Treaties 1-11 Chiefs Unite in call to Renew the Treaty Relationship

Treaties 1-11 Chiefs Unite in call to Renew the Treaty Relationship

January 21, 2016, Treaty No.6, Enoch Cree Nation, Alberta…Indigenous Nations met over the past two days to bring to life an action plan that will set priorities in implementing the Treaty rights of the First Nations who are a part of Treaties 1-11. Approximately 300 Indigenous Chiefs, elders and members attended to unite in common interests on the protection of the Treaties and Inherent Rights.

“We as Treaty Peoples are developing our strategies to implement our jurisdiction over our lands, water and resources. We owe this to our future generations and those yet unborn. We are cautiously optimistic with the promises of the newly elected federal government from Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), implementation of the 94 recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP),” stated Chief Bernice Martial of Cold Lake First Nation.

The discussions focused on engagement with Canada and the newly elected, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Governor General, David Johnston who represents the Crown (Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth of England) who entered into Treaties with Nations. The Peace and Friendship Treaties allowed for the Queen’s subjects to live among our Nations for as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the rivers flow.

“We must help each other collectively and pass on the knowledge of Treaties and our Inherent Rights to the next generation. Our responsibility is to educate our youth on the history of our Peoples. We are all Treaty Peoples, which includes all Canadians. We need to educate everyone on the Spirit and Intent of our Treaties, as this is a big part of Canada’s history,” said Chief Martial.

The Treaty meeting also included a report from the United Nations Climate Change conference (COP21) that occurred last month in Paris. Our landscapes, ecosystems and environment has shifted, we no longer will allow our land, water and resources to be sacrificed. We are the original stewards of our land and have an obligation to the next seven generations to uphold for them, which includes all peoples that live within our country.

“Hunting, Fishing and Trapping are guaranteed to pursue as our livelihood. 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,” concluded Chief Martial.

Cold Lake First Nations is a Denesuline (Chipewyan) Tribe and part of the Dene Nation. The Nation is located 300 kilometers northeast of Edmonton, Alberta in Treaty No.6 territory. The dynamic First Nation has a total membership of over 2400 members. Approximately 1500 Band Members live in or near its four distinct neighbouring communities all of which are located in the scenic Cold Lake area.

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