Comment

  When referring to the end of the conflict between the British and the French, with the French ceding their “conquered” land and territories to the British, they were under the impression that they had control over these territories. However, Ojibwa chief Minweweh is referring to the fact that the land the French signed over to the British was never controlled or owned by the French, and was therefore not their land to sign over to the British. The Indigenous people had shared the land with the French but had never given it to them. I believe that chief Minweweh is saying that they are willing to continue the sharing of the land as they had before, but would not give the land to the British as they had never lost it. The hospitality of the Indigenous people had been confused with surrender, providing the Europeans with the idea that they now controlled the land.

            I agree with this sentiment, as the British and Canadians used treaties to bully the Indigenous people out of their land that they had presided over for thousands of years. The British and the French were both ignorant to the insignificance of the conflict they were fighting, as no matter the victor the Indigenous people should still control the land. They believed that they were superior to the Indigenous people, and were attempting to further extend their colonial empires as was happening in different parts of the world at this time. It is a true tragedy that the Indigenous people had their land stolen from them by people who simply wanted to mine it for resources. I believe that Indigenous people across Canada deserve more recognition and compensation for the land they once shared.