Thursday, May 16, 2013
Indigenous Diplomatic Traditions
Politics based on justice, diplomacy based on love is the subject of a
recent article by Mississauga Nishnaabeg author Leanne Simpson in
briarpatch magazine. "Even in a modern context," says Simpson, "treaties
are a storied political relationship, consolidating sacred bonds
between peoples. They are not about the cession of land or the surrender
of Aboriginal title, nor do they assimilate Indigenous law into
Canadian law. They are not a bill of sale. They are not a policy
discussion. Whether the treaty-making process is historic or
contemporary, treaties are not termination agreements."
