As part of an education and awareness campaign focused on the Anishinaabe Treaty No. 3, 16 new signs will be placed throughout the territory, reminding residents and visitors to honour its “aki” (lands) and “nibi” (waters). Photo courtesy Grand Council Treaty No. 3
As part of an education and awareness campaign focused on the Anishinaabe Treaty No. 3, 16 new signs will be placed throughout the territory, which covers sections of northwestern Ontario and southeastern Manitoba.
The commissioned highway signs follow two distinct designs, both intended to provide education and understanding to those passing through the area, as well as highlight their responsibility to acknowledge and respect the sacredness and significance of its “aki” (lands) and “nibi” (waters).
Placed at strategic entry points, the first group of eight signs will welcome travellers to Treaty No. 3 aki and acknowledge the Anishinaabe Nation which has lived in the area since time immemorial. Their goal is to foster a greater sense of place and cultural awareness and promote respect for Anishinaabe territories, along with an understanding of jurisdiction.
“These signs not only mark a physical boundary, but embody an enduring sovereignty of the Anishinaabe Nation in Treaty No. 3,” says Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh, Grand Chief of Grand Council Treaty No. 3. “They extend a welcome to all who enter the territory, while reminding them of their responsibility to abide by the inherent laws that are present within it.”
By emphasizing the importance of recognizing jurisdiction, the signs invite those who encounter them to further explore Anishinaabe laws such as Manito Aki Inaakonigewin (The Great Earth Law), Anishinaabe Nibi Inaakonigewin (Anishinaabe Water Law), Abinoojii Inaakonigewin (Child Care Law), and more, all of which are to be upheld by those who live in or visit Treaty No. 3 territory.
Eight additional signs will be placed along highways in each of the four directions. They are designed to bring awareness to the sacredness of nibi and remind travellers of the shared responsibility to respect and honour it in all forms throughout the year. The signs are also intended to serve as powerful symbols for connectedness to nibi and underscore the collective commitment to water stewardship.
“Water is the most sacred living relationship, and the most sacred law in life itself,” says Mona Gordon, a member of the Treaty No. 3 Gaagiidoo-Ikwewag (Women’s Council).
Regarding the importance of following protocols embedded in Anishinaabe ways, she adds, “Our sacred laws are about being harmonized with the sacred rules of creation.”
The hope for these signs is to encourage travellers to be more aware of their own relationship with nibi and the traditional laws which govern it.
For Grand Council Treaty No. 3, the new signage is a pivotal step towards greater cultural understanding from all who enter the territory, as well as a reminder to live responsibly within Treaty No. 3 territory and beyond.
