Hamilton installs three Indigenous Treaty Markers

The City of Hamilton has installed three granite Indigenous Treaty Markers, at City Hall, the Dundurn Castle grounds and the Waterfront Discovery Centre library branch, during Treaties Recognition Week.

The city said in a Nov. 3 news release that the markers were made in partnership with the Moccasin Identifier initiative as a public art and education project. Each is inspired by a historical moccasin design that represents a distinct Indigenous culture, and each carries an interpretive plaque.

The marker at City Hall honours the Anishinaabe Peoples. It is based on an 18th-century pair of moccasins from the Bata Shoe Museum and covers the period from 1700 to 1799.

At the Dundurn Castle grounds, a Seneca moccasin marker represents the Seneca Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy from 1850 to 1900. The design features floral beadwork and elements of the Niagara Style, the city said.

The third marker, at the Waterfront Discovery Centre branch of the Hamilton Public Library, represents the Wendat people from about 1830.

“Treaties Recognition Week reminds us that we all share a responsibility to learn about and honour the Treaties that shape our community and our relationships with Indigenous Peoples,” Mayor Andrea Horwath said in the release.

Laurie Froman, executive director of The Moccasin Identifier, said the markers are “interactive pedagogical tools” and that a Pier 7 gathering space planned for 2027 will create a permanent venue for community learning.

In late 2027, each marker will be updated with information directing visitors to the Treaty Place, a dedicated gathering space, the city said.

The announcement comes as Hamilton prepares for a new council term after Keanin Loomis was elected mayor, with Horwath finishing third. Earlier, the city said advance votes topped the 2022 total. Hamilton is also planning Remembrance Day services from Nov. 6 to 11.

Source: City of Hamilton news release.

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