Developing and maintaining relationships with each other in a good way is central to Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Saying hello to one another is a small yet meaningful gesture. Learning and acknowledging an Indigenous language can create entry points into creating and understanding relationships through an Indigenous context.
Connecting with each other in the circle can create pathways to understand and acknowledge Indigenous ways of knowing and being connected to original child-rearing practices, kinship circles and interconnected relationships with each other and the natural world. In the circle, everyone is valued, supported, interconnected, and on equal ground.
Oral understandings of the spirit and intent of treaty relationships reflect mutual respect, peace and friendship. Many First Nations did not enter into treaties, nor did Métis and Inuit Peoples.