Naagan ge bezhig emkwaan : A Dish with One Spoon Reconsidered
Bkejwanong—the place where the waters divide (the delta islands of Lake St. Clair)—has been called the “soul” of Anishinaabe territory. Long before Europeans arrived, the Anishinaabe occupied territory which includes parts of present-day Ontario, Michigan and Ohio. The resources found there are inte...
| Published in: | Ontario History |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Ontario Historical Society
2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1072237ar https://doi.org/10.7202/1072237ar |
| Summary: | Bkejwanong—the place where the waters divide (the delta islands of Lake St. Clair)—has been called the “soul” of Anishinaabe territory. Long before Europeans arrived, the Anishinaabe occupied territory which includes parts of present-day Ontario, Michigan and Ohio. The resources found there are integral to their way of life and identity. The Anishinaabe defended this territory against Haudenosaunee warriors in the seenteenth century and its integrity was at the core of the peace they concluded in Montreal in 1701, a key element of which was the Naagan ge bezhig emkwaan, or Dish with One Spoon. The dish represented the territory and the single spoon symbolized that people from other territories would be able to eat together while peace was maintained. Recently, however, the Dish with One Spoon has been popularized as an agreement to protect the environment. The original treaty has been incorporated into “land recognition statements” that blur the territorial rights of individual First Nations. This transformation is damaging to First Nations who seek to protect their territories and resources. Walpole Island First Nation (the Council of Three Fires) is working to reclaim their Dish. Bkejwanong – l’endroit où les eaux se séparent (les îles dans le delta du lac Sainte-Claire) – fut appelé « l’esprit » du territoire Anishinabé. Bien avant l’arrivée des Européens, les Anishinabés occupaient un territoire qui comprenait certaines régions de l’Ontario, du Michigan et de l’Ohio d’aujourd’hui. Les ressources qui s’y trouvaient faisaient partie intégrante de leur mode de vie et de leur identité. Les Anishinabés défendaient ce territoire contre les guerriers haudenosaunee au XVIIème siècle, et son intégrité était au coeur du traité de paix qu’ils ont conclu à Montréal en 1701, dont un élément clé était le Naagan ge bezhig emkwaan, ou « bol à une seule cuillère ». Ce bol représentait le territoire et la cuillère symbolisait le fait que d’autres peuples pourraient manger ensemble tout en préservant la paix. Récemment, ... |
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