UC: The Treaty Land We're On

University College was founded in 1853 as the first constituent college of the University of Toronto. 

The land on which the college sits has been the home of Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The Dish with One Spoon agreement between the Anishinaabek and Haudensaunee establishes reciprocal responsibilities on and to the land, with “the land as a dish to be shared and cared for to ensure ongoing sustenance and life — a metaphor that is part of many Indigenous knowledge systems".¹

In 1805, the Crown negotiated Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit. This treaty provided clarity on previously vague boundaries that had been negotiated in the Toronto Purchase of 1787.

With Treaty 13, the Crown also expanded its claims to the land, from Etobicoke Creek in the east, to Ashbridges Bay in the west and north to Newmarket. The included area was around 250,000 acres, for which the Mississaugas of the Credit received 10 shillings (about CAD$61 in 2021),² as well as exclusive fishing rights at Etobicoke Creek and small items such as arms, tobacco, cloth, ribbons and rum.

After decades of advocacy and negotiations the federal government finally paid CAD$145 million to the Mississaugas of the Credit in 2010, acknowledging that compensation from Treaty 13 had not been fair. 

There were limitations to the 2010 settlement, but it was nonetheless an affirmation that Treaty 13 covers the area we now call Toronto.

All of us at UC who work, live and play on this land are treaty peoples with ongoing duties and responsibilities “to one another, other beings and the land”.³

The information on this page was drawn from A Treaty Guide for Torontonians created by The Talking Treaties Collective in 2021, led by Ange Loft, and which included Victoria Freeman, Martha Steigman and Jill Carter.

UC was delighted to have Loft as our 2023-24 Barker Fairley Distinguished Visitor. Jill Carter is an Associate Professor with the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies, which is affiliated with UC. 

More information about the many Indigenous peoples who have lived and continue to live in the region can also be found on the Native Land Digital Maps website and 'The Indigenous History of Tkaronto' website at the University of Toronto Libraries.

The banner image is a close-up of the original plan of the Toronto Purchase (1787-1805; Manuscript, colour; mounted on linen; 42.5 x 27 cm, 1911). The plan is part of the Baldwin Collection of Canadiana from the Toronto Public Library (TPL).