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Historic day as Greater Sudbury Police Service acknowledges Robinson-Huron territory with unveiling of carving, plaque

'Our journey to get here was significant, was meaningful, was done with consultation, guidance and advice,' Sudbury police chief says

In partnership with First Nations community organizations, advisory services and elders, as well as Greater Sudbury Police members past and present including the Police Services Board, the Greater Sudbury Police Service unveiled a plaque and wood carving Friday that acknowledges the land within Robinson-Huron treaty territory as well as its First Peoples. 

"I want everybody here to know that our journey to get here was significant, was meaningful, was done with consultation, guidance and advice," said Police Chief Paul Pedersen. 

Pedersen gave special thanks Const. Shannon Agowissa, Aboriginal liaison officer, for playing a special role in initiating the acknowledgment. Agowissa is a member of Atikameksheng Anishinaabek First Nation and joined the police service in 2016. 

Early in her career, Const. Agowissa expressed interest in having a meaningful acknowledgment of territory within the service.

"Being able to do what I can in my role is beautiful and I feel very thankful when I could make my dad proud," she said. 

A number of ideas have been expressed in the plaque, Agowissa said. The plaque acknowledges that many nations of Indigenous peoples call Sudbury home, including the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Métis, Cree, Oji-Cree, Mi'kmaq and Inuit, among others. Generations ago, the Dish With One Spoon wampum governed relationships between diverse nations in the Robinson-Huron territory. The wampum is an agreement of peace and sharing of land. 

Two bears are also featured in the carving below the plaque.

"The bears are known as protectors and symbolically as police, our goal is to be protectors,” Const. Agowissa said. “So we have our Makwa (bear) in there." 

A photo of the territory acknowledgment plaque may be found above. Its inscription may be read in Anishinaabemowin (the language of the Anishinaabeg) and English, but Pedersen expressed hope the unveiling would reflect more than just an acknowledgment with words. 

"We truly are all treaty people and that's what's so significant about having everybody here," Pedersen said. 

Police services board members Angela Recollet, Dr. Rayudu Koka and Frances Caldarelli were present at the event, along with many active members of the service. Anishinaabe elders Art Petahtegoose and Martina Osawamick were also in attendance. Atikmekasheng Anishinaabek First Nation Chief Valerie Richet could not attend and was represented by Carla Petahtegoose, who is a band councillor. 

"This is an honour to be acknowledged by our regional police, that they are on our territories,” said Wahnapitae First Nation Chief Larry Roque. “I acknowledge the fact that they appreciate that they are on our land. It's good to know.

"It's coming around from when I was a young boy to now in the North. We are being more accepted by society. It's great. I just wish that my ancestors were here to see this." 

Here's the transcript of remarks from Const. Agowissa, regarding the teachings behind the territory acknowledgment plaque:


This acknowledgement will carry with it a number of teachings that we are going to bring to our own members in our own journey. 

There are a number of ideas in the wording of our acknowledgment 

First we honour that we have many nations of Indigenous peoples that call this place home: Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Métis, Cree, Oji-Cree, Mi'kmaq, Inuit, among others and we want to continue to strive to build relationships and learn about the First Peoples cultures. 

We honour simple ideas in words like saying 'the Indigenous Peoples' instead of 'our Indigenous Peoples' which implies ownership. 

We honour that North America is known as Turtle Island to many Indigenous Peoples, including Anishinaabek Peoples.

We honour that the territory that we serve in, the boundary lines of where our police officers take halls in is within the territory that was taken care of by the Anishinaabek people and not the other way around.

We honour the acknowledgement by not using words like 'traditional' as this implies some idea that you are not you and are only you when you are doing cultural things. 

We honour that Atikmeksheng Anishinaabek and Wahnipitae reserve lands were ideas based upon minimizing. And by that we honour the nation of people. 

We honour that prior to any contact of any newcomers here, there were two important things: First that there was the Three Fires Confederacy. The Three Fires Confederacy consisted of the Ojibwes, the Odawa and the Potawatami nations who worked together for many purposes and for mutual interests. The second thing is the Dish with One Spoon Wampum was also made before any newcomers were here. A wampum is an agreement between at least two groups of peoples and is symbolized with a picture made into something that resembles a belt. 

Brian Charles, who I received some of the teachings from about wampum, said although they looked like belts, they weren't necessarily belts that people wore, but we use that term. The Dish With One Spoon is a wampum belt that is so important because it was an agreement between the Anishinaabek, the Haudenosaunee and the Mississaugas. It bound them to share in this land and to keep the peace when sharing it as a hunting territory. However, it goes even further than that. It's also an agreement to share in the love and the caring of this land in a collective responsibility. 

The Dish With One Spoon invites newcomers into that agreement and is a reminder to us all to only take what we need, to conserve the land and it is a promise of peace as you only have the spoon and no knife, which is a beautiful pledge to care for Mother Earth. 

Another thing that I want to highlight are the bears that are in here. The bears are known as protectors and symbolically as police, our goal is to be protectors. So we have our Makwa in there. 

I say miigwech as I continue my own learning journey and I say miigwech for coming today." 


Transcript of Pedersen's address before the unveiling of the territorial acknowledgment plaque: 
 

Aanii, boozhoo, wachay. Paul ndishnikaaz, N'Swakamok ndoonjibaa. 

My name is Paul Pedersen, that said I'm from Sudbury. Sudbury is my home - as I've said before I'm from down south, came up here five years ago, and am still on a learning journey. Truly honoured to be part of this, what I believe is a pretty historic and very significant day. It, too, is part of my learning journey. 

I want to thank the women, the 'kwe' am I right - for your kind words and song to start with. I don't know if I can express it enough, but just just how much that grounds us, how much that makes this so meaningful. So thank you very much and thank you for everybody standing here today. I did brush my teeth, I don't know why you're standing so far away but that's fine. back there. I'll try to project. 

There's some people that I want to acknowledge as well. Certainly our board, member Caldarelli who spoke, I see member Koka and member Recollect who are here as well. I know our Chair Michael Vagnini is otherwise engaged and member Montpellier is on the board as well. 

As a police chief, I just want everybody to understand that the board really sets out strategic direction and framework and gives us support to do meaningful things beyond just the business of day to day policing. I want to thank the board for your vision in helping us get to where we are. 

You know, the word partner we say a lot and sometimes I think anybody we say hello to, we call a partner, that's that's not the way with the Friendship Centre, this truly is shared equal respectful partnership. Brad, it means a ton for you to be here. 

Members of our ACPAC committee, that stands for our Aboriginal Community Police Advisory Committee, I see just about every one of you is here. This is a pretty good turn out. We didn't even have to tempt you with Chinese food this time. For those who don't know, you know, you want to say from time immemorial. The ACPAC group has been around a lot longer than I've been around and since I came up to the community, we really rely on this group to help steer us and make sure we're on the right path. It's certainly instrumental in getting us to where we are here today. 

I know Chief Richet from Atikameksheng Anishinaabek would be here. She's not here, right? Carla Pehtahtegoose is here. 

Thank you to the community members of Sudbury, Indigenous community members and non-Indigenous community members that are here today as well. Really meaningful as we say and as we try to make it significant, more than just words. 

We truly are all treaty people and that's what's so significant about having everybody here. 

I want to thank Nokomis Martina Osawamick. It's so beautiful to see you all the time and so wonderful to have you here. As well, a very warm welcome to Mishomis Art Petahtegoose. Art has entertained me in his home and gave me teachings one night. Pleasure to see you everywhere Art. It was humbling to have you beat me in our local running race here. You're a fast man. I'm going to do my training for next year's Sudbury Rocks Marathon. Truly, it's a pleasure that you're here. 

I'll say you know, I think everybody knows recently there's been dialogue about treaty land acknowledgments and regarding the purpose and significance and to some of us, sometimes I think, they can be insignificant. And when they are just words as I am saying, said without meaning and without the understanding behind the words I do think it gets, it can get forgotten.

However, I want everybody here to know that our journey to get here was significant, was meaningful, was done with consultation, guidance and advice and I hope reflects more than just an acknowledgment of words. 

I acknowledge Constable Shannon Agowissa, our Aboriginal Liaison Officer. She started this position in 2016 and very early on said she wanted to create an acknowledgment for Greater Sudbury Police Service. And make it words that were meaningful, make it words that were researched, make it words that, that mattered so that we could as a police service, regardless of who is representing the organization, if it's me speaking, if it's Shannon speaking it doesn't matter - so that we could truly be respectful in the way that we put words of acknowledgement when we are at major events.

Shannon started writing them and started with her own thoughts, started a journey, started a process and she attended many community events, learned about early history. (She) learned about the purpose of territory acknowledgment, asked questions, asked what was here before we had settlers. Who was here before contact? 

Oh there's Will Morin. Pleasure seeing you here today. 

And so today, with this acknowledgment when asking those questions, we learned that there were truly sophisticated governments and peoples with beautiful teachings about life, values, before another culture was pressed upon them. And those words aren't nice to say, necessarily. Those words disrupt, those words are uncomfortable for some, but those words are the truth and the Greater Sudbury Police Service, one of the things I'm really proud of is that everything we do we set on the foundation of our four values, our four rich values: Respect, Inclusivity, Courage and Honesty. 

We know we are in a time of Truth and Reconciliation now, and truth and reconciliation begins with truth. As a service we are trying to face those truths with honesty. 

For example, the truth about the role that the police played in taking children from their homes to send them to residential schools -- truly, not that long ago in our history. And the honesty that some investigations could have been improved without the impacts of racism and complacency.

Saying those truths with honesty out loud, will open the doors to true reconciliation and as a service we are honest in saying we are not perfect. We are honest also in saying that we will continue to create dialogue reflect on ourselves to better our response to violence. 

As Treaty Recognition Week begins next week we honour that this land is also on Robinson-Huron Treaty land. The Robinson-Huron treaty was signed in 1850 in Sault Ste. Marie. Elder Art's great-great grandpa, Chief Shawenakishick signed that treaty - a direct line to Art in this room. 

The idea that we need to be, that the treaty is an idea that we need to be conveyed to all non-Indigenous people and what we need to really understand as what I said earlier, we truly are all, treaty people.

Our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, our highest law, refers to treaties in Section 25. By virtue of being a Canadian citizen, we were brought into this agreement and what does that mean? It means I'm going to continue my journey about learning more about treaties. There's a huge knowledge gap. 

We also honour that in the Police Services Act in Section 42 one of the things that we all know to be true is, an officer's first duty is to preserve the peace. These are ideas that have been put into place through this acknowledgment. I don't think any of these ideas or knowledge are insignificant. I hope we have been able to show you that this is not merely a token but truly is something meaningful.

Lastly, I want to send some thanks to some following people: Sup. Sheilah Weber, a driving force behind seeing words and thoughts turn into action, hand in hand with Shannon Agowissa, making sure that all of the learning, all of the teaching that come into play. 

Again, I've acknowledged Art - not just for your role as an elder but as a fellow dad, for raising and teaching a beautiful daughter, to allow her to truly be a guide in our organization, thank you very much. Martina, I thank you every single time and I know as well a mom of somebody near and dear to our heart - Lisa, she helped grow our organization and helped take us in this direction. So, thank you very much for that. 

Angie Chen, who was with us for a period of time who helped with the drawings. ACPAC committee the Wahnapitae Chief and Council. Brian Charles for your teachings. Clay Rogers who is over there as well for your designing of the plaque that we're about to see. Wayne Pheasant, when this gets unveiled and you see the wood craft, the art craft, it's art. It's truly beautiful. To the Looking Ahead to Build the Spirit of Women project, again something that started out as an idea and turned into something nobody can imagine, thank you so much for the support during this journey. 

I'm sure I'm forgetting somebody, I apologize for that. I know each and every one of us have had a role to play in creating this and I hope we can all celebrate in the success of what I think is pretty, pretty significant. So I'm going to finish off now and say Gchi Miigwech. 

Thank you very much for taking the time to come out, thank you very much for listening to me. 


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Allana McDougall

About the Author: Allana McDougall

Allana McDougall is a new media reporter at Northern Life.
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