Making Treaty Road - Episode 2

During the production of the first season of TREATY ROAD, hosts Erin Goodpipe and Saxon de Cocq 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 second episode about the Manitoba Post Treaty, more commonly known as Treaty No. 2.

Erin’s Journal

“Saxon and I are heading to Treaty 2 territory after learning so much in Treaty 1. Being in Treaty 2 has me thinking of being pregnant with a little one growing inside of me. What a wild ride to be pregnant and engaging in Treaty! So much of the impetus of Treaty from an Indigenous perspective is about preserving and honouring life and so many leaders were thinking of the generations to come and the world we would leave them. Treaty 2 territory will be my baby’s traditional territory since it’s father/my husband is anishinaabe from this territory. As we drive through the snowy, windy roads of Riding Mountain National Park, I think about some of the stories my husband shared with me and how his family has been connected to this area for generations.

Today we met with Elder Louis Malcom, who has served in leadership for his community over many years and carries a lot of the history of Treaty 2. One of the greatest injustices that he spoke about was the location and size of land that the band and families were given, Despite being told otherwise, they were given smaller portions of what they were supposed to receive. They also were given plots of land that were not very fertile for farming, even though Indigenous people expressed that they knew what lands were best suited to an agricultural way of life. Not only this but when the Anishinaabe were promised that they could choose tracts of land, they were denied the areas they chose and it was given to white settlers instead or created as a park for the benefit of white settlers. To add to this, the farming implements they were promised were subpar and set the Anishinaabe up to fail in the area of farming, despite being told that this would lead them to prosperity. From my understanding, this points to a betrayal from the government right from the beginning and shows that their interests were not rooted in mutual respect and reciprocity. As a generational farmer, elder Louis knows firsthand the hardship of cultivating the land that was given by the government.

Saxon and I drove through Riding Mountain National Park and stopped at an area that is now designated as reserve land, called Clear Lake 61A. It was upsetting to hear that the people of Keeseekoowenin had their houses burned down by settlers, forcing the Anishinaabe there to be displaced elsewhere. It sickened me to imagine years of Canadians enjoying recreational time at the park while at the expense of Anishinaabe. I think about every single national and provincial park and how they are chosen for their beauty that, at the federal and provincial level, aim to be protected and maintained for the so-called use and enjoyment of Canadians.

If we were to examine every park across Turtle Island, I am positive we would find that Indigenous people have occupied these areas for hundreds or thousands of years and/or have designated them sacred places themselves. Yet, for many years, Canada has decided to attempt to erase this history and rewrite different narratives about these places which is evident in its tourist infographics in national and provincial parks. I know in some situations that parks are now working with Indigenous people to co-create park narratives and activities that include or centre Indigeneity. I was relieved when we met with James Plewak at the Anishinaabe Sharing Lodge which emphasizes an Indigenous/Anishinaabe history and presence at Riding Mountain National Park. Though I see this as a huge step in the right direction, I also wonder about traditional Indigenous lands being taken and if and how Indigenous people will either gain this land back or have access to it in ways that their ancestors did before.”

Saxon’s Journal

“As we travel into Treaty 2 territory, the weather changes and the snow began to accumulate. It’s truly beautiful. We’re start at Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park, a truly breathtaking location. I have visited here before many years ago. However, this time I took a much closer look at the iconic imagery, posted throughout the town site, used by the park to promote itself. These were black and white images that were taken when the park first opened.  I noticed how all the people in the images, who were taking part in all the activities that the park has to offer, were all white. There were no other ethnicities at all. And there were definitely no First Nations people.  This was a clear indicator to me that the initial thinking of the parks was that First Nations and settler populations were not going to be mixing here. There was no room for the original inhabitants of this land to use the park in any way. It was a sad realisation.

Soon after our arrival, we visit with James Pluack at the Indigenous Interpretive Centre and Sharing Lodge where I see a stark contrast of imagery on the walls compared to that of the Wasagaming town-site. The photos in this room are all of Indigenous peoples at leisure. Images of families together. Brothers, arms draped over each others’ shoulders standing in front of their car, people at the beach, casually hanging out. I am taken aback at how similar the photos are to that of the promotional photos used by the park, and what a great fit they would be combined with the rest of the imagery, but even to this day, have been left out of the promotional material, only seeing the light of day in a designated indigenous centre. It still seems to me that there is no room for indigenous people in the National Parks. I hope this narrative changes soon.”