Anishinabek Nation’s Heritage and Burial Protocol Sessions completed

By Laurie Leclair

THUNDER BAY—A lively meeting held in Thunder Bay on March 19 marked the fourth and final session of Anishinabek Nation’s Heritage and Burials Protocol workshops. In facilitating safe and welcoming forums where Anishinabek Nation citizens could speak their minds about archaeology, ancestors and sacred treasures, these workshops built upon the Toolkit for Understanding Heritage & Burials Rights & Issues designed in 2015.

To foster meaningful discussions, Heritage and Burials Protocol’s coordinators began each day with informative presentations. Kevin Restoule spoke on protocol mandates, Jenny Restoule-Mallozzi outlined her approach to designing a legal framework and Laurie Leclair summarized what Knowledge Keepers and Heritage workers had already brought to the table in past interviews and sessions.

Restoule’s Project Vision used the Medicine Wheel as a template to show how the four principles of Protecting (White), Healing (Yellow), Learning (Red) and Growing (Black) can help guide First Nations toward developing practices that are in line with existing indigenous beliefs about ancestors, language and territory. A second presentation outlined the responses of Anishinabek Nation citizens to five main discussion topics: Working Towards the Development of First Nation Protocols, Navigating Federal and Provincial legislation, Archaeology and the Protection of Ancestors, the Importance of Language and Tradition and Next Steps.

As the meetings progressed, the team gathered more information from First Nations and the presentations developed further, incorporating those insights, comments and concerns of the groups that came before. While the fundamental principle of respect was present throughout, each session was able to proceed organically and because of this, each had its own character and focus.

For example, at the Southeast conference in Peterborough participants spoke about the importance of decolonizing Anishinabek history alongside the movement towards increased Indigenous agency in archaeological matters.

At the Northeast gathering on Manitoulin Island, First Nations stories revealed how those who undertake repatriation ceremonies often experienced physical and mental stress; however, such emotional intensity promised profound benefits for a community as the complex act of bringing home ancestors sparked a spiritual awakening, a resurgence in cultural pride and collective wellbeing.

In London, the Southwest attendees led informed discussions over the weak and debilitating language inherent in the existing “guidelines and standards” now governing archaeological practices in Ontario.

Lastly, at our Northwest meeting, Elders and Knowledge Keepers reminded participants about the importance of understanding and acceptance, of developing methods that are respectful to ancestors and the interconnectedness of people, sacred treasures and the land.

Over the next few weeks, Restoule-Mallozzi will build upon the legal framework she created for the Heritage and Burials Tool Kit incorporating what we have learned from the visited First Nations. The result will be a very useful protocol template that can be tailored in its language, culture and timelines to suit each First Nation that chooses to use it.