Treaty Day 2021 in Henley Harbour

Members of the NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) Governing Council and friends travelled to Henley Harbour in Chateau Bay on August 21 to mark and commemorate the British-Inuit Treaty of 1765.

We held a small and moving ceremony that included a Kullik lighting, drum dancing by Katie Simmonds and McKenna Penney and the raising of our NunatuKavut flag. President Russell and Dr. Amy Hudson were on hand to talk about the significance of this important Treaty to NunatuKavut Inuit, and Minister Lisa Dempster joined us to bring greetings from Premier Furey and the Government of NL.

Our thanks and gratitude to captain Darron Rumbolt for getting us out and back safely, to Pauline and Aubrey Russell and their family for preparing a delicious traditional meal (in the rain) and to our NCC staff for helping to organize. We know that so many others would have loved to attend and we truly wish you could have been there. We hope to have a larger gathering for our next Treaty celebration and we hope you will be able to join us then.

Here are some photos from our event!

  • Greg and Lynn Mitchell
  • Boarding the Iceberg Hunter for Henley Harbour
  • Raising the NunatuKavut flag
  • Marilyn Penney lights the Kullik with Dr. Amy Hudson
  • President Russell addresses the crowd
  • President Russell and Charlene Rumbolt
  • (L-R) Greg Mitchell, Dr. Amy Hudson, Bryn Wood, and Derek Simon
  • Minister Dempster
  • Members of NCC arriving at Henley Harbour
  • The Treaty plaque
  • Drum dancers Katie Simmonds and McKenna Penney
  • The tablelands in Henley Harbour
  • Greg Mitchell (r) showing Governing Councillor Boyce Turnbull a map of the area
  • Enjoying lunch in Henley Harbour
  • Governing Councillor Hughlett Williams
  • A small ceremony to mark the Treaty
  • The crowd gathered to mark the Treaty
  • Enjoying lunch
  • Our cook Pauline Russell
  • Karen Simmonds and her son Jake
  • Dr. Amy Hudson talks about the history of the Treaty
  • Arriving in Henley Harbour
  • Minister Dempster with drum dancers Katie and McKenna
  • Our Kullik ceremony

BACKGROUND ON THE TREATY

In response to an invitation made by the British in 1764, over 300 Inuit met with British officials and their Moravian translators in 1765 and negotiated a Peace Treaty in Chateau Bay. This Treaty confirmed that Inuit would continue to live freely and safely upon their lands as they always had, and without threat from the British. Inuit agreed to trade peacefully with the British, without bringing harm to them. The beneficiaries of this Treaty are today’s NunatuKavut Inuit.

#TreatyDay2021 #NunatuKavutInuit