In this keynote address, co-sponsored by The Confederation Debates, eminent historian J.R. Miller — an Officer of the Order of Canada (2014) and recipient of the 2014 Killam Prize in the Humanities and the 2010 SSHRC Gold Medal for Achievement in Research — will discuss the historical foundation for relations between Indigenous peoples and governments in Canada. Focusing on the eleven Numbered Treaties concluded between 1871 and 1921, Miller will emphasize both Native and non-Native motivations in negotiating, the impact of treaties on the peoples involved, and the lessons that are relevant to Native-newcomerrelations today. By situating the treaties within the context of Confederation, he will foster awareness of why 'Indian' treaties are matters of concern for all Canadians, encourage understanding Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples’ rights and responsibilities, and provide a framework for mutually beneficial interaction that has particular resonance during Canada's sesquicentennial year.

 

Location: Vanstone Lecture Hall SJ2 1004