An 1821 map showing lands promised to the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations or Iroquois Confederacy) in 1784 by Sir Frederick Haldimand, Governor of the Province of Quebec.
Source: Library and Archives Canada
Content warning: this blog post includes references to the residential school system.
We often get questions in the Grace Schmidt Room of Local History about the Indigenous history of this region: What was life like here before the arrival of European settlers? Do you have Indigenous artifacts? How have things changed for Indigenous peoples over time? This gives us an opportunity to reflect on what our role is (and isn’t) as a settler memory institution in sharing and facilitating access to local Indigenous histories.
The truth is we are neither equipped nor entitled to tell these stories, but we do have a responsibility to direct customers to some of the resources that have been helpful in our own education so far, including Indigenous-authored history books and Indigenous educational organizations, as well as to provide context for the problematic settler narratives reflected in our own archival collections.
Here are a few of our most recommended resources:
Educational Resources
On the site of the former Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School, the mandate of the Woodland Cultural Centre is to “preserve, promote and strengthen Indigenous language, culture, art and history.” With a museum collection of over 50,000 artefacts, exhibitions, tours, and workshops provide great opportunities for learning, both in person and online.
Created by Canadian Geographic, Paths to Reconciliation is an interactive map charting 62 residential schools not recognized by the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA), as well as unmarked burial sites associated with residential schools. The foundation of this resource is residential school survivor and family member stories, with links to firsthand accounts and primary source material like documents and photos.
National Film Board (NFB) Indigenous Cinema Educational Playlists
The NFB’s Indigenous Cinema playlists offer free feature-length and short films sharing Indigenous art, culture, and history, including many created by Indigenous filmmakers. Some of the playlists that we have found especially interesting are Ancestral Knowledge, Indigenous Music Traditions, Indigenous Land Claims and Rights, and the Freedom Road series.
Books
We Share Our Matters – Rick Monture
Monture’s history of the Haudenosaunee people from the 18th century to the present is rooted in the firsthand accounts of Six Nations writers and thinkers. Through a broad range of source material, including essays, correspondence, poetry, social and political action, visual art, music, oral histories, We Share Our Matters explores the cultural and political struggles of the past two centuries from voices within the Haudenosaunee community itself.
Eatenonha: Native Roots of Modern Democracy - Georges E. Sioui
In Eatenonha, Sioui explores the history of his ancestors, the Wendat Seawi Clan, and in doing so makes the compelling argument that the foundation of modern North American democracy can be found prior to European contact in the commercial and social practices of the Wendat Confederacy, which was part of a larger commonwealth based on peace, trade, and reciprocity.
21 Things You May Not Know about the Indian Act vividly illustrates the connection between past and present, digging deep into the catastrophic muti-generational impact of this 1876 legal document. Even if “things you may not know” includes “pretty much everything,” this book is great for those who are looking to take steps toward reconciliation but are unsure where to start.
Lauren
Senior Library Assistant, Grace Schmidt Room of Local History