Spirit and Intent
Understanding Aboriginal Treaties

Introduction

Visitors to Ottawa will not want to miss the new temporary exhibition at Library and Archives Canada, Spirit and Intent: Understanding Aboriginal Treaties. Open to the public at 395 Wellington Street from September 24, 2007 to March 24, 2008, the exhibition features a large selection of treaty documents and artifacts dating from the 1600s to the 1990s. Discover some of our country's most important heritage records and gain insight into the voices, values and visions behind these agreements.

The spirit and intent of the agreements and treaties negotiated between Canada's Aboriginal peoples and the French state or British Crown, and subsequent Canadian governments, has changed over time.

The visions and values of the parties involved and the scope of the treaty terms deliberated have evolved from fur-trading partnerships, to peace and friendship accords, to strategic military alliances, to the granting of access to lands and resources, to territorial rights and land claims settlements.

The voices behind these agreements have also changed, but the treaty relationship itself has proven to be permanent.

Treaty documents and artifacts are among our most precious Canadian heritage records. Wampum, parchments, manuscripts and maps, totems, seals, signatures and stamps—all are evidence of decisions that have shaped our country and its peoples.

Library and Archives Canada, in partnership with other Canadian cultural institutions, is proud to preserve these national treasures and make them accessible to all Canadians.

Copyright/Sources | Comments