News
Fourth annual Rock Your Roots
For the fourth year in a row, thousands of Saskatoon area residents gathered to Rock their Roots in a Walk for Reconciliation.
“For me the walk reassured my heart and mind, that as a community we are working together to make a better future for our children,” said Charmaine Gardiner, Office of the Treaty Commissioner staff.
“Today there was just the human race walking as one.”
The event is held on National Indigenous Peoples Day, encouraging people to join in activities in Victoria Park. The walk recognizes Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Sixties Scoop Survivors, and Residential School Survivors (whose lost birthday were remembered with cupcakes at the event).
Throughout the walk performers from many cultures shared their traditions through music and dance.
“It was a great energy. There was lots of diversity in the crowd and people chatting and smiling and laughing. It was a great community event,” said Rhett Sangster, director of reconciliation and community partnerships at the OTC.
“It started off in a good way, with four pipe carriers leading us off in ceremony.”
OTC’s executive director Trish Greyeyes spent the day supporting elders, ensuring those unable to walk the route could participate by riding in a golf cart.
“It was wonderful. Driving the veteran around, listening to his stories, and watching his face as he witnessed all of those people walk past. He would just shake his head in amazement. It was incredible,” she said.
Rock Your Roots is organized by Reconciliation Saskatoon, a community of more than 100 organizations, non-profits, businesses, faith-communities and partners who have come together to initiate a citywide conversation about reconciliation and provide opportunities for everyone to engage in Calls to Action.
Statement from the Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan on the MMIWG inquiry report
The Office of the Treaty Commissioner anxiously awaited the release of the report from the national inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
While the inquiry faced harsh criticism and had an extremely difficult journey at the start, their work is paramount in addressing the long-term neglect of Indigenous women and girls – too many have been scared for the safety of themselves or their children.
The report is calling on the Canadian government to recognize the treatment and deaths of Indigenous women and girls as one of the genocides recognized by Canada. This is a courageous and historic statement.
The inquiry and recommendations are key to changing inequitable systems and to the journey of Reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous Peoples. The OTC believes the inquiry did good work within the structure and short amount of time set out for them by the federal system.
A woman should never feel devalued because of her race and the blood she was born with, and yet across Canada the lives of Indigenous mothers, daughters, and granddaughters are less valued, because society historically and continually made it so.
Canadians, governments and leaders have obligations under the Treaty relationships that were created by their ancestors and the Crown. It is our role and responsibility as beneficiaries of the Treaties to uphold the foundations of peaceful co-existence and mutual benefits.
The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls inquiry’s recommendations need to be implemented to recognize and acknowledge a violent history and to support change, so one day we do not need to worry about the safety of our sisters, our mothers, our daughters and our granddaughters.
We look forward to seeing progress on this in the coming weeks and months.
Poundmaker exonerated
On May 23, Chief Poundmaker was exonerated, 130 years after he died.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was at Poundmaker Cree Nation to offer an apology from the Government of Canada.
Amy Seesequasis, the Office of the Treaty Commissioner Director of Speakers Bureau attended the ceremony.
“I was so happy to be there and so proud. I get emotional when I talk about it because I shared that with my family and forever we will remember that moment when Indigenous Treaty partners were recognized,” she said.
“It was so beautiful, I cried through that whole ceremony because it meant so much to me as an Indigenous person, as Treaty 6, having children that come from Poundmaker and come from a family that are decedents of him.”
In his speech, Trudeau said, “The Government of Canada recognizes that Chief Poundmaker was not a criminal, but someone who worked tirelessly to ensure the survival of his people, and hold the Crown accountable to its obligations as laid out in Treaty 6.”
The recognition that the unjust conviction of Chief Poundmaker has and continues to have an impact on the Cree Nation, was key for Seesequasis.
“This is that moment of real truth and reconciliation because our prime minister, our leader of this country took it upon himself to recognize that legacy and do something about it,” she said.
OTC’s Director Reconciliation and Community Partnerships, Rhett Sangster, travelled to the event with his family.
“I thought it was a great opportunity for my kids to experience a moment of history,” he said, adding that Reconciliation is about shared understanding of history.
History is “more easily understandable when you’re on the site.”
Sangster said he is so happy for the people of Poundmaker Cree Nation, “I think it was a healing day.”
[Editor’s Note: Thank you to Arvid Kuhnle for the images from the Chief Poundmaker exoneration ceremony]
Regina school hosts Treaty Fair
Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan Mary Culbertson spoke at Thomson Community School in Regina on April 17, at a Treaty Fair that was dedicated to Noel Starblanket.
Mary talked to students, teachers and members of the public about the importance of the responsibility to learn about Treaties and to share the that knowledge because We are All Treaty People.
The Treaty Fair initiative included classroom displays with examples of how they learned about Treaties by connecting to the Saskatchewan Treaty Outcomes for their grade level. There were interactive stations with art, PowerPoint presentation, videos and a reenactment of the annuity payment ceremony at Treaty Days.
There was also a hands-on display on traditional uses of buffalo, how symbols honour Treaty long ago and today, language loss and language revitalization efforts, oral history and the residential school experience. This helped participants gain an understanding of historical and contemporary components of treaty and helped everyone connect to reconciliation through Treaty Education
Statement from the Office of the Treaty Commissioner on the passing of Noel Starblanket
It is with heavy heart that the Office of the Treaty Commissioner acknowledges the passing of respected leader, elder and knowledge keeper Noel Starblanket. We send our condolences to his children, his grandchildren, his spouse, his siblings and his nation of Starblanket.
“It is hard to say goodbye to a mentor, a kind man and a brave survivor. This is an incredible loss, but we will be left with memories of Noel,” said Treaty Commissioner, Mary Culbertson.
Noel rooted his life in culture and tradition, he believed in Reconciliation and spoke about its importance, and he shared his knowledge through leadership and as an educator.
Through his work as a speaker in the OTC’s speakers’ bureau, and as an elder for the Teaching Treaties in the Classroom, Noel reached hundreds of educators in the oral history of treaties.
A wake service will be held beginning at 12 pm to 2 pm at First Nations University in Regina and will then commence at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Wa-Pii Moos-toosis, White Calf Gym and the funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Friday.
“If you want Treaty education to succeed, your message cannot be about bitterness, anger or resentment, your message has to be about hope and moving forward together,” — Elder Noel Starblanket
Preparing to commemorate the Woodland Cree 1889 adhesion to Treaty 6
Planning underway for the 130th anniversary of the Woodland Cree negotiated adhesion to Treaty 6.
Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan, Mary Culbertson, says she is honoured to be part of the commemoration celebration and its planning.
On Feb. 11, 1889, Woodland Cree negotiated adhesion to Treaty 6. They negotiated this adhesion on the Ice of Montreal Lake.
“Askipago” only the land, they asked about the water, the fish the fur bearing animals and were told “Tapwe Askipago” only the land the Commissioners wanted access to.
In this 2016 video Harold Johnson speaks and show the site at Molanosa, Saksatchewan where the adhesion to Treaty 6 took place.
Treaty Literacy Fun Night
The first ever Beardys and Okemasis Cree Nation Treaty Literacy Fun Night with the Office of the Treaty Commissioner was a fun, family event held Mar. 7, 2019.
“I am from the community of Beardys and attended CBMES, so it was very nostalgic to be back there at the elementary,” said Amy Seesequasis, OTC speaker’s bureau director and one of the staff facilitating the event.
About 75 staff, students and family members played games and did crafts at the Chief Beardys Memorial Elementary School.
“The Treaty Trivia games were a huge hit with all the students and it was busy all through the event,” Seesequasis said.
“They loved the opportunity to win prizes based on their Treaty knowledge.”
Along with rounds of Treaty jeopardy, kids learned about the Treaty medal, dreamcatchers, and mini-tipis through crafts.
“Parents enjoyed the opportunities to interact and learn as well; we encouraged their participation and also had fact sheets available,” Seesequasis said.
“It was an excellent opportunity to engage the parents and grandparents through activities geared towards their children/grandchildren.”
Seesequasis said while youth often learn about Treaties at school, many people in older generations were denied that opportunity.
“Through this event we wanted to have the whole family engage in activities that equipped them with knowledge and pride in their identity as Treaty people.”
The school had each classroom decorate a door or bulletin board with a theme centered around Treaties, culture and traditional knowledge. OTC staff were the judges and selected the Grade 3 class poster with the ducks talking about oral traditions and storytelling.
At the end of the night a Treaty Literacy Reading pack was raffled off. Entry to the raffle was gained by completing a session.
Treaty medal ceremony
St. Michael Community School celebrated their commitments to Reconciliation and the Treaties with a Treaty Medal ceremony on Mar. 6.
Office of the Treaty Commissioner education director Brenda Ahenakew carried the Treaty medal in during the event’s Grand Entry.
After words about the importance of the day the medal was unveiled.
“And then the kids did some really awesome performances, Métis jiggers and Métis fiddlers played, there was a drum group, and a video,” Ahenakew said.
They had a good audience, about 150 people were packed into the school’s gym.
“It’s really incredible to see how those kids understand. They now understand what Treaty is, they know they are part of Treaty, and they recognize Treaty means good relations,” she said.
The medal unveiled today will be installed in the front entrance of St. Michael Community School. The Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools plans to install a treaty medal in 50 of their schools by the end of the year.
Learning about the Treaty songs
After Treaty 4 was signed on Sept. 15, 1874, Chief Piapot composed a flag song to mark the Treaty’s creation.
It can only be sung by people who have the rites to sing it.
Aaron Tootoosis learned the words, protocols and meaning during a healing gathering with his family in 2005. The rites to sing this song were passed on to the Tootoosis family by the Kaiswatum Singers in July 1982 at the World Assembly of First Nations International Celebration that was held at Regina Beach.
He was able to share his learnings at an event with the Office of the Treaty Commissioner in late February. OTC staff learned the protocol required to hear him sing.
The Treaty 4 song’s words in Cree reflect the meaning of what people at that time saw with the signing. The words refer to the Queen (the great white mother) presenting her colours, like a sacred exchange, and how those colours will fly here forever as they were presented by the Queen
On the other hand, the Treaty 6 song was designed as a universal song. The Treaty 6 song is similar to the Treaty 4 song in meaning, but has fewer words. It can be used everywhere, recorded, and be sung by everyone. Please stand while it is being sung.
While the two songs are named for different Treaty territories, they do not refer to particular Treaties, but rather for the region where the composer lived.
Aaron also shared the Treaty 6 song with the OTC staff, which he graciously allowed us to record.
New resource coming to Saskatchewan Classrooms
In celebration of the 10-year of the Treaty resource kit, a new Treaty resource is being rolled out for Kindergarten to Grade 9 classrooms across the province. The new teacher resource builds upon the success of the original Treaty resource kit and was created in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Elders and educators.
The Kindergarten to Grade 9 Treaty Education Learning Resources is easy to use and includes suggestions for integrating Treaty education into a range of subject areas at each grade. It provides sample learning activities and links related to resource and ensures First Nation and Métis content, perspectives and ways of knowing continue to be a priority with in Saskatchewan classrooms.
“Creating this resource supports all students in learning the true stroy of Canada’s history with Indigenous Peoples and share the important perspectives that surround the making of the Treaties,” said Mary Culbertson, Treaty Commission of Saskatchewan
“We are proud to have worked with our First Nations Elders and educators with the assistance of the Ministry of Education to make these additional Treaty resources a reality for use in the classroom.”