THPS meets with Arif Virani

THPS meets with Arif Virani

Sept 2018.

THPS met with Liberal MP Arif Virani. His office had contacted us with the desire to talk about our work. Virani expressed to us that he is taking Truth and Reconciliation very seriously and that he would like to support the work of THPS in the future.

THPS also met with Selina Young from the new City of Toronto Indigenous Affairs office. Her mandate is to work with city officials to institute Truth and Reconciliation.

THPS is cautiously hopeful that we will have some support for upcoming projects from both these offices.

 

 

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THPS – Volunteer appreciation Picnic

Donna Powless called us together for a THPS volunteer appreciation picnic at Bear Mound. It has been a while since THPS had a gathering so it was good to see everyone and catch up. As a group we are all still committed to protecting sacred sites in High Park and elsewhere in Toronto. We will be attending High Park Citizen’s Council meetings again and producing a pamphlet for High Park visitors on Indigenous History.

We feasted on cornbread and fruit salad. Marlene Bluebird Stickings and Joce Tremblay brought Ojibway tobacco plants seeded and grown at the Stop’s urban agriculture program to gift to THPS members, as well as to plant around Bear and Serpent Mound.

Volunteer Appreciation 2017

tobacco

Volunteer appreciation 2017

Volunteer Appreciation 2017

Snake Mound grown in

Volunteer Appreciation 2017

 

Defending Sacred Sites

Treaties and Agreements Relevant to Tkaronto and beyond

Two Row Wampum Treaty

Nanfan Treaty of 1701

Map of Peace Treaty of 1701 Sig

English Version Peace of Montreal

English Version of Great Peace2

English Version of Great Peace3

English Version of Great Peace 4

English Version of Great Peace 5

Royal Proclamation of 1763

Gunshot Treaty 1792

Gunshot Treaty from Bay of Quinte to the County of York

CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report: Calls to Action

Taiaiako’n Historical Preservation Society back to work!

After the passing of  David Redwolf (Rastia’ta’non:ha) who was a central force in the work of the THPS it has taken some time to for the THPS to regroup and be publicly active. Much of the activity is to monitor the mounds, to keep them clean of litter and watch for erosion as well as having ceremony for the ancestors. However, the THPS is gearing up for a new phase. We are working on a pamphlet which outlines the Indigenous history of the park and area, hoping to continue with the archeological work to have the mounds recognized in a good way, as well as manifesting new future projects. The website will also be re-activated as David had collected many files containing knowledge of mounds and their builders which we will continue to archive on the site.

Snake Mound New Fence Looking North July 10, 2011

Taiaiako’n – bones of 600 year old Seneca woman found

While many sources claim that the village of Taiaiako’n was established as an Iroquoian village in the late 1600’s (ironically just when the Europeans arrived), there is much evidence that conflicts with this claim. The City of Toronto website states that the first inhabitants moved into the Toronto area thousands of years ago from the South and started farming corn, beans and squash around 1,400 years ago. These were Iroquoian peoples.

In 2005 there was an article in the Globe and Mail that outlines the deep history of Iroquoian peoples in the southern Ontario and Toronto area.

Burials Recognized in British Columbia

B.C. Government Cancels Housing Project at Historic Musqueam Village and Burial Site After standing strong for more than 140 days, the Musqueam People are celebrating a decision by the B.C Government to cancel a controversial 5-story condominium project at cusnaum, an historic village and burial site located in the heart of Musqueam’s Traditional, unceded Territory. “Musqueam is pleased that the proposed development is no longer authorized by the permits issued by the Province and that the ancestral remains are to be restored to their original condition,” the Musqueam said, in a September 28 Press Release. “Their disturbance caused great anguish to the community and the proposed development would have desecrated an ancient and sacred burial place and destroyed a site precious to the Musqueam as representing one of the few links to our heritage extending back thousands of years. It would also have destroyed a Canadian historic site and a heritage site that should be protected for all British Colombians.” For updates and more information, visit the facebook page Protect the village and midden site of cusnaum (Marpole). Read full story here:  http://intercontinentalcry.org/b-c-government-cancels-housing-project-at-historic-musqueam-village-and-burial-site/