Chiefs agree to engage prime minister, governor general

Chiefs are “cautiously optimistic” that recent strategizing to implement their treaty rights will get somewhere with the new federal government. 

“We are cautiously optimistic with the promises of the newly elected federal government…,” said Cold Lake First Nations Chief Bernice Martial.

She points to the promises made by the Trudeau government to implement all 94 recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and to follow through with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Trudeau campaigned on holding a national public inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and work has already gotten underway.

Adam Allan, of Fond Du Lac Denesuline First Nation in Saskatchewan, and co-chair of the two-day Treaties 1-11 gathering, says he shares that optimism.

“Personally … I watched what happened before Trudeau and it didn’t seem like it was a very good relationship. It was very adversarial and people were always at odds with each other and it just seemed like that was the atmosphere. With Trudeau there seems to be a hint of a light there now,” he said.

Chiefs, their delegates and Elders gathered behind closed doors at the Enoch Cree Nation Jan. 20 and 21 to discuss how to move forward with the federal government in treaty implementation.

“We, as treaty people, are developing our strategies to implement our jurisdictions over our lands and resources. We owe this to our future generations and those yet unborn to come,” said Martial.

The two-day event brought together approximately 300 Chiefs and delegates from Treaties 1-11.

“(We) are here to discuss further our common goals and vision on treaty rights,” said Martial in her opening remarks. “Our Elders always reminded us that we are a treaty people. For as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the rivers flow…. There is still much work to do but we are committed to the long term goals set before us.”

Enoch Cree Nation Chief Billy Morin called the push to implement treaty rights a “grassroots movement.”

“As a young leader I still take (this) as a learning opportunity to learn about treaty and how that is essential to the foundation of our people and how this is such a grassroots movement and how chiefs have committed to this not being part of the government’s agenda but as part of our agenda as to move forward,” he said.

Morin also held that with the change in the federal government, decades of discussion could have favourable results.

“There are so many opportunities that you get to make a move … and I think now we’re living in a moment of history that it’s time to make that move. And I think that the Chiefs that are leading this today, with a new government and with a new way of looking at things, is really a tipping point if we really put our best foot forward together as First Nations Chiefs, treaties 1-11 as people,” he said.

The discussions focused on engagement with Canada, both Trudeau and Governor General David Johnston, who represents the Crown. It is the Crown that entered into treaties with First Nations, says Martial. The peace and friendship treaties allowed the Queen’s subjects to live among the First Nations people.

Adam says Trudeau committed to working with First Nations.

“But he didn’t say anything too outright on implementation but hopefully we’ll see more programs and things like that at the community level,” he said.

Adam points to clean water, education and “all the issues that are still outstanding.”

Martial says it is about more than resource revenue sharing. 

“Our nations have survived in our territories for thousands of years. We know how to survive. Now we need to put these skills to work and go beyond survival (to) implement our government-to-government vision with commitment for the next seven generations,” she said. “Our own traditional economic practices are still as relevant today. We are losing these rights to our livelihood and need to reinforce our stance that these issues are not negotiable. This is recognized through our inherent rights and treaty,”

Martial says there is still much work to be done but Chiefs were committed to that work.

Photo caption: Girls from Cold Lake First Nations, with Chief Bernice Martial (right) standing behind them, sing O Canada in Dene at opening of the Treaties 1-11 gathering.