The Gordon Foundation - Understanding Our Treaties

The Gordon Foundation's Understanding Our Treaties website

The Understanding Our Treaties website is an initiative of The Gordon Foundation to provide experiential learning about treaties.

In 2020, The Foundation and its partners, which includes Mapping the Way, developed the Understanding Our Treaties website as an online resource to support the Treaty Simulation model, helping to further learning about treaties in Canada and their impact our lives.

What is a Treaty Simulation?

The Gordon Foundation’s Treaty Simulation model provides a hands-on learning experience to help participants experience the realities of negotiating and implementing part of a modern treaty. The Foundation runs Treaty Simulations in collaboration with communities, schools and treaty experts. In teams representing Canada, a province or territory, and an Indigenous Nation, participants are guided by experienced advisors as they present their positions and negotiate to reach an agreement.

Resources

The Gordon Foundation has a collection of Treaty Talk videos featuring Yukon negotiators and those who are implementing the Agreements, as well as a video on the history of Yukon's modern treaties.

Our Resources

The History of Modern Treaties in the Yukon
The History of Modern Treaties in the Yukon
Watch an animated timeline of Modern Treaties in the Yukon featuring negotiators and those who are implementing the Agreements today.
Watch
Treaty Talk | Shelby Blackjack
Treaty Talk | Shelby Blackjack
Shelby talks about her unique position as a Yukon First Nation citizen working for the Yukon Government and shares how youth can get involved in their governments and their treaties.
Watch
Treaty Talk | Pamela Muir
Treaty Talk | Pamela Muir
Hear Pamela discuss how modern treaties establish a platform for the relationship between the treaty parties, as well as the challenges sometimes faced during implementation.
Watch
Treaty Talk | Beverly Sembsmoen
Treaty Talk | Beverly Sembsmoen
Listen in as Bev tells us why youth should get involved with their treaties, and how they can get started. She also shares her desire for youth to learn from their Elders while they still can.
Watch
Treaty Talk | Dave Joe
Treaty Talk | Dave Joe
Hear from Dave about his experience as an Expert at the 2019 Yukon Regional Simulation. Dave also shares how modern treaties impact youth, why they should get involved, and how they can get started.
Watch
Treaty Talk | Tony Penikett
Treaty Talk | Tony Penikett
Take it from Tony, the Yukon Umbrella Final Agreement is important. Also, listen for Tony’s take on why youth need to get involved in their treaties, and he even shares some ways for them to get started.
Watch
Treaty Talk | Kim Smarch
Treaty Talk | Kim Smarch
Dans cette vidéo, Mme Smarch explique pourquoi les traités modernes sont importants pour elle.
Watch
Treaty Talk | Robin Bradasch
Treaty Talk | Robin Bradasch
Robin explains what implementation is really about and shares how modern treaties impact youth in the Yukon.
Watch
Treaty Talk | Ed Schultz
Treaty Talk | Ed Schultz
Listen in as Ed explains the role of youth councils as a platform for youth to participate in decision making and learn leadership skills.
Watch
Treaty Talk | Brian MacDonald
Treaty Talk | Brian MacDonald
Listen in as Brian shares about the Government of Yukon’s role in modern treaties, as well as how these agreements recognize rights and include young people in the process.
Watch
Treaty Talk | Stephen Mills
Treaty Talk | Stephen Mills
Stephen shares how modern treaties are a path forward, discusses the Yukon Government’s role in negotiations, and encourages youth to seek out mentor relationships.
Watch
Treaty Talk | Geri-Lee Buyck
Treaty Talk | Geri-Lee Buyck
Get the scoop on Treaty Simulations from Geri-Lee and find out why she thinks youth need to participate in treaty work.
Watch
Treaty Talk | Sheena Johns
Treaty Talk | Sheena Johns
Listen in as Sheena explains some practical impacts of modern treaties on youth and how implementation can be interesting and exciting!
Watch
Treaty Talk | Kris Statnyk
Treaty Talk | Kris Statnyk
Kris encourages young people to learn about their agreements and then use that knowledge to get involved directly and indirectly with implementation of those modern treaties. He also shares the importance of maintaining connection to the land.
Watch