Kirsten R.
Ajax, Ontario
Durham Regional Fair
James Bay Treaty
In this video, I take you back to the year 1905, when the James Bay treaty was first being signed. The treaty was to relocate aboriginals who lived throughout Canada to communities in northern Ontario. There were positives and negatives along with this agreement, for both the aboriginals and King Edward the Seventh, who was the current ruler of the United Kingdom and Canada at the time. I add a fun twist to this not-so-fun subject by creating the video using Lego stop motion.
What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?
How the treaty that was signed over 100 years ago still is in effect today. Decades have gone by, and something that happened in the past still limits Aboriginal Canadians to what the treaty states. I find that oddly enough disturbing and interesting at the same time.
What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?
I learned how events that happen in the past can influence the future more then you would think, and it's very important to take the lessons you learn from the past and use it to create a brighter future, not just for you, but for others who are held within bounds that prohibit them from creating a better future.
How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?
We live completely different lifestyles, yet we are much alike. We are both born humans, yet the Aboriginals in my project didn't have the same rights as I do, and they still don't today. They also have different schools, different native foods, and some speak a different language.