History

Oral tradition indicates presence of ancestors as early as 7500 y.b.p.
August 1836   :  Treaty 45 ½
October 1854   :  Treaty 72
1831-1996  :  Government funded, church run Residential School System
1951 – mid-1980s  :  Sixties Scoop
(The disproportionate number of Indigenous children in foster care indicates that
the practice of family separation continues, as of 2021).
1968  :  Return of the Islands
1982   :  Constitution Act – Affirming Aboriginal & Treaty Rights
1994 & 2003  :  Saugeen Ojibway Nation modern treaty claim
September 2007   :  United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples    (Adopted by Canada in 2021)
2007   : Truth and Reconciliation Commission established with report in 2015
        June 2018  :  Zgaa-biig-ni-gan Bridge named over the Saugeen River
(Translation: “From one end to the other, we are connected.”)
2019 – 2020  : SON’s Land Claim trial with some settlements in 2021
As of October 2021, some agreements have been made.
Reparations and commitments to reconciliation must continue to be upheld.

SDSS’s Reconciliation Hall is unveiled on October 20, 2021 with the hope of engaging, empowering and connecting our school community
to ensure that the unique interests, rights and perspectives of Indigenous peoples are recognized.
 
Reconciliation “is about establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples
in this country.” (Dept. of Justice, 2020-05-08, 1 of 2)

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Revered as life-givers and carers, Indigenous women, girls and Two-spirit people in Canada  face dangers on a scale far greater than that of their non-Indigenous counterparts.   As of June 2021, over 4000 were missing or murdered – at rates that exceed that of the rest of the population.
 A national inquiry points to the “ violence [being] the result of “colonial polices that displaced women from their traditional roles in communities and governance and diminished their status in society, leaving them vulnerable to violence.” (National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Final Report)
Photographer: Emily Kewageshig  |  Model: Ireland Sawyer 

The 4000+ missing and murdered are human beings, and it is not a problem of elsewhere. The disconnection from family and community and the loss of life hit close to home. We remember four Saugeen First Nation women and girls - Julie Solomon, Diane Dobson, Mary Cameron and Maisie Odjick - who are among the missing.  

Always in the hearts of family and friends, they are also remembered on October 4 National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and on May 5th, Red Dress Day.

The symbol of the red dress has become synonymous with the crisis.  Metis artist Jaime Black created an installation of red dresses as a visual reminder of the suffering and injustice facing this population.  Red was chosen as it “is the only colour spirits can see and [it] is a way of calling the spirits … back to their loved ones.” (Merritt Herald, May 5, 2020, 1-3 of 5)
 
This is difficult information, but when we start dealing with the systemic causes of this crisis, treating all humans as human, Indigenous women and girls can “reclaim their [rightful] power and place” in community and society." (National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Our Vision)

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Section to added in 2022-23