Brenda Collins, Knowledge Keeper and artist, Treaty 94, on "What is a Wampum belt?"
Summary
TLDRIn the Treaties Recognition Week video, Knowledge Keeper Brenda Collins shares her personal connection to the Odawa tribe and the importance of treaties as living documents. She explains the significance of Wampum belts as historical records and symbols of agreements between Indigenous peoples and Europeans. Collins emphasizes the enduring relevance of treaties and the need for ongoing learning and cultural sharing to ensure a balanced coexistence.
Takeaways
- š **Cultural Identity**: Brenda Collins emphasizes the importance of understanding the cultural identity lost due to historical assimilation policies.
- š **Historical Significance of Treaties**: Treaties are likened to history textbooks, passed down orally through generations, and remain legally valid regardless of age.
- š **Chief Jean-Baptiste Assiginack**: Brenda's ancestor's dedication to preserving treaty knowledge by speaking for 14 hours about the Niagara Treaty is highlighted.
- šØ **Wampum Belts**: The meticulous process of creating Wampum Belts, their sacredness, and the meanings they convey are explained.
- š¶ **Two-Row Wampum Belt**: Represents the agreement between the Haudenosaunee and the Dutch in 1613, symbolizing the desire for coexistence and mutual respect.
- š„£ **Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt**: Represents the principle of sharing resources responsibly and leaving the environment as you found it.
- š **Learning About Treaties**: Treaties should not be intimidating; there is a lifetime to learn and understand their meanings.
- šµ **Intergenerational Knowledge**: Brenda shares her ongoing journey of learning about treaties and Wampum belts and her commitment to passing this knowledge to future generations.
- š¤ **Coexistence and Sharing**: The treaties and Wampum belts promote the idea of living side by side with others, sharing knowledge, and maintaining cultural identity.
- š± **Environmental Stewardship**: The principles of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum belt are relevant today, emphasizing sustainable use of resources and environmental care.
Q & A
What is Treaties Recognition Week?
-Treaties Recognition Week is an event that aims to acknowledge and educate people about the importance of treaties in the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the government.
Who is Brenda Collins and what is her role in the video?
-Brenda Collins is a Knowledge Keeper from Treaty 94, and she introduces herself in the video by speaking her mother's tongue, Nishnaabemwin, and sharing her personal connection to the treaties and their cultural significance.
What does Brenda mean when she says treaties are 'our history textbooks'?
-Brenda refers to treaties as 'history textbooks' because they contain the oral history and agreements made between Indigenous peoples and settlers, passed down through generations.
Who was Chief Jean-Baptiste Assiginack and what did he do?
-Chief Jean-Baptiste Assiginack was Brenda Collins's five times great-grandfather who spoke for 14 hours about the 1764 Niagara Treaty, demonstrating the depth of Indigenous knowledge and the importance of treaties.
What are Wampum Belts and why are they significant?
-Wampum Belts are intricately crafted belts made from quahog shells and animal hide, symbolizing treaties and agreements. They are significant because they represent the legal and cultural agreements made between Indigenous peoples and settlers.
What is the process of making a Wampum Belt?
-The process of making a Wampum Belt involves carefully drilling quahog shells, preparing sinew threads, tanning elk or deer hide, and cutting it into strips. The shells, which have different meanings, are then sewn onto the hide to create the belt.
What does the Two-Row Wampum Belt represent?
-The Two-Row Wampum Belt represents the agreement between the Haudenosaunee and the Dutch in 1613, symbolizing two vessels traveling down the river side by side, indicating a mutual respect for each other's cultures and ways of life.
What is the meaning behind the Dish With One Spoon Wampum belt?
-The Dish With One Spoon Wampum belt conveys the idea of taking only what you need, leaving resources for others, and ensuring that the land is left in the same condition as when one arrived, promoting sustainability and respect for the environment.
How does Brenda suggest we approach understanding treaties?
-Brenda suggests that understanding treaties should not be intimidating. She encourages a lifelong learning process, where one can gradually learn about the treaties and their meaning, and incorporate that knowledge into their life to help others.
What is the message of the video regarding the validity of treaties?
-The video emphasizes that treaties, even those made hundreds of years ago, are still valid and should be respected. They represent the ongoing relationship and agreements between Indigenous peoples and the government.
What disclaimer does the Government of Ontario provide about the videos?
-The Government of Ontario disclaims all responsibility for any errors, omissions, and inaccuracies in the videos, stating that the views expressed are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the government's position.
Outlines
š Understanding Treaties and Wampum Belts
Brenda Collins, a Knowledge Keeper from Treaty 94, shares her personal connection to treaties and the importance of preserving Indigenous culture. She explains how her family's status was affected by marriages to non-Indigenous people, leading to a loss of cultural identity. Brenda recounts the significance of Wampum Belts, which are not only historical records but also legal documents that have been passed down orally. She describes the painstaking process of creating these belts, using quahog shells and sinew from animals, and tanning elk hide. The belts hold sacred meanings, such as the Two-Row Wampum Belt symbolizing peaceful coexistence and the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt representing the principle of sharing and sustainability. Brenda encourages viewers not to be intimidated by treaties and to learn about them throughout their lives, emphasizing that everyone can contribute to a better understanding and implementation of treaty rights.
š„ Treaties Recognition Week Media
This section of the script provides supplementary information related to Treaties Recognition Week. It includes a reference to the Ontario government's website for further information on treaties, a mention of a song titled 'Breakwall' performed by Ansley Simpson, and a credit to Library and Archives Canada for providing archival photographs. Additionally, the Ontario logo is displayed, indicating the government's involvement and support for the recognition of treaties.
Mindmap
Keywords
š”Treaties Recognition Week
š”Nishnaabemwin
š”Wampum Belts
š”1764 Niagara Treaty
š”Haudenosaunee
š”Two-Row Wampum Belt
š”Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt
š”Cultural Loss
š”Oral Tradition
š”Legal Validity
š”Intergenerational Knowledge
Highlights
Brenda Collins introduces herself in her mother's tongue, Nishnaabemwin, and discusses the impact of intermarriage with Frenchmen on her family's indigenous status.
Treaties are described as history textbooks, passed down orally from generation to generation.
Chief Jean-Baptiste Assiginack's 14-hour speech on the 1764 Niagara Treaty is highlighted as a testament to the importance of treaties.
Wampum Belts are explained as sacred items with meanings, made with quahog shells and sinew, symbolizing treaties.
The labor-intensive process of creating Wampum Belts is detailed, emphasizing their value and the respect they command.
The Two-Row Wampum Belt is described, symbolizing the agreement between the Haudenosaunee and the Dutch in 1613.
The concept of living in balance, as represented by the Wampum belts, is emphasized.
The Dish With One Spoon Wampum belt's message of sharing and sustainability is explained.
The idea that treaties are not intimidating and can be understood over a lifetime is presented.
The importance of learning about treaties and incorporating them into one's life to help mankind is discussed.
The Government of Ontario disclaims responsibility for any errors in the Treaties Recognition Week videos.
Ontario's Treaties Recognition Week is promoted on Ontario.ca/treaties.
Ansley Simpson's performance of 'Breakwall' is mentioned, adding a cultural element to the discussion.
Archival photographs provided by Library and Archives Canada are acknowledged.
The Ontario Logo appears, representing the province's involvement in the recognition of treaties.
Transcripts
[Title: The views expressed by TreatiesĀ Recognition Week video participants areĀ Ā
solely their own and are not intended toĀ reflect the position of Ontario, nor do theyĀ Ā
constitute any admission or limit Ontario'sĀ rights in any way. The Government of OntarioĀ Ā
disclaims all responsibility for any errors,Ā omissions, and inaccuracies in these videos.]Ā
[Title: Treaties Recognition Week]
[Title: Brenda Collins,Ā Knowledge Keeper, Treaty 94] Brenda Collins >> I'm going to introduce myselfĀ in my mother's tongue. She is Odawa from theĀ Ā
Sheshegwaning First Nation reserve on ManitoulinĀ Island. [Brenda speaking in Nishnaabemwin]
Aaniin everyone. My mother married a Frenchman.Ā My grandmother married a Frenchman. BecauseĀ Ā
they married a Frenchman the governmentĀ said, "Oh, you're no longer native."
And treaties have helped me to understandĀ how much precious culture that I have lost.
My five times great-grandfather, ChiefĀ Jean-Baptiste Assiginack, once stood up andĀ Ā
spoke for 14 hours about the 1764 Niagara Treaty.Ā Can you imagine all the information that he readĀ Ā
from that Wampum Belt? Reading the belt, readingĀ the information, taking all the little iconsĀ Ā
and understanding what they mean and transferringĀ that knowledge to the next generation.
Treaties are our history textbooks. WeĀ have them, they would have been orallyĀ Ā
handed down from generation to generation. JustĀ because you cannot read the written word does notĀ Ā
mean to say that they are not legal. It doesn'tĀ matter that they agreed to them 400 years ago.
The people that made these WampumĀ Belts, mostly the Haudenosaunee,Ā Ā
are the ones that started with the Wampum BeltsĀ and these type of shells - the quahog shells.
And they would break a piece off and drill itĀ with a little stick or whatever they could findĀ Ā
that they would drill it from one side toĀ one side and try and meet it in this tinyĀ Ā
little section. And they would put a hole andĀ then they would send string sinews through it.
Now sinew is, you know when you peel a banana,Ā you see the little white strings that you have,Ā Ā
you have that inside your body. TheĀ animals have that inside their body.Ā Ā
Those are our ligaments and tendons. YouĀ have to peel them very quickly and youĀ Ā
let them dry and that becomes the thread.Ā So, you can see how long that would take.
Then you also have to get elk hide. You wouldn'tĀ use moose hide, it's too thick. You would useĀ Ā
elk or deer hide. You have to tan that - that'sĀ weeks and days and hours and hours and hours ofĀ Ā
effort. Then you have to cut it all into strips.
You have all your shells ready the whiteĀ ones and the purple ones because they haveĀ Ā
different meanings. Think of hours and hoursĀ and hours it takes to make a Wampum beltĀ Ā
to represent the treaty. Is it any wonder whyĀ we treat Wampum belts with so much respect?
They're sacred. They have meanings. Here's theĀ Two-Row Wampum Belt. This one is really cool,Ā Ā
because it's between the HaudenosauneeĀ and the Dutch at the beginning in 1613.Ā Ā
And what they did was they had two vessels,Ā one was the Indigenous canoe and the otherĀ Ā
one was the European vessel. This is theĀ white represents the river or the waterĀ Ā
what they want back in is the sameĀ thing that they want right now.
So even though this was made over fourĀ or five hundred years ago doesn't matter,Ā Ā
it's still valid. It still counts. What they wantĀ is that they want people to be able to live inĀ Ā
their own culture, their own clothing, theirĀ own beliefs, their own language, their ownĀ Ā
knowledge - but to live side by side withĀ other people. Sharing their own knowledge.
What this Wampum belt means today is all ofĀ that information, but also to live your lifeĀ Ā
in balance. This Dish With One Spoon WampumĀ belt has this idea. Just take what you need,Ā Ā
leave some for the others, and don't forgetĀ to clean up before you leave. You want toĀ Ā
make sure that you leave our land in the sameĀ condition that you it was when you arrived here."
To understand treaties, you don't haveĀ to be intimidated, you don't have to beĀ Ā
worried that you're going to have to knowĀ hours and hours and hours of knowledge.
You have your whole lifetime toĀ learn what the treaties mean.
Look at me - look at my white hair - I'm stillĀ learning and seeing about treaties and WampumĀ Ā
belts. How I can interpret them into my life andĀ share that with my children, and then share itĀ Ā
with my grandchildren, then share my friends,Ā reintroduce my mom to those cultures. TreatiesĀ Ā
don't have to be intimidating. Everybody can liveĀ some part of the treaty to best help mankind.
[Title: The views expressed by Treaties Recognition Week video participants are solely their own and are not intended to reflect the position of Ontario, nor do they constitute any admission or limit Ontario's rights in any way. The Government of Ontario disclaims all responsibility for any errors, omissions, and inaccuracies in these videos.]
[Title: Ontario.ca/treaties]
[Title: āBreakwallā PerformedĀ Ā by Ansley Simpson, Gizhiiwe Records, 2017]
[Title: Archival photographsĀ provided by Library Archives Canada]
[Ontario Logo]
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