The Haldimand Tract is the land in southwestern Ontario reserved for the Six Nations (or Haudenosaunee) under the Haldimand Proclamation of 1784. The current Six Nations reserve covers five per cent of the original territory that was reserved for them. Most of the rest was stolen by successive Canadian governments. Today, the Six Nations of the Grand River have 28 land claims outstanding against the Canadian government. And, to make matters worse, the Canadian government does not consider the Haldimand Proclamation to be a treaty, meaning that from its perspective there is no treaty between the Six Nations and Canada.

I grew up in the Haldimand Tract, in the city of Brantford, just outside the Six Nations reserve, but until recently I had no knowledge of this history. It’s not the kind of thing that gets taught in schools in Canada. When I learned about this history, I felt angry and ashamed. My interest in this place, then, is deeply personal. 

What I want to accomplish with this walk is to understand, in a visceral way, with my blistered feet and sore muscles, the extent of the territory that’s been stolen from the Haudenosaunee. I also want to talk to other settlers about the history of the area. And, finally, I’m hoping that the walk will help to raise money for the Woodland Cultural Centre’s “Save the Evidence” campaign, which is seeking to renovate the former residential school in Brantford and create a museum about residential schools there.

You can follow my progress at muscleandboneblog.wordpress.com.

Cheers,

Ken Wilson

Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada