Since time immemorial, First Nations have forged ties of kinship and friendship with other Indigenous peoples. These ties were later extended to the European newcomers who arrived in North America centuries ago. The Treaties made between the First Nations and the Crown are living agreements — as relevant today as they were the day they were signed. Everyone benefits when there is a greater understanding and appreciation of Treaties and the Treaty relationship.
This special issue would not have been possible without the tremendous contributions of our many writers, editors, designers, artists, translators, and advisors.
We want to especially thank Loretta Ross, co-editor of Treaties and the Treaty Relationship, and her amazing team at the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba. Loretta’s guidance was crucial to this magazine’s success. We are also deeply grateful for the advice offered by the Treaties issue advisory group: Connie Wyatt Anderson, Charlene Bearhead, Monique Lariviere, Ry Moran, Jean-Pierre Morin, Janet Porter, Amanda Simard, and Sylvia Smith.
Finally, a quick note about terminology. We have tried during the editing process to respect and to reflect the regional variants of the spellings of some First Nations terms. Readers may also note that the terms “First Nations” and “Indigenous” have, on occasion, been used interchangeably.
While the term “Indigenous” also includes the Inuit and Métis peoples, this issue focuses specifically on the Treaty relationship between First Nations and the Crown, and the editors deferred to the writers’ preferences with regard to using “First Nations” and “Indigenous” interchangeably.