150 years later, Treaty 6 brings people together to reflect and recommit

People are gathering at Fort Carlton to reflect on the 150th anniversary of Treaty 6, a pivotal agreement signed in 1876 between the Crown and First Nations leaders. The treaty established terms for coexistence and resource sharing on the lands, with leaders then prioritizing the future of younger generations amid declining bison populations and disease.

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It’s about honouring that original vision, how we’re supposed to live together in peace and harmony and friendship on these lands, sharing these lands together.

Kathy Walker, Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan, highlighted the treaty's original vision of living together in peace, harmony, and friendship. She noted that First Nations leaders sought a framework for respectful relations as newcomers arrived.

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And so, it was to address those things, but it was also because they knew that newcomers were coming to settle. And they wanted to make sure there was a framework in place so they could relate with one another in a good way.

The current four-day event offers a chance to assess the present and reaffirm commitments to the treaty's principles. For the first time, the original treaty parchment, brought from Ottawa by Beardy’s & Okemasis Cree Nation Chief Ed Ananas, is on display. The Red Pheasant First Nation treaty medal, symbolizing commitment through a handshake and buried hatchet imagery, is also being shown.

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To view that document, that close to me, it was very humbling.

"We are all treaty people, yourself and myself included," said Darlene Brander, president of the Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre. The gathering emphasizes remembering the agreement and reflecting on its ongoing relevance for everyone living in Saskatchewan today.

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We are all treaty people, yourself and myself included. And everyone who comes to see this beautiful medal is on the journey with us.