Mennonites in southern Manitoba have long forgotten about it, but members of Swan Lake First Nation still remember the secret, or handshake, treaty between the two groups.

It happened in the 1870s, when Mennonite settlers first came to what was called the West Reserve — farmland set aside for the immigrants, from west of the Red River toward Morden and Winkler, two small towns in the southern part of the province.

According to stories passed down among members of Swan Lake First Nation, some Mennonites were initially terrified when they first encountered Indigenous people. After explaining they meant no harm, the Indigenous people and Mennonites shook hands.

For Indigenous people, that was a way to signal they would share the land and help each other, said Dave Scott, an elder and spiritual leader in the First Nation.

“That’s what the treaty with the Mennonites was about,” he said.

Hans Werner, a retired history professor from the University of Winnipeg who has specialized in Mennonite studies, said there is no written record of such a treaty. He has read many diaries and other documents from Mennonite settlers of that period but found no mention of it.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

“Just because there are no documented sources doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” he said, noting that the traditional European way of doing history is through written records. “We can’t say oral tradition has any less weight.”

It’s clear from the stories told by people like Scott that some sort of understanding was reached between Indigenous people and Mennonite settlers in the 1870s, Werner said.

“It’s an important story in their Indigenous culture, one that was important enough to be passed down,” he said.

Two people who want to keep the story of the treaty alive are Melanie Neufeld, director of mission engagement for Mennonite Church Manitoba, and Jonathan Dyck, a freelance designer and illustrator who has created a short comic about the encounter, The Secret Treaty: A Lost Story of Ojibwe and Mennonite Neighbours.

Both trace their roots to Mennonite settlers in Manitoba in the late 19th century. They organized a secret treaty tour and book launch in June to share stories about relations between Indigenous people and the Mennonite settlers.

“Mennonites played a critical role in the settlement and creation of the province,” Neufeld said. “While there is much to celebrate from that, we haven’t spent as much time reflecting on what was lost for Indigenous people and how our coming here benefited Mennonites but adversely affected others.”

Proceeds from the sale of The Secret Treaty will be used to support education efforts at the Swan Lake First Nation. The book can be purchased at commonword.ca.