Sheridan honours Treaties Recognition Week with Flag Raising Ceremony

Sheridan held a flag raising ceremony yesterday at its Oakville campus in honour of Treaties Recognition Week.  Following a smudging ceremony led by Stephen Paquette, Chair of Sheridan’s Indigenous Education Council, a flag bearing the logo of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation was raised outside the SCAET building.

In his remarks, Paquette noted that Sheridan resides on the treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, and he acknowledged the various Indigenous groups who have also called the lands home at different times in the past.  He also invited attendees to share a personal statement about their commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.

“Sheridan recognizes that our commitment to past, present and future Indigenous students rests on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, and on the Indigenous Education Protocol established by Colleges and Institutes Canada,” said Dr. Janet Morrison, Provost and Vice President Academic.  “The raising of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation flag is a small but significant step forward in that regard.”

The first week of November was proclaimed as Treaties Recognition Week by the Government of Ontario in 2016.  It is intended to provide a recurring opportunity for teachers to plan learning activities around treaties during the school year, and to help promote awareness of treaties in the broader public.  It is also one of many steps on the province’s journey of healing and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.

About the Flag:

The logo of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation was adopted in 1993, and the symbols depicted in it represent five important aspects of the Mississauga Nation history.  The Eagle is the predominant totem of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation.  The Three Fires symbolize the Mississaugas’ traditional and political alliance with the Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi Nations.  The Circle of Life represents two elements:  one, First Nations teach that every living thing is related and interconnected – we are all a part of the Circle of Life.  Secondly, the blue writing symbolizes the interconnectedness to the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and to the water of the Credit River and Lake Ontario.   The Peace Pipe is the NewCredit people’s equivalent of a Parliamentary Mace, and is used in special opening ceremonies to thank the great spirit, mother earth and the sun.