150th anniversary of Treaty 6 to be commemorated

DUCK LAKE – It was 150 years ago when First Nations chiefs and dignitaries met at Fort Carlton, in the wilderness of what is now Saskatchewan, to carve out a lasting agreement on how to work and live as the modern shape of Canada emerged.

Politicians, dignitaries, Indigenous chiefs and elders are set to gather in the same place on Sunday to honour Treaty 6, celebrate its legacy and recommit to fixing promises broken and dreams unrealized.

“Events surrounding this major milestone provide a special opportunity to recognize the resilience and vibrancy of Treaty 6 Nations,” federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty said in a statement.

Alty said Canada has historically not been a reliable treaty partner and that the federal government is committed to addressing harms and injustices.

“Despite real hardship and periods in our shared history when government policies sought to erase Indigenous cultures altogether, these communities have maintained their languages, teachings and traditional practices for generations.”

Among those expected to speak at Fort Carlton Historic Park Sunday are Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour and Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak.

The treaty was the sixth of 11 treaties signed in the years after Canada was established through Confederation, and it covers most of what’s now central Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Canada was barely a country when the treaty was signed and Alberta and Saskatchewan weren’t yet recognized as provinces.

The signing anniversary comes as relationships between Indigenous chiefs and the Alberta government are under strain over the Oct. 19 referendum on whether the province should hold a separation vote.

First Nations in Alberta have vehemently opposed the separatist movement and have fought in court efforts to hold a binding vote. Some chiefs have gone as far as to accuse the premier of acting treasonously.

Premier Danielle Smith has defended the referendum by arguing that the hundreds of thousands of Albertans who have signed petitions on either side of the debate deserve to have their voices heard.

The fracture recently made headlines again when Joey Pete, grand chief of the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations, called out Smith’s government for missing an event in Edmonton commemorating the treaty anniversary.

Alberta Indigenous Relations Minister Rajan Sawhney’s office said the minister was away but remains committed to maintaining the relationship between the province and First Nations.

Pete said if the relationship doesn’t improve, the only path forward for collaboration would be with the federal government, which he said he expects more from when it comes to honouring commitments made in Treaty 6.