In June, Glendon College Principal Marco Fiola returned from Nokiiwin Day in Thunder Bay with a gift of enduring legal and ceremonial significance: a Two Row Wampum Belt. The offering, made by Executive Director of Nokiiwin Tribal Council Audrey Gilbeau, affirms a deepening relationship between York University's Glendon College and the Tribal Council.
The Two Row Wampum, or Kaswenta, is a formal diplomatic document and living treaty first recorded over 400 years ago. The agreement is governed by three principles: peace, friendship, and mutual respect. Receiving the Kaswenta is a rare and profound honour. Considered the original treaty between Indigenous civilizations and non-Indigenous peoples, it outlines a framework of coexistence between Indigenous Nations and non-Indigenous peoples.
Unbroken twin lines running the length of the beaded belt assert how each party will travel down the river of life in their own vessel: Indigenous Nations with their laws, governance, and ways of life; non-Indigenous settlers with theirs. These vessels travel side by side, never steering one another. It recognizes Glendon's position not as a leader, but as a guest in a relationship shaped by Indigenous community.
