Treaty Workshops: Summer intensives for teachers now available

David’s knowledge and humour helped to make a lot of history fit together and make sense. The visuals and materials helped make his story come alive!
~ Paul C., high school educator, Brantford

Please note:

October, 2018 — David D Plain has retired from hosting Treaty Workshops. To learn more about the topics David covered in his sections of the workshops you can purchase his books here.

Monica Virtue is still available for bookings. Her modified workshops, called “Visualizing the Treaties,” use maps, counter-mapping, diagrams, photos and videos to help explain cession treaties and the Indian Act. You can inquire about booking Monica by using the contact form below.

Thank you! Miigwech!

Anishnaabe author David D Plain of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation and filmmaker/designer Monica Virtue of Woodstock, Ontario, are booking one-day, two-day and three-day summer intensives for Southern Ontario school boards looking to provide training about treaties. The workshops feature custom agendas that target both Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants, fusing traditional oral storytelling with interactive mapping, animations and videos. David and Monica discuss wampum treaties, cession treaties, and the various ways the treaties were broken. The workshops end with the topics of de-colonization and reconciliation.

David’s voice is predominant in the first half of the workshops as he discusses Indigenous spirituality, ceremonies and traditions before leading into canoe routes. While David tells the Anishnaabeg migration story, Monica maps his story in real-time using Google Earth. David then discusses the following struggles with other contending First Nations and colonial powers and the different wampum exchanged to end them, sharing physical items like a replica Two Row wampum and a calumet.

Two Row wampum.

Monica uses maps to explain colonization through the land agreements known as cession or “surrender” treaties. She then discusses the ways the Department of Indian Affairs broke the treaties, such as through Indian Act surrenders, the Oliver Act, and enfranchisement. Data visualization is used to explain complicated concepts like Aboriginal title and the structure of the Department of Indian Affairs. Equal weight is given to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge, with comparisons drawn between world views as told through the Anishnaabe and Western creation stories. Monica often refers back to David’s portion of the workshop to stress how archival research and traditional knowledge can dovetail and support each other.

Each workshop is modified to reflect the territory in which it is held. David addresses the specific wampum that were exchanged over that territory, while Monica speaks to the particular cession treaties, Indian Act surrenders, and other treaty-breaking that occurred within the region. Indigenous attendees from that territory are welcomed to share their knowledge to make sure their understandings dovetail with that of the presenters.

One-day, two-day and three-day training sessions are now being booked for the summer months. Please fill out the form below to inquire into which dates are still available.

Follow us

“Like” our Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/TreatyWorkshops

Online

Learn more at:
http://treatyworkshops.com

Request an estimate

To request a custom-tailored agenda for your region and target audience, along with an estimate for an appropriate length of workshop, please fill out the form below. We will respond within 5 to 7 business days.

Thank you. Miigwech.

Treaty Workshops: Now booking for February 2018

The workshop was such a great opportunity for my students. David’s knowledge and humour helped to make a lot of history fit together and make sense. The visuals and materials helped make his story come alive!
~ Paul C., high school educator, Brantford

Please note:

October 2018 — David D Plain has retired from hosting Treaty Workshops. To learn more about the topics David covered in his sections of the workshops you can purchase his books here.

Monica Virtue is still available for bookings. Her modified workshops, called “Visualizing the Treaties,” use maps, counter-mapping, diagrams, photos and videos to help explain cession treaties and the Indian Act. You can inquire about booking Monica by using the contact form below.

Thank you! Miigwech!

Anishnaabe author David D Plain of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation and filmmaker/designer Monica Virtue of Woodstock, Ontario, are now booking Treaty Workshops with libraries, schools, First Nations and other community groups. The workshops feature custom agendas that target both Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants of all ages, and fuse traditional oral storytelling with interactive mapping, animations and videos. The two discuss wampum treaties, cession treaties, and the various ways the treaties were broken. The workshops end with the topic of de-colonization, reconciliation and world building.

David’s voice is predominant in the first half of the workshops as he discusses Indigenous spirituality, ceremonies and traditions before leading into canoe routes. While David tells the Anishnaabeg migration story, Monica maps his story in real-time using Google Earth. David then discusses the following struggles with other contending First Nations and colonial powers and the different wampum exchanged to end them, sharing physical items like a replica Two Row wampum and a calumet.

Two Row wampum.

Monica uses maps to explain colonization through the land agreements known as cession or “surrender” treaties. She discusses the ways the Department of Indian Affairs broke the treaties, such as through Indian Act surrenders, the Oliver Act, and enfranchisement. Data visualization is used to explain complicated concepts, such as Aboriginal title and the structure of the Department of Indian Affairs. Equal weight is given to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge, with comparisons drawn between world views as told through the Anishnaabe and Western creation stories. Monica often refers back to David’s portion of the workshop to stress how archival research and traditional knowledge can dovetail and support each other.

Each workshop is modified to reflect the territory in which it is held, and David and Monica welcome Indigenous attendees from that territory to share their knowledge to make sure of the correct pronunciation of words and that their understandings dovetail with that of the presenters. Workshops are also age-specific, whether designed for a two-day training session for teachers or a two-hour intensive with students.

Some dates are still available for late January, with bookings being accepted throughout February and into the fall school term.

Follow us

“Like” our Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/TreatyWorkshops

Online

Learn more at:
http://treatyworkshops.com

Request an estimate

To request a custom-tailored agenda for your region and target audience, along with an estimate for an appropriate length of workshop, please fill out the form below. We will respond within 5 to 7 business days.

Thank you. Miigwech.

Resources: Treaty Workshops Now Available Across Southern Ontario

Monica Virtue (MDes), a filmmaker and researcher from Woodstock, Ontario, has partnered with David D Plain (MTS), an Elder and author from the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, to bring Treaty Workshops to Southern Ontario schools, municipalities, and other community groups interested in learning about the interwoven history of how Indigenous people and settlers came to share the land and call it home.

The three-day, one-day and four-hour workshops provide an in-depth history of early Anishinaabeg territory, with David contributing a detailed oral storytelling of how various Indigenous nations came to be located across Southern Ontario.

Wampum belt for the 1764 Treaty of Niagara.

Monica builds on David’s knowledge by starting with a discussion about how counter-mapping can be used as a tool to regain control from the dominant power structures. Using maps, she discusses negotiations for the various land agreements and treaties. From there she covers the structure of the Department of Indian Affairs, and examines how the Department was used to systematically colonize Canada. She also discusses how various sections of the Indian Act, such as land surrenders, were used to fast-track the creation of colonial developments such as Sarnia’s Chemical Valley.

Chemical Valley, located south of the City of Sarnia.

Overall, the workshops focus on the ways that oral storytelling and archival research can dovetail and fit together to paint a full picture of the true history of the land. Maps are used throughout to help visualize the changing legal status of the land and explain how it impacted the environment, the people and the animals already living on it. Each Treaty Workshop ends with a discussion about de-colonization, reconciliation, and building a stronger nation-to-nation relationship.

To request a custom-tailored agenda for your region and target audience, along with a quote for the various workshops available, please contact us by filling out the form below.

Resources: Treaty Workshops Now Available

Please note:

David D Plain has retired from hosting Treaty Workshops. To learn more about the topics David covered in his sections of the workshops you can purchase his books here.

Monica Virtue is still available for bookings. Her modified workshops, called “Visualizing the Treaties,” use maps, counter-mapping, diagrams, photos and videos to help explain cession treaties and the Indian Act. You can inquire about booking Monica by using the contact form below.

Thank you! Miigwech!

Monica Virtue has partnered with David D Plain, an Elder and author from the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, to bring Treaty Workshops to schools, municipalities, community groups and anyone else interested in learning about the interwoven history of Southwestern Ontario’s Indigenous people and the settler Canadians who call the land home.

The one-day and three-day workshops provide an in-depth history of early Anishinaabeg territory, with David contributing a detailed oral storytelling of how the Aamjiwnaang First Nation came to be located on the St. Clair River near Lake Huron.

Wampum belt for the 1764 Treaty of Niagara.

Monica builds on David’s knowledge by starting with a discussion about how counter-mapping can be used as a tool to regain control from the dominant power structures. Using maps, she discusses negotiations between the Anishinaabeg and the British for the 1827 Huron Tract treaty. From there she covers the structure of the Department of Indian Affairs, and examines how the Department was used to colonize Canada. She also discusses the various sections of the Indian Act, such as land surrenders, that were used to fast-track the creation of Sarnia’s Chemical Valley.

Chemical Valley, located south of the City of Sarnia.

Overall, the workshops focus on the ways that oral storytelling and archival research can dovetail and fit together to paint a full picture of the true history of the land. Each Treaty Workshop ends with a discussion about de-colonization, reconciliation, and building a stronger nation-to-nation relationship.

For more information, download the brochure (PDF – 261 KB).

Questions? Please contact us by filling out the form below.

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