Making Treaty Road - Episode 3

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 third episode about the North West Angle Treaty, more commonly known as Treaty No. 3.

Saxon’s Journal

I’m excited to go into treaty 3 territory. This is where they first attempted to sign Treaty 1, but failed to do so. This is a part of Canada that I have never been to before, and I’m really looking forward to travelling to the signing location by boat.

In trying to access this remote area we had two options; we could either take a boat from Kanora, which would take a couple of hours, or we could drive in, approaching from the west (the Manitoba boarder) and then take a short 20 minute boat ride up the Angle. We decided to do the later. Our journey took us down a remote grid road where we came across a structure about the size of three phone booths. This represented the check-in point to cross over into the USA. It seems very strange that the US boarder would protrude this far north, and what we later learned is that this was due to an error in the surveying at the time of the making the boarder between the US and Canada. So, we crossed over into the US, via the self check-in and made our way to the Northwest Angle inlet. From here we chartered a few boats to take us up the inlet to a small river called Harrison Creek, which crosses back over to the Canadian side of the boarder. Eventually, we landed at a spot that we thought and had been told was the signing location. We landed and took a look around. After about 20 minutes a small boat pulled up to the shore, driven by an elderly man. He waved us over and told us that we were at the wrong spot. Apparently, word was out that we were on the hunt for the signing location. He guided us further up Harrison Creek and into a very narrow channel. We had to take it very slow, as the channel was only about six feel wide and if we deviated from it, we would ground out on the rocks. Eventually he pointed up to a spot on the shore to a raised area that looked like a natural stage, protruding out into the water. This was the singing location! Thanks to this new guide, we had found it.

We met with Dr. Judy De Silva yesterday, and it was a truly impactful meeting. I remember learning about the mercury poisoning years ago from the media, but really had no idea of the impact that it has had on the community. When we sat with Judy I felt a sense of calm and groundedness from her, despite that fact that she is a fierce fighter of human rights. She speaks in a soft voice, but you can sense her anger and frustration just under the surface. Like so many that have suffered the injustices of colonization, she doesn’t mince words. She says what she thinks, and she confidently states the intensions of her people to fight for justice. She knows who to point the finger at and does it with confidence. 

After our conversation, she stood and guided us to the sacred fire. It was here that I could see the how the mercury poisoning has affected her body, her ability to walk.  As I watched her hobble into the wigwam, I recalled her comment about how the doctors and the government, when confronted with the mercury poisoning, blamed the rampant physical effects on incest and alcohol abuse, despite knowing full well it was due to the dumping of mercury on the river system. Absolutely shameful!  

ERIN’s Journal

One of my favourite parts of our journey is being in the presence of new territories. The ability to travel can be easily taken for granted and as we see the landscape change so drastically, I imagine how our ancestors or those involved in Treaty making, had a vastly different experience traversing through land and water. In many cases, it took months or weeks to travel to a community to be able to negotiate or make a treaty. As we drive through Treaty 3 territory, the land has transitioned from prairies and parkland to stone cliffs and bodies of water and waterways that surround us. It's breathtaking and dramatic! I know that these landscapes and waterways must have had a deep impact on the people here.

Treaty 3 area is actually where the first of the Numbered Treaties was supposed to be negotiated and signed. The Anishinaabe that I am a part of further west, originally came from the east so I felt my spirit perk up in curiosity in these lands.

Saxon is stepping into the role of host very well. He is definitely a natural at conveying complex and difficult topics and I admire his willingness to confront the truth of how little or how much he knows on these matters. That kind of honesty makes our conversations on our journey very rich and also offer safety as we address our differences.

Saxon and I have been invited to a Water Ceremony that the Women’s Council conducts every year at this time. The community has been so generous with us, hosting us and the community with a meal, and sharing some of their teachings. When I offered tobacco to Laura, who is a leader on the Women’s Council, she thanked me and had tears. She immediately went to offer the tobacco to the land. That really stuck out to me because I could feel that she valued the medicine and the intent behind the offer wholeheartedly. I could tell that these women were standing in the power of their roles as life givers and leaders and that the men respected them. They taught us some of their songs and after making pieces for the ceremony, we went on a march to the lake to make our offerings and prayers. I know Saxon highly values a woman/female perspective and I could tell that this felt invaluable to him.

We just finished our time with Judy Da Silva at the Grassy Narrows road blockade. This was also a very powerful space to be in. It is a site of ceremony and protection for the land and water, with members of the community willing to lay their lives down for it. There is no greater sacrifice than that and it moved me to be there with people from the area who are facing the impacts of their waterways and food sources being disrupted and polluted. As an Indigenous person I am shocked but not surprised as I continue to hear about the injustices that we face across territories. Today, I was moved to tears and I am not a very big crying type. Both Saxon and I were devastated hearing about how mercury in the waterways has and continues to impact the people here, despite all of their efforts through credible and scientific research to back up their claims and lived experiences. Our journey only shares the smallest fraction around Treaties, so I know that there is so much for us and others to learn.