Treaty Recognition Week kicks off

This week is Treaty Recognition Week in Ontario.

An education event was held at Nipissing University Monday.

The event was two fold to educate students about the past and to talk about the importance of truth and reconciliation efforts.

Grand Council Chief of the Anishinabek First Nation Glen Hare says this week is also important because it recognizes the importance of First Nations serving side by side with Canadian soldiers.

He says the reconciliation issue is about all governments-Canadian and First Nations working together and that’s happening.

“Right now agreements are being signed. Our leadership’s happy. In the past there have been conflicts and that’s why its important to communicate with each other,” he says.

Also at the event were Nipissing First Nation Chief Scott McLeod as well as PC MPP Ross Romano who is the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Indigenous Affairs.

“We need to not focus on the problems but the solutions so both sides can move forward as a group together,” Romano says.

Nipissing First Nation Chief Scott McLeod says the event was held at the Harris Learning Library and the relationship hasn’t always been good between first nations and the former premier but times and relationships change.

He says no one is forgetting the past but it’s important to have a better future too.

“We need to move forward to reconciliation. A lot of the truths are uncomfortable but we have to talk about them to move ahead, grow as a nation and that all sides work together,” he says.

(photo Chris Dawson BayToday)