Unceded land - Canada's History

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See “Whose Is It?” on pages 18 and 19 in the We Are All Treaty People issue of Kayak: Canada’s History Magazine for Kids.

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The Parliament buildings, home of the Canadian government, sit on unceded land of the Algonquins of Ontario. These First Nations state they still hold all rights to the territory, which covers 36,000 square kilometres.

Minds on

Play a game of opposites/antonyms. Write antonyms on the bottom and top parts of plastic eggs [ hot/cold, big/small, near/far, always/never, apart/together, common/rare, early/late, etc.] Pull the two halves apart, randomly distribute one half to each student. Have them walk around the class to find their matching antonym.

Write the word TREATY on one half of a plastic egg. Leave the other half blank. Pass the half around the class. Explain the meaning of Treaty. Have the class define the opposite. Explain and expand upon the concept of unceded land.

Hands on

Have the students map and colour unceded Algonquin territory in Ontario and Quebec. Locate and indicate Ottawa and other major centres.

More classroom activities

Commemorating Treaty Relationships

Explore several places and occasions that mark the importance of Treaties and stories about the historic Treaty relationship between First Nations people and the Crown.

Finding Del's Truck

Students will explore historical significance as the process used by historians to evaluate what was important about particular events, people, and developments in the past.

Wampum Belts

Focus on the importance of wampum belts for ceremonial and diplomatic purposes, as well as to mark agreements such as Treaties and covenants.

We Are All Treaty People

Explore the meaning and the significance of the phrase “We are all Treaty People.”

Relationships

Explore the symbolism in the Treaty medal.

Treaty Day

Have students create an invitation to an event celebrating Treaty Day.

Making Treaties

Taking a historical perspective means understanding the social, cultural, intellectual, and emotional settings that shaped people’s lives and actions in the past.

Classroom Treaty

Design a classroom Treaty with your students and use it throughout the year as the typical “class rules.”

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