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One of the books I鈥檝e pulled off my shelf since the rise of the Trump 2.0 era is Mark Zuehlke鈥檚 For Honour's Sake: The War of 1812 and the Brokering of an Uneasy Peace. 

Eyes may glaze over at the thought of pre-Confederation military history in central Canada, but Zuehlke鈥檚 book reveals how Canadian identity was shaped under pressure 鈥� as an American government prepared to annex French Canada, English Canada, and First Nations seeking sovereignty in the Ohio Valley.

At the time, many believed francophones would welcome the Americans as liberators, along with some of the early American settlers in Southern Ontario. Sound familiar? Canada as the 'cherished 51st State'.

Indigenous nations under Tecumseh鈥檚 confederacy were seen by American planners as obstacles to expansion, to be removed by force or treaty violation.

But what unfolded defied expectations: French, English, and Indigenous groups remained united under the Crown and fought back, each for their own reasons. For French and Indigenous communities, minority rights were seen as more secure under the Crown. For English settlers, ties to Britain offered a separate identity from the American Revolution and stability in North America.

Zuehlke shows how today鈥檚 Canada鈥揢.S. borders were largely set during this time and the American government spent much of the next century expanding westward, largely to the detriment of Indigenous peoples.

I raise this history because I鈥檝e been thinking a lot lately about Canadian identity, sovereignty, and citizenship. In the coming days, King Charles III 鈥� our head of state 鈥� will deliver a Speech from the Throne. Alberta continues to simmer with talk of separation. Treaty holders are protesting across the West, including here in Yellowknife. And our new Member of Parliament, Rebecca Alty, has just been named Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations in a federal government elected to face a changing world, including a new America that appears more isolationist, hostile, and erratic, even toward allies.

Zooming out, the international picture appears gloomy. Global institutions like NATO and the United Nations are under strain. Authoritarianism is on the rise. So what does all this mean 鈥� for Canada, and for the North?

As Parliament reopens 鈥� and as we approach Indigenous Peoples Day and Canada Day 鈥� it鈥檚 worth recommitting to the idea of a shared citizenry. That includes remembering what we already have in common here in the Northwest Territories. This isn鈥檛 to ignore injustice 鈥� there鈥檚 always more work to be done 鈥� but to recognize that the screens we look through, the silos we work in, and even the noble causes we fight for can sometimes make it easier to see what divides us, rather than what holds us together.

For Indigenous people leading the charge to defend treaties in recent days, there is an opportunity to take the lead and remind all Canadians that these agreements are not only sacred and constitutionally protected, they are also central to our shared citizenship. The health of the relationship around those treaties 鈥� and the well-being of each other 鈥� must be nurtured if we want a more secure and meaningful country.

Much like the Crown itself, the treaties are difficult elements of our Constitution to remove, if it鈥檚 even possible. Yet some in our country continue to misinterpret, downplay, or dismiss the historic significance of both.

What should be emphasized in this season is that both the Crown and treaties matter. The health of the relationship we share around those Crown鈥揊irst Nations agreements is what we need to build if we want a healthy, positive country.

Whether you鈥檙e a Mark Carney supporter or not, the new Prime Minister鈥檚 words in March should resonate: 鈥淭he wonder of a country [is] built on the bedrock of three peoples: Indigenous, French, and British.鈥�

In uncertain times, our future as a country, and possibly the world, may well depend on how well we remember who we are.