Lumsden Students Inspire Provincewide Treaty Awareness

A Grade 5 class in Lumsden has proven that big things can have humble beginnings.

Treaty Recognition Week took place this May 18 – 24 in Saskatchewan, a week highlighting the importance of Treaties and the nation-to-nation Treaty relationship.

The City of Saskatoon and rural municipality of Colonsay also proclaimed Treaty Recognition Week -the first municipalities in Saskatchewan to do so.

“It’s amazing how this came together,” said Justin Freitag, Grade 5 teacher at École Lumsden Elementary School.

“The students said they felt like they needed to do something. To get Treaty education, Treaty awareness, out to everyone in the province,” he said.

In 2023, following lessons from the Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC) and guest speakers like the late Lyle Stewart, Freitag’s young students decided a Treaty Recognition Week was needed in the province.

“With that group of students, something special was happening,” he said. “The students saw an opportunity, had an idea, and they put together a plan on how they were going to pursue that.”

Freitags said his students embarked on an aggressive letter writing campaign to all the First Nations and school divisions in the province, pushing the need for a Treaty Recognition Week. They received responses from about a dozen First Nations and six school boards, giving their full support.

“They were passionate about where it was going, and excitement was building as letters started being returned to us,” said Frietag.The OTC, including Director of Treaty Education Elaine Sutherland, got wind of the enterprising young students.

“It was like a Hallelujah moment,” said Sutherland.

“If it wasn’t for (Freitag) and his classroom, the Treaty Recognition Week wouldn’t even be a thing. We were honoured to be a part of it.”

With then-Treaty Commissioner Mary Culberton, the OTC began having meetings with school boards and the province, lobbying them to proclaim Treaty Recognition Week. They posted videos online, including a message from Freitag’s grade 5 class.

Treaty Recognition Week was proclaimed by the province of Saskatchewan in 2023, and has since taken place annually in May, following Victoria Day, in order to symbolize the relationship Treaties hold with the Crown, said Freitag.

Both Freitag and Sutherland hope to have the Treaty Recognition Week legislated by the province, so they no longer have to lobby for its recognition.

“When Treaty education was mandated in 2007, there was a huge push at first. But it’s since dissipated,” said Sutherland.

“This is an amazing moment to showcase what teachers and students can actually do, especially when they have the support of their administration and school board – and what can be done for education.”

The province of Saskatchewan told Eagle Feather News that Treaty Recognition Week has become a new tradition for the third week of May.

“In Saskatchewan, we are all Treaty people and Treaties Recognition Week honours the collective belief that we accomplish more together, which is what Treaties represent – the shared responsibility to continue to build bridges between First Nations and non-First Nation people, communities, and governments,” said the Ministry of Government Relations in a statement.

Treaty Recognition Week also aligns with other joint initiatives with the OTC to enhance treaty education and awareness, said the province, including the establishment of highway Treaty signs along major highways and Treaty education as mandatory teachings within the K-12 curriculum.

“It’s important for people to realize Treaties matter. There’s a lot of misconceptions about Treaties – that they’re something of the past that don’t have relevance today,” said Kathy Walker, OTC Treaty Commissioner.

“Well all benefit from Treaties, and we all have entitlements under Treaties. And we all have a role to play in strengthening the Treaty relationship in these lands.”

Walker said that she believes Treaty Recognition Week has an impact in recognizing the importance of Treaties as the foundation of our governance system, as well as how to live together as diverse people.

A swelling of conversations and actions around Canadian sovereignty and western separation over the last several months have made Treaty awareness all the more crucial. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government has made it easier for separatists to get a referendum on the ballot by reducing the threshold necessary to do so, while United Grassroots, an anti-vaccination and separatist group, held a convention at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon on Sunday to discuss the possibility of western separation.

“The land is still subject to Treaties, so trying to separate would be a breach of Treaty,” said Walker. “The First Nations have been quite clear that they have no intention of supporting separation.”

Walker explains that Treaties, over 150 years old, pre-date the establishment of provinces, and are protected under the Canadian Constitution. The Treaties are inviolable, she said.

“It’s undemocratic for them to contemplate it. They’ve lived for many years in Canada, benefitted from Canada, and benefitted from Treaties, but are upset with the federal government or outcome of the election, so they want to separate,” said Walker. “Whether it’s possible (to separate) is one question, but whether it’s right is another question.”