ABSTRACT
Treaties and the treaty relationship are foundational to the history of Canada; yet few Canadians learn this critical aspect of our shared history in school curricula. It is not part of the official story of the nation and as such, it is not part of the historical consciousness of most white settler Canadians. Rather, the story that shapes the consciousness of so many in this country normalizes settler identities and largely ignores the historical and contemporary knowledge and experiences of First Nations peoples. Settlers depend upon a collective memory of the past and a particular knowing of the present that allows for the dismissal and/or rationalization of knowledge to the contrary. How then might historical consciousness be shifted so that reconciliation becomes possible? How might we come to know otherwise and in so knowing participate in an active form of redress? In this chapter, I argue that if the foundations of settler knowing that have been so impermeable are to begin cracking, settler life writing alongside a deep consideration and centring of the articulations of the First Peoples of this land is necessary. This approach, which draws on Donald’s (2009) notion of “ethical relationality,” requires engaging with articulations of treaties and the treaty relationship as disruptive to the colonial status quo.
