News

The Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan and the team at the Office of the Treaty Commissioner offer our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones affected by the loss of four people on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation this week.

“We were devastated to hear of the deaths and stand in solidarity with the community as they deal with this tragedy. Our hearts are with those who have lost loved ones,” said Dr. Kathy Walker, Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan.

The OTC acknowledges the efforts of Carry the Kettle leadership to take steps to ensure healing can begin to take place by opening the community hall for people to visit, pray and smudge.

The road ahead will be challenging, but our collective support can help carry Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation through this difficult time. By living the Treaties, we are reminded of our shared responsibility to support one another through difficult times.

Chief Larry Ahenakew and the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation are extending an official invitation to His Majesty the King to attend the 150th Commemoration of Treaty 6. The Office of the Treaty Commissioner is pleased to support this significant act of Treaty renewal.

The commemoration will take place in the summer of 2026 and the attendance of the British Crown would reinforce the continuity of the Crown’s relationship with First Nations in Treaty 6 and strengthen the relationship between the Crown and First Nations.

“The significance of the pipe ceremony at the conclusion of negotiations, the oral history of our Elders, and the signing of Treaty 6 on August 23, 1876 have long demonstrated that this relationship will last for as long as the sun shines, grass grows, and rivers flow,” said Chief Ahenakew.

This landmark event will honour the collective vision of the 1876 Treaty signatories to forge an irrevocable Treaty relationship based on mutual respect, mutual sharing, peace and friendship.

“When I was approached by Chief Ahenakew about supporting the invitation, I immediately saw the importance of His Majesty’s attendance at such an important milestone,” said Walker.

“We can use our office in its role of intermediary for the Treaty Table to advocate alongside Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, in particular to parliamentary offices and government representatives.”

This morning, the letter was signed in the OTC boardroom and it will be mailed this week.

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner was pleased to host 15 wisdom holders from Reconciliation Circles across the Treaty Territories to discuss next steps for Truth and Reconciliation work in Saskatchewan.

“It was great. They are a group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people who care a lot about reconciliation in their communities. It’s cool to see them come together and make relationships with one another,” said Rhett Sangster, the OTC director reconciliation and community partnerships.

“They come together and talk about ways of doing things and put it into practice.”

This was the fourth time the group gathered.

This gathering is part of the work of the OTC in creating an advisory group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous wisdom holders and knowledge keepers to continue to move Truth and Reconciliation work forward in a good way.

The Reconciliation Circles are committed to Truth and Reconciliation through Treaty Implementation, which includes understanding our shared history on these lands, ensuring systems that benefit us all, and strengthening authentic relationships.

Members of the Office of the Treaty Commissioner team got to see behind the scenes at the Western Development Museum (WDM) as a new Treaty Timeline is being prepared for display.

The massive timeline allows people to walk through Treaty history. From Pre-contact through the early and numbered Treaties to today, people can follow the journey as it flows from one date to another.

It comes as part of the memorandum of understanding between the OTC and WDM.

“We use the expertise of the WDM team in terms of museum displays in combination with our knowledge of Treaty history,” said Sheldon Krasowski, OTC director of research and archives.

Once finalized this version will be available on display at the WDM, and the OTC will have a display to take to events.

Early Saturday morning marks the beginning of the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It marks the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

It’s a tradition that goes back centuries, with many First Nations taking the time of year to celebrate with ceremony and community gatherings. There is an event being hosted in Regina on Saturday by the Buffalo People Arts Institute, with a pipe ceremony, talking circle, and feast.

The solstice marks the beginning of the season for reflection and the telling of stories.

“When I think about the winter solstice in this time of year that we call December, that others may call snow moon, frost moon, it’s really important to acknowledge those start stories,” said Joely BigEagle-Kequahtooway from the Buffalo People Arts Institute in a video she created with the Royal Saskatchewan Museum about what the Winter Solstice means for her.

“For me it’s important for us to gather because it’s a time when it’s cold outside. It’s a time for meditation, reflection, the time for family, for extended family, for ceremonies, dances, feasts, and giveaways.”

Learn more about the Winter Solstice by watching these videos
A look at the importance of the winter solstice
The Importance of Winter Solstice in Indigenous Culture
What the winter solstice means in the Cree tradition | Ask an Elder

And these articles
CBC Unreserved: How solstice is helping some Indigenous people reconnect to their land, families and traditions
NDN Collective: Acknowledging the Winter Solstice is a Decolonial Act for Indigenous People
Winter Solstice and what it means to Indigenous peoples

Every Dec. 10 Human Rights Day is observed to commemorate the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

The FSIN Chiefs-in-Assembly have tasked the Treaty Governance Office to advocate for the protection and enforcement of Treaty rights and responsibilities, and to advance knowledge of and engagement with Canada’s implementation of UNDRIP.

While imperfect, the Treaty Governance Office believes that Canada’s UNDRIP Act and Action Plan are useful tools that First Nations can use to further the recognition of their rights. By hosting both virtual information and community-based engagement sessions, the Treaty Governance Office amplifies the voices of First Nations and ensures that First Nations can make informed decisions regarding how they approach the protection and enforcement of their individual and collective rights

Protecting and creating common understanding on the inherent and Treaty rights of First Nations remains at the forefront of everything we do. The work is guided by our Treaty Elders and includes education and engagement on the implications and implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which sets out the minimum standards for the survival, dignity, wellbeing and rights of Indigenous peoples around the world.

OTC and FSIN Treaty Governance Office

The Senator Jenny Spyglass Outdoor Arena was officially celebrated with a ribbon-cutting this week in North Battleford.

The Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan, Dr. Kathy Walker was pleased to be able to attend the event honouring Spyglass and her contributions to community.

While I have personally not known Senator Jenny Spyglass for very long, she has been a valuable member of the Office of the Treaty Commissioner kihtehayak Council since the fall of 2022. In that short time, Senator Spyglass’ contributions to the OTC and our kihtehayah Council show someone who exemplifies what it means to be a residential school thriver.

In 2019, Senator Spyglass made history as the first woman appointed to the Battlefords Agency Tribal Council and Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Senate. She is the former chief, and a long-time councillor of Mosquito Grizzly Bear’s Head Lean Man First Nation. She is also a Pow Wow dancer.

Spyglass retained her nehiyawewin language, and while she is incredibly eloquent in both Cree and English, she has said she regrets not speaking Assiniboine fluently as well.

As a residential school thriver, she has used the loss and pain she experienced as fuel to motivate her to help others and ensure no other child or person has to go through what she went through. She truly embodies the idea that Every Child Matters and teaches others to do the same.

She is a force at all of our Elders councils and OTC meetings. She is famous for standing up to a group who wanted to prevent the sharing of First Nations Treaty teachings.

In that situation, Elder Spyglass explained that as result of residential school, she had to re-learn Treaty teachings and was grateful that resources were available to her to learn and that Elders shared their knowledge. She stated in no uncertain terms that these teachings would continue. Her point was made so eloquently that no other Elder felt the need to speak on the matter.

I hear also that Elder Spyglass also has the distinction on the Elders Council of always being the best dressed kihtehayah at our councils, and in fact is usually the best dressed person in any room.

The Senator Jenny Spyglass Outdoor Arena is the perfect name for a space that will help children, youth and the community thrive in athletics; in recreation; and grow and learn together.

In honouring Senator Spyglass with the naming of this space, I feel her life and contributions honour us all and I look forward to working with and learning from Senator Sypglass and watching this honour continue to grow.

Read more about the opening: Ribbon cutting officially opens the Senator Jenny Spyglass Outdoor Arena

Created over the past year, the Crown and Indigenous Peoples Series features three episodes covering Treaty, Residential Schools, and Truth and Reconciliation.

The videos aim to introduce each topic and encourage questions, dialogue, and further exploration.

The series includes interviews with former Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan Mary Musqua-Culbertson and OTC speakers bureau member and Traditional Knowledge Keeper Lyndon J. Linklater.

Learn more about the Crown and Indigenous Peoples Series

Watch them:
Treaty
Residential School
Truth and Reconciliation

The content of this documentary series may be disturbing to some viewers as it explores the impacts of Residential Schools in Canada.

If you need help, there are services available, including: the federal Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program, and the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line which provides support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – 1-866-925-4419.

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner was pleased to partner with Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan (MCoS) to present the Leading Together Awards in November at Government House in Regina.

The Leading Together awards recognize outstanding efforts in areas of activity including land, education, anti-racism, MMIWG2SBM, justice, health, social services, economic development, arts, language, culture, and more.

In its second year, two organizations were recognized for their work Burnt Thicket Theatre and OneHoop.

Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan Dr. Kathy Walker was at the event to present the awards.

OneHoop was honoured for their work in advancing Canadians’ understanding of economic reconciliation and supporting meaningful relationship-building between the corporate sector, governments and the Indigenous community.

Burnt Thicket Theatre received their award for their show We Treaty People, 9 digital audio plays and 9 interviews from a diverse group of 49 artists exploring the question, “What does it mean to embrace all our relations?

“This is a great honour and I feel very humbled to be in the room here with so many amazing people,” Steven Waldscmidt said during Burnt Thicket Theatre’s acceptance speech.

“I’d like to thank [Dr.] Kathy Walker and everyone at the Office of the Treaty Commissioner and to MCoS for the gift of these awards and this recognition as well as bringing all these people together.”

The Sarkar Family Foundation donated funds to MCoS to establish and maintain an award that recognizes long-term impactful work towards reconciliation.

Watch the video featuring the nominees

Today is National Indigenous Veterans Day. Thirty years ago, it was created as National Aboriginal Veterans Day to honour Indigenous veterans and pay tribute to their contributions in Canada’s military history.

While Nov. 8 provides an occasion to remember those who fought and those who died, it is also an opportunity to reflect on the unequal treatment faced by Indigenous People when they returned from combat.

Under Treaty, Indigenous People did not have to fight on behalf of the Queen or Canada. Yet thousands of people signed up to serve. However, during this same period, Canada expropriated reserve lands. Upon their return, Indigenous Veterans were typically denied the farmland granted to other returning Veterans. Also, they were often denied access to full benefits and support programs.

Despite serving on the front lines together, Indigenous Veterans were treated as second-class citizens, making their transition to life back home even harder.

As part of your reconciliation journey, learn more about these veterans and take time to recognize them now. Here are some resources to get started

ithiniw-simâkanisihkânak / Indian Veterans
Salamô omasinahikîwin / Written by Solomon Ratt

We Answered the Call: A History of the Saskatchewan First Nations’ Contribution to Canada’s Freedom and Democracy

30 Years Later: On the Founding of Indigenous Veterans Day

The Indigenous Veterans Initiative: Finding Unmarked Graves