The Lost Reserve

A new book sharing the history of the Chacachas Treaty Nation was launched this month. It’s filled with inspiring stories of their Elders, leaders and citizens who have persevered for generations despite the many obstacles put in place by colonial practices and processes.

Our kēhtē-ayak remind us that Treaty is written in our lands, in our shared histories, languages, songs, ceremonies, traditions and laws and so our Treaty histories remain strong and alive.

By bridging the oral and the written, we confront the silencing and erasure of Treaty histories from mainstream education systems and help create a common understanding of Treaty grounded in truth.

The Lost Reserve: The Taking and Remaking of the Chacachas Treaty Nation, co-authored by historian Dr. Kenton Storey and the Chacachas Treaty Nation (with a foreword by Chief Charlie Bear) draws on extensive 150-year oral history and archival documents to provide readers with the truth of its Treaty history.

This history is a testament to the âhkamêyimow or the strong spirit and will of the Chacachas Treaty Nation to persevere for more than seven generations. Their struggle for justice is ongoing.

The book launch opened with a prayer by the oldest kēhtē-aya of the Chacachas Treaty Nation and an in-depth dialogue moderated by Kathy Walker, Treaty Commissioner, with Chief Charlie Bear, Tom Waller, Dr. Kenton Storey and Peter Watson, with additional commentary provided by long-time grassroots leader, Heather Bear.

To order a copy of the book, published by University of Regina Press, please go to this link: The Lost Reserve: The Taking and Remaking of the Chacachas Treaty Nation.

Photos provided by Jimi Leigh Kinistino, WÂHKÔHTOWIN MEDIA.