Treaty Day losing significance?

The significance of Nova Scotia's Treaty Day could be in danger unless efforts are made to expand the event's recognition throughout the province. Although the event commemorates the signing of the Treaty of 1752 in Halifax, it's not well-understood or even celebrated outside of the Metro region.

An employee at the Bear River First Nation office confirmed there were no local plans to mark the occasion, except as a holiday. Digby Regional High School principal Ben Elms said students at his school didn't do anything special for the day, but they were busy preparing for other events this month.

"The Grade sevens are going up to the Band in Bear River," said Elms. "They're taking the cultural tour."

Treaty Day remembers the key role of treaties between Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw and the Crown, most notably, a 1985 Supreme Court of Canada decision re-affirming Mi'kmaw rights to hunt and fish as written in the Treaty of 1752. The Treaty also designated Oct. 1 as the date on which the Mi’kmaw people would arrive in Halifax to receive gifts from the Crown to “renew their friendship and submissions.”

The modern observance of Treaty Day was first proclaimed Oct 1, 1986 by Grand Chief Donald Marshall Sr., but in his 2006 Treaty Day address, NSCC governor and Membertou advisor Dan Christmas said that initial modern event was held at Halifax's Micmac Friendship Centre because no government agency was willing to recognize or accept the treaty.

"They had spent years fighting us in the courts and they were not interested in talking to the Mi'kmaq at the time about the treaty - let alone a Treaty Day celebration," said Christmas.

In later years, the province joined the celebration and the event became the launching for Mi'kmaq History Month, proclaimed in 1993 by Premier John Savage and Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy.

The problem is the event's significance now receives very little attention outside of Halifax.

Deborah Ginnish works from Membertou First Nation in Sydney as coordinator of a committee that organizes the annual Treaty Day events. She said Mi'kmaw either traveled to Halifax or, like members of the Bear River Band, observed the occasion by taking the day off. She said she wasn't aware if other communities in Nova Scotia were observing Treaty Day and its importance might be getting overshadowed by other Mi'kmaq History Month events.

"It's always been that way," said Ginnish in an interview. "It's always been a struggle to get the message across."

As far as the province's schools are concerned, Ginnish said they usually do things throughout the month of October with projects, speakers and events encompassing larger aspects of Mi'kmaw history and culture - but nothing specifically for Treaty Day except the annual poster.

It's a situation she hopes to see change through the committee's leadership.

"We're trying to work with other organizations to have more activities happen around Mi'kmaq History Month," said Ginnish.

Elms said teachers at DRHS were looking at the month in terms of adding different things to the school program, like the trip to Bear River.

"It's in social studies and language arts, some people are doing collages, some people are doing readings, so there's a variety of things going on," said Elms. "Because it's just at the beginning of the month, teachers are still contacting individuals to see if they can come in and speak to some of the classes."

During the 2007 Treaty Day ceremonies in Halifax, Grand Keptin Andrew Denny said members of the Grand Council would be traveling to Nova Scotia schools to give presentations on Mi'kmaw history and Treaty Day.

2007 Treaty Day events included a Mi'kmaq cultural showcase, Veteran's parade, HRM flag raising, and award presentations. Other Mi'kmaq History Month events include screenings of the documentary, Wabanaki II and a provincial public servant's symposium focusing on Aboriginal awareness.