for Two-Spirit, LGBTQIA+ and Neurodivergent individuals

The Two Row Wampum, Simcoe Patent, and Haldimand Tract Treaties are nation to nation agreements, that were intended to promote values of peace, friendship and respect, while upholding the sovereignty of Indigenous nations and their lands.

There is a long standing colonial legacy that disregards these treaties and violates promised human and land sovereignty. According to these treaties at least 6 miles on either side of the grand river was intended for Indigenous nations; today only 4.8% of that land is held by Indigenous communities. It is important for us to recognize that colonial legacies have shaped our own understanding of history and continue to disproportionately impact the land, the natural world, Indigenous People, and communities.

Despite the colonial legacies that continue to attempt to erase millennia of valuable knowledges, contributes to an active genocide, and pervasive societal racism, Indigenous Peoples continue to resist assimilation, reclaim (nearly) lost traditions, and claim their rightful place as the First Peoples of this continent. As we discover more evidence of the true impacts of the Residential School System in Canada, it is critical for Canadians to first grapple with the truth of Indigenous Peoples lived experience before we can begin a conversation about reconciliation and moving forward.