WINNIPEG, MB – The University of Winnipeg hosts the panel discussion called We Are All Treaty People in partnership with the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba on Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 12:30 – 2:00 pm in Convocation Hall (515 Portage Avenue), and a light lunch will be provided. This event is free and open to the public.
The panelists include Commissioner James B. Wilson who will speak on the TRCM – Mr. Allen Sutherland will speak on the historical perspective of the Treaties – Elder Harry Bone will speak on the oral history of the Treaties – Dr. Julie Pelletier will speak to treaty relationships between Indigenous peoples and settler nations.
”As an institution dedicated to the promotion of indigenous education and the empowerment of Indigenous peoples through self-determination, UWinnipeg welcomes this historic opportunity to engage in a conversation with all Canadians – Indigenous and non-Indigenous – about the treaty relationship and the concept that We Are All Treaty People,” explained said Dr. Julie Pelletier, UWinnipeg Chair, Department of Indigenous Studies.
James (Jamie) Wilson-Treaty Commissioner
Wilson holds a BA from the University of Winnipeg, a multicultural/multi-subject teaching credential, and a Master’s of Education Administration. Wilson served in the U.S. Army’s Special Operations receiving the award of Distinguished Honor Graduate, and also distinguished himself by receiving his Canadian Jump Wings. As a Traditionalist, he has advocated for the equality of women in ceremony and in leadership. Wilson was honored by the Manitoba Legislature in April, 2010 for his outstanding accomplishments while Director of Education for the Opaskwayak Education Authority. Wilson was appointed as the second Treaty Commissioner for the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba on June 19, 2010.
Allen Sutherland (White Spotted Horse), Anishinaabe member of Skownan First Nation (Treaty 2 Territory) is a Registered Professional Trainer (RPT). As a member of the Aboriginal community, Sutherland has had the opportunity of working within First Nations, federal and provincial governments, including grassroots community work for over 25 years. He has worked as an independent consultant and facilitator, including providing the ongoing workshop “Duty to Consult” with the Province of Manitoba. He is presently part of the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba’s Speakers Bureau and is a sought-after resource on the histories and cultures of Indigenous Nations of Canada. Allen is now the Treaty One Project Officer of Parks Canada, Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site.
Elder Harry Bone is from Giizhigoowining (Keeseekoowenin) in Treaty.Two territory. Currently, Elder Bone is conducting research on the original spirit and intent of Treaty. Elder Bone is a member of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Council of Elders and also a member of the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba’s Speakers Bureau. Elder Bone specializes in First Nations government at the community level. He has led delegations that have met with all levels of government and has been instrumental in furthering many projects that will benefit all Manitobans, such as the Treaty Education Initiative, Oral History Project, and Historical Atlas of First Nations in Manitoba.
Dr. Julie Pelletier (descendant of the Wesget Sipu Band) – Chair, Department of Indigenous Studies. She earned her PhD and MA in Cultural Anthropology at Michigan State University and was the first graduate student at MSU whose doctoral research was funded by a tribe, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Her research interests include decolonization, identity issues, representation, and ritualization. Most recently her research has focused on American Indian casino gaming as site of contestation and as an expression of sovereignty. Dr. Pelletier is in her first year at the University of Winnipeg and is responsible for the implementation of a new degree housed in the Department of Indigenous Studies, the Master’s of Development Practice with a focus on Indigenous Development.
