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The Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan along with OTC staff attended the commemoration ceremony of the November 27th, 1885 hangings of eight First Nations men in Battleford.

It’s somber history, but we must never forget them:
Walking the Sky
Bad Arrow
Miserable Man
Iron Body
Little Bear
Crooked Leg
Man Without Blood
Wandering Spirit

“So much history was shared by the Elders, this needs to be taught in schools and we should all know this piece of history,” said Angie Merasty.

On Nov. 22, more than 100 people came together to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Office of the Treaty Commissioner in Saskatchewan.

The 30th Anniversary Round Dance and Feast was held in Saskatoon and provided and opportunity for celebration of past work and a look to the future including, the unveiling of a new logo.

“As the fifth Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan and the first woman Treaty Commissioner, I am proud to celebrate 30 years of the office. It has been a catalyst for Treaty education both in the classroom and in the greater public,” said Mary Culbertson, Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan.

We were the first region to have mandatory Treaty education in schools and the OTC was the vehicle that carried information about Treaty to the public through the speakers bureau, said Culbertson.

“It has been a shining example for other commissions across Canada and is called on to share experience and expertise across the land.”

At the event the history was celebrated and the people who have helped the office were recognized, including OTC’s Director of Education Brenda Ahenakew, who was honoured with a star blanket. Youth in the OTC’s Youth in Service group supported the giveaway.

“It was a wonderful evening, I really enjoyed it,” said Rhett Sangster, OTC Director of Reconciliation, Community Partnerships.

Reconciliation remains central to the work of the OTC as the office looks to the future. There are Treaty obligations that have not been honoured, and work has to be done to make systemic change, said Culbertson.

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner renewed their strategic alliance with the Great Plains College at an event on the Warman campus last week.

The ceremony began with a prayer by OTC Speakers Bureau member and Cultural Advisor to Great Plains College, Lyndon Linklater. He also shared information on the importance of the partnership and his experiences over the years working on the college campuses.

Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan Mary Culbertson shared information about OTC is and the purpose and importance of these partnerships, as well as the importance of regional colleges to our province. Amy Seesequasis provided history on the alliance and steps moving forward. College President David Keast spoke of the campuses and their importance to the communities, the profound changes to the campus over the years due to the partnership, and how this new information sharing contributes to the bigger picture which is healthy and vibrant communities that are inclusive.

There were about 25 students and 15 staff attended the event to see the signing of the three-year renewal document.

The Great Plains College has been working with the OTC since 2012, and in 2017 the first two-year alliance was signed to see Treaty History, Indigenous knowledge systems and Reconciliation awareness integrated into the campuses across Saskatchewan.

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner’s Youth in Service Northern Conference saw youth come together to make new friends and work on Reconciliation.

“My heart is full,” said organized Angie Merasty,

“Amazing wonderful youth filled my heart with their voice, their talent, their intelligence. They participated and they asked many good questions.”

The youth who participated said they were happy with the new friends they made, what they learned about Residential Schools, the Indian Act, the OTC, the Speakers Bureau, etc.

The witty emcee Nick Daigneault kept things flowing and entertaining; motivational speaker James Anderson was a huge hit; and Max Fineday, and his team from Canadian Roots Exchange, were informative and engaging with their sessions.

We are so thankful for everyone who supported the OTC with this event, especially the Elders, who were there the whole time to support these young people and prayed hard for us all.

We were excited to welcome youth and chaperones from the communities of Turnor Lake, La Loche, Pinehouse, North Battleford, Southend, Stanley Mission, Sandy Bay, Pelican Narrows, Deschambault Lake, Cumberland House, Nipawin, Shoal Lake, Beardy’s Okemasis, Prince Albert, and Saskatoon!!

The Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan, Mary Culbertson, is learning more about her Indigenous language – she is signed up to take Nakwé through a program at the Hugh Cairns V.C. School in Saskatoon.

“I don’t have access to fluency in our home. My mom speaks the language and I am fortunate when I do get to hear my relatives or elders speak. Many people’s parents and grandparents did not want to pass on the language for fear of retribution. Today I crave to learn my language,” Mary said.

“I feel my heart being connected when I hear my language. I speak very little, some, but not fluent.”

That is going to change.

The school along with the First Nations, Inuit, Métis Education Unit of Saskatoon Public Schools partnered with the Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre, and the Office of the Treaty Commissioner to offer language and cultural classes.

It is International Year of Languages, and a time when we are all working towards reconciling past wrongs that happened to Indigenous people. To create positive change, it is vital for education systems to have resources that people impacted by the legacy of residential schools can access to be able to assist in recovery and preservation of the languages that have been so drastically impacted. There are not many Saulteaux Nations in these territories and yet so many of us from these bloodlines live in these urban areas, she said.

“My mom would always tell me when I was younger how they would get punished for speaking their language in school and today we have many of our schools embracing our languages and through programs just like this, our languages will be still spoken with pride,” Mary said.

It is with heavy heart that the Office of the Treaty Commissioner acknowledges the passing of one of the former Treaty Commissioners of Saskatchewan, Hon. Bill McKnight.

“Bill McKnight understood the importance of land and the role of economic independence in Reconciliation. His work on the Treaty Land Entitlement Framework allowed for more economic opportunities for First Nations,” said Mary Culbertson, current and fifth Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan.

“He worked to further the understanding that we are all Treaty people, and that economic partnerships and livelihood benefit us all. He will be missed,”

McKnight was Saskatchewan’s third Treaty Commissioner, holding the role from 2007 to 2012.

He will be remembered for his work supporting Indigenous communities. McKnight was the MP for Kindersley–Lloydminster from 1979 to 1993, and he was a driving force in the creation of the 1992 Saskatchewan Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement, when about 2.5 million acres of land were identified that would set to greatly enhance the economic opportunities for First Nations in Saskatchewan.

McKnight was named honorary chief by the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, appointed as a member of the Order of Saskatchewan, and received an honourary law degree from the University of Saskatchewan.

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner sends our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.

On Oct.1 The Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan, Mary Culbertson, spent the day at Mother Theresa school with Buffalo People Arts Institute and students.

They did an honour song on the first buffalo hide drum they made, and Culbertson participated in scrapping the buffalo hide.

“It was an amazing learning experience and hope to come back again,” she said.

Buffalo People Arts Institute is about sharing traditional Indigenous teachings and knowledge and nurturing it every day so our culture thrives. Learn more on their Facebook page

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner and its Reconciliation partners across the province are pleased to publicly introduce a made-in-Saskatchewan Vision for Truth and Reconciliation through Treaty Implementation. We are asking people to believe in, and work towards, a better future for everyone.

“We believe that if we can come together on a common vision for success, that we can better work together, and determine how progress is being made.” said Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan, Mary Culbertson.

OTC has been working with partners since 2014 to develop the Vision for Reconciliation. In this process, we’ve asked thousands of Indigenous and non-Indigenous citizens from Saskatchewan about the reconciliation story they’d like to tell in a generation. The vision was created based on feedback from community leaders, Elders, Residential School Survivors, and the public.

Learning about history, building relationships, having vibrant cultures and building systems that work for everyone – those are the elements people have described as crucial for successful reconciliation.

The Treaty Relationship was intended to be one of mutual benefit,” Culbertson said. “There is a long road ahead of us and we believe this vision is something that can be used to guide all Treaty People on the journey.”

Across the province people of action are coming together to build relationships, trust, and understanding among local leaders, and to make positive change in their community. These include coalitions in Saskatoon, Regina, Heart of Treaty Six (Lloydminster, Onion Lake, Frog Lake, Poundmaker), Yellow Quill/Kelvington, Prince Albert and Prairie Rivers Reconciliation (Warman, Martensville, One Arrow, Osler), Nipawin, Battlefords, and Yorkton.

“As Senator Murray Sinclair, Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission says, ‘It begins with a vision of reconciliation and measuring all that we do against that vision.’ That is the goal of our work,” said Rhett Sangster, OTC’s Director Reconciliation, Community Partnerships.”

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner with the Treaty 6 Adhesion 1889 Commemoration Committee celebrated 130 years since the signing of Treaty 6 Adhesion on Aug. 28, at the geographical centre of Saskatchewan, Molanosa at the Molanosa Cultural Grounds

The day began by honouring the spirit and intent of Treaty with a Pipe Ceremony. There was the unveiling of the Treaty 6 Adhesion plaque and flag.

“It was a proud day to be part of the 130th Commemoration of the 1889 Treaty 6 Adhesion. The work and effort into such a legacy project has been just amazing, it is an honour to be part of this group,” said Mary Culbertson, Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan.

“The importance of the signing of the Treaty 6 Adhesion 1889 in building Canada has to be recognized. Commemorations are important to teach youth, celebrate Treaty history, and remind the parties of the signing that they have Treaty obligations that they need to fulfil.”

There has been little education about Treaty adhesions and we are working to change that, Culbertson said. There have been 18 adhesions to Treaty 6 right up until the 1950s.

“It is vital to know where we all came from and how our ancestors on both sides made Treaty to give their grandchildren and children a better life in a changing world.”

The Treaty 6 Adhesion Commemoration Project Committee is comprised of volunteers from Lac La Ronge Indian Band, Montreal Lake Cree Nation, Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, Prince Albert Grand Council, Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, and Office of the Treaty Commissioner.