Treaties

The concept of ‘covenants’ – sacred, eternal promises that set out the terms and commitments of the partnership – runs throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament, God makes covenants with humans, making a promise while asking His covenant partner to fulfill certain requirements – Noah, Abraham, the nation of Israel, and King David all entered into covenant relationships with God. These covenants were formalized in a legal agreement, solemnized by sacrifice, guaranteed by oath, and marked with signs or symbols like the rainbow (Genesis 9:13-17), circumcision (Genesis 17:11), sabbath rest (Exodus 31:13) and the enthronement of a descendant of David (Acts 2:30-33). Jesus announces the New Covenant between God and humans marked by his blood, represented in the bread and cup (Matthew 26:28). 

Humans also used covenants to set out sacred commitments and partnerships with each other before God – covenant marked the commitment of friendship between Jonathan, son of King Saul, and David, Israel’s rising hero. In Samuel 18:4, Jonathan, loving David as himself, makes a covenant with him, taking off his royal robe and giving it to David along with his armor, sword, bow, and belt as the symbol of a binding agreement to pass the inheritance of the throne to David. In 1 Samuel 20:12-17, Jonathan makes another covenant before the LORD to protect David, thus considering himself responsible to God for this promise. David reaffirms his oath to show kindness to Jonathan, his family, and descendants, and holds true to his promise as he spares Saul’s life time and again. Covenantal friendship was enduring and renewed.

Indigenous peoples also had a long history of sacred covenants of friendship and peace between nations, as part of diplomatic relations; they called them ‘Treaties’. As settlers arrived, they learned to follow this tradition, making Treaties for peace, friendship and neutrality. In 1764, a Treaty was made at Niagara between 24 Indigenous nations and the Crown, which set out the early formalized framework for a relationship of mutual respect and co-existence Indigenous and British peoples. The Treaty of Niagara also ratified the Royal Proclamation of 1763, in which then British King George III declared the land of Turtle Island to be considered possession of the Indigenous peoples who occupied them, extinguished and extinguishable only by Treaty with the Crown. Crown representatives then hastened to establish the Historical Treaties, as they are now sometimes referred, with Indigenous nations stretching from Ontario to northeast BC, the Northwest Territories, and the southern tip of Vancouver Island to 'secure' the land for the Crown.

From the perspective of Indigenous nations, these negotiated Historical Treaties were covenantal agreements of peaceful co-existence, friendship, mutual respect, and non-interference between equals – sovereign nation to sovereign nation. The Indigenous nations offered shared use of their lands while maintaining their own traditional ways of life, and the representatives of the British Crown ensured that "the Great Mother would care for her Red Children". The promise was for positive, kinship-like relationships. These Treaties included not two but three parties: the Indigenous nation(s), the British Crown, and the Creator. The Crown representatives acknowledged the sacredness with which Indigenous peoples held land by committing that the promises would endure “as long as the Sun shines, Waters flow, and Grass grows". This was a meaningful reference to the spiritual helpers that would bear witness to the exchange and stand by it for all time: Sun, Water, Sweetgrass. The final spiritual helper, Rock, was represented in a pipe used for the Peace Pipe Ceremony that invoked the solemn witness of the Creator and bound the human parties not only to one another, but to the Creator to uphold the Treaty agreement. Cree Elder Blaire Stonechild's research found that Indigenous nations held firmly to their sacred oaths over retaliating against perceived injustices, fearing offending Creator far more than the Queen of England. See his book (p. 41, 118-125)

The late 1990s and early 2000s have seen the creation of Modern Treaties between Aboriginal communities and the federal government, outlining specific agreements and arrangements for co-existence. Geographically, these cover much of James Bay, Northern Quebec, Nunavut, and some communities in British Columbia. However, in most of BC, Treaty covenants have still yet to be established. For this reason, you may often hear within land acknowledgements that we are on the unceded (never given up) traditional territories of Indigenous peoples of the local area. Through these land acknowledgements, we can honour recognize and honour the rightful, original Indigenous title holders (or where relevant, treaty partners) and stewards of the land beneath our feet.

Questions to consider:

• What does it mean for me to be in a covenantal relationship with God?
• What does it mean for me to be part of a nation that has covenantal relationships of peace and mutual respect with Indigenous nations?