Sturgeon Lake First Nation chief emphasizes importance of Treaty 6 in meeting with King Charles
CBC
A delegation of First Nations chiefs from Treaty 6 territory has wrapped up a visit to Buckingham Palace, where the leaders met with the King.
The group spoke with King Charles about the importance of keeping the promises entrenched in treaties.
They also invited him to the 150th commemoration of the signing of Treaty 6 this summer. It was signed by Crown representatives and Cree, Assiniboine and Ojibway leaders at Fort Carlton, Sask., on Aug. 23, 1876.
Treaty 6 territory sits in both Saskatchewan and Alberta territory. Joey Pete, the grand chief of the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations, said King Charles "expressed his concern" on Wednesday after hearing about a separatist push in Alberta.
Chief Christine Longjohn of Sturgeon Lake First Nation, northwest of Prince Albert, was one of the delegates in London. She said the issue of Alberta separatism was not an important one for her.
"We don't want that to be the highlight of the visit. The highlight of the visit was to formally invite his majesty to the 150 years of commemoration. His [great-great-great-grandmother] Queen Victoria has signed treaties within Treaty 6," Longjohn said.
The chief said she wanted to use the opportunity to drive home that the treaty of 1876 remains a binding agreement.
"I also made that connection with our children and the generations to come. That was my main message because our treaties are for as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the river flows," Longjohn said.
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations said it was a positive meeting.
"This meeting was an opportunity to reaffirm the sacred and irrevocable relationship between Treaty 6 First Nations and the Crown as one based on peace, friendship and respect," Edwin Ananas, chief of Beardy’s & Okemasis Cree Nation, said in a statement from the federation.
"Under Treaty, dialogue should continually happen with respect to ensuring mutual benefits."
The 150th commemoration is planned at the original site of the signing on Aug. 20-23.
Longjohn said King Charles has not yet accepted or rejected an invitation to attend the event.
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