A Living Agreement: Laurentian University Honours Community-Weaved Wampum Belt

(May 6, 2026) — Last fall, during Treaties Recognition Week, a group of students, staff, and community members gathered at Laurentian University for something much deeper than a workshop-they were weaving a future.

Today, the University is proud to share the significance of the community-crafted Wampum belt. Created as part of the Robinson Huron Waawiindamaagewin (RHW) Treaties Recognition Week events, the project was led by primary maker Brian Charles (Chippewas of Georgina Island). 

The Language of Wampum 
To understand the significance of this initiative, one must first understand what Wampum represents. Wampum belts are sacred, living records traditionally created by Eastern Woodlands Nations. The Leni Lenape (Delaware) Nation, along with other Algonquian-speaking coastal tribes, were among the primary producers and users of wampum made from quahog shells. Made from white and purple shell beads, these belts are legal, political, and spiritual instruments that hold the memory of shared agreements.

“There was a strong desire to move beyond symbolic acknowledgment,” says Natalie Lacasse (Nimkii Benishii-Thunderbird), Laurentian’s Manager of Indigenous Strategic Community Engagement and a member of Moose Cree First Nation. “As we reflected on 175 years since the signing of the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850, we wanted to create something that would reflect living relationships and responsibilities in an intentional and accountable way.”

Built by Community 
The belt’s design is a governance framework for Laurentian University’s ongoing journey toward reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis (FNIM) peoples, their communities, and the land we are situated on. At its heart, a central triangle reflects the University’s Tricultural Mandate, with the three inner lines symbolizing the university’s ongoing relationship with First Nations, Inuit, and Metis Peoples, they reflect a continued commitment to partnership, respect, and meaningful engagement. The two rectangles represent the university’s engagement and ongoing commitment to fostering strong, respectful relationships with its two host Nations—Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Wahnapitae First Nation. Finally, three parallel lines record a nationwide commitment to the distinct sovereign identities of these three groups.

“The communal process of weaving was deeply intentional,” explains Lacasse. “We invited the FNIM community, including members from our host First Nations. Each person was able to contribute their thoughts and their own sense of responsibility into the work. It ensures the belt carries the actual presence and voices of the people it represents.”

A Living Record 
In Indigenous law, a Wampum belt is understood as Bimaadiziimgad—  it holds the spirit of the living agreement and serves as a sacred, living record of our shared responsibilities. To honor this, the belt was "feasted"—a protocol that recognizes the agreement requires ongoing care and relationship.

“We hold feasts for many cultural items that some may view as inanimate. In our understanding, drums, trees, rocks, eagle feathers, and wampum belts are living beings, and they, too, require respectful ongoing care,” says Lacasse. 

Moving forward, the belt’s presence will be centered during major governance milestones and Senate acknowledgments. It stands as a visual reminder that the commitments between Laurentian and Indigenous Peoples are not just words on a page, but a guiding vision for a shared future. Specifically, the belt will be present to recognize and renew nation-to-nation partnerships, during the signing of formal MOUs with FNIM, and as a framing for institutional motions tied to Indigenous rights. This continues a significant precedent set during the memorandum of understanding signing between Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig and Laurentian University, which marked the first time the Wampum belt was present at a signatory event with President and CAO Mary Wabano-McKay and President Lynn Wells.