ECCU 400
wâhkôhtowin Photostory
Treaty Walk: Wascana Rowing Club
Final Reflection: Treaties in the Classroom
My name is Hannah Klassen. My ancestry stems from Ireland, Scotland, and Russia making me a 3rd generation white settler on this land. I would like to extend gratitude to the Creator for the natural world I’ve been able to connect with, and I would like to extend condolences to the people who have suffered due to the colonization that has changed this land into what it is today. I am currently on Treaty 4 territory, the homeland of the Cree, Saulteaux, Dakota, Nakota, Lakota, and the homeland of the Métis Nation. I understand the history of Treaties, and I am committed to upholding kihci-acsotamâtowin within my teaching practices and pedagogy. I want to teach my students miskâsowin, and I will do that by prioritizing and modeling wîtaskewin for my students.
My Learning is a Tree…
- It is constantly growing
- It is deeply connected to the land and environment I occupy, and requires a connection to the natural world to grow and thrive
As a visual representation of my learning this semester, I chose to draw a tree to symbolize constant change and growth, as well as a crucial connection to the land.
My visual includes a variety of meanings in each section, for my learning through this class as well as my personal connection to land and treaty.
- The style of art is inspired by Metis dot art and beadwork, with bold lines meant to resemble traditional First Nation art styles.
- The dot-art surrounding the tree is meant to symbolize a Saskatchewan sunset, as I was born and raised on the prairies watching sunsets along a flat, sometimes-hilly, horizon.
- I chose to create my visual centered around a poplar tree, because I had two large poplar trees in my backyard as a child which I grew up alongside. Trees are stationary, which is something I also wanted to represent because I have lived in the same house since I was born.
- The hand stemming from the tree trunk is meant to symbolize my deep connection to the land that I occupy and my respect towards the people who lived on this land prior. The hand not only represents a direct connection to land and the natural world, but also a symbol of respect and honour towards my ancestors and the First Nations values and culture that was severely disrupted.
Treaty Elders of Saskatchewan, Elder Peter Waskahat of the Frog Lake Nation:
“ ; [Children] were taught how to view and respect the land and everything in Creation. Through that the young people were taught how to live, what the Creator’s laws were, what were the natural laws, what were these First Nations’ laws… the teachings revolved around a way of life that was based on their values” – Page 6
- The roots visible above the line representing the land are an homage to the poplar tree roots I constantly stubbed my toes on and ran over in my backyard as a child. I felt like it was important that these roots be visible because of my lived experience growing up in nature, but also to symbolize how history may be buried, but it will never be gone
- The circle in the middle of the tree was first included in my visual because that is how I would draw trees as a child, but I realized that it was important to include the circle in the middle of my drawing. A quote from the book Treaty Elders of Sask stated on Page 14 that “…the circle symbolized the oneness of First Nations people with the Creator and the spiritual, social, and political institutions of the First Nations. It is at once a statement of allegiance, of loyalty, fidelity, and unity by both the nation and its peoples. This act/statement is rooted in the doctrine of wahkohtowin (the laws governing all relations) and miyo-wicehtowin (the laws concerning good relations)” (Cardinal&Hildebrant, 2000). The circle also symbolizes an eye, with inspiration from the totem pole we visited on our group treaty walk, because Indigenous values show the Creator is at the core of all living things.
- The rope swing hanging off the tree is a small symbol of my childhood in the natural world. As a kid, I felt such a strong connection with the outdoors because I felt incredibly free, calm, and independent.
- The three different colours and layers of leaves on the tree represent, my past experiences that are deeply connected to who I am as a person, my current experiences learning and growing as an adult, and the limitless future experiences I have yet to encounter.
I am a Treaty person because I occupy this land. I now understand that this fact alone is why Treaty Education is crucial in all aspects of Education because students should know the history and context that has resulted in how we live today. Treaty Education is more important in classrooms with less Indigenous representation because non-indigenous students do not experience the direct impact that colonization has had on the First Nation populations. As a white settle, I have a responsibility to understand why we are treaty people, and ensure my students learn the importance of treaty education.