Sportsmen talk treaties, wild rice

April 15, 2013

A/ORMC Display — Alderville First Nation citizens Dave Mowat, Jeff Beaver and Maurice Switzer join Ministry of Natural Resources staff member Jackie Ouelette at the A/ORMC display at the Toronto Sportsman Show in Toronto.

By Jackie Ouellette

TORONTO – For the second year, members of the Anishinabek/Ontario Resource Management Council (A/ORMC) staffed a booth at the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show at Toronto’s Exhibition Place on February 7-10. This is the second year that A/ORMC was represented in a booth at the annual show.

Three volunteers from Alderville First Nation set up two spaces in the MNR exhibit area, one for Treaties, at which Maurice Switzer distributed treaty posters produced by the Union of Ontario Indians, as well as copies of the graphic novel “We are all Treaty People”.

The 1764 Treaty of Niagara Covenant Chain and “Presents” wampum belts were on display and dozens of show visitors stopped to learn about their history and meaning.

The other exhibit area focussed on A/ORMC information, and a display about wild rice and the Alderville Black Oak Savannah. A/ORMC member Jeff Beaver and Dave Mowat shared their extensive traditional environmental knowledge with members of the public.

Even though a big storm shut down Toronto on Friday, the weekend attendance at the show was overwhelming and many hundreds visited and expressed appreciation for seeing a First Nations perspective at this event.

The Anishinabek/Ontario Resource Management Council, also known as “RMC” was established within the Union of Ontario Indians in the fall of 2000.

The goal of the Resource Management Council is to improve communication, dialogue and relations between the Anishinabek Nation and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR).

Jackie Ouellette is Policy Liaison, Aboriginal Policy Branch, Ministry of Natural Resources.

This article originally posted April 15, 2013.