while my other Indigenous bloodlines (Anishinaabek and Nêhiyawak) have connection to bands who have been a part of Treaty making. This is what I carry as Saxon and I journey to different territories and communities to listen, learn and feel. I wonder how vastly different our positions are as we venture into new landscapes, both physically and emotionally. I think about how many people across the colonial state of Canada represent different backgrounds and yet, so many of us are united by Treaty, whether they know it or not. I am so grateful for the privilege to learn in this way and hope that Saxon and I can learn and express in good and beneficial ways to others.

I know we are in good hands with Frankie as our guide in Treaty 1 because he is literally a translator between annishinaabemowin (anishinaabe language) and english speakers and does important work with elders and knowledge carriers. We met with him this morning and hearing the language spoken and beginning our journey with a pipe ceremony feels spiritually correct. Back home, we always begin in these ways and when we begin a journey we always state our intent with specificity. It was powerful and special to sit with our entire crew in ceremony and speak why we were there.

Later, we met with elder Wayne Scott on his reserve, Swan Lake First Nation, and they welcomed us in their community hall, with big smiles and a warm and delicious meal. Later we sat and listened to Wayne, who also brought in Eric, who has served his community in various roles. I could appreciate how Wayne spoke very intensely and yet, at times, he was also light hearted. It reminds me of elders/old ones back home who know when to speak with conviction because what they are saying carries weight and yet, they are generous with their ability to switch into laughter and kindness. What really stuck out to me from what Wayne spoke on, was that, to understand Treaty, we have to understand who our people were then and their perspectives and worldviews they were coming from. This means we have to build our identities to even be able to understand what is meant by the spirit and intent of treaties. As an Indigenous educator myself, I understand that to learn Indigenous content, requires an Indigenous way of learning the content. You cannot learn about Indigenous concepts through reading alone, but you must learn the concept wholistically and experientially. Wayne’s message really emphasized to me that learning about and enacting Treaty will be a lifelong journey and not to take it lightly.

I know that this conversation illuminated the seriousness of Treaty for Saxon and even though it was intense, these are the perspectives that need to be shared. I know there is so much more knowledge out there and our journey will only cover a fraction of it, but I am eager to see what else Frankie has in store for in Treaty 1...”