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.”