Gathering at Stoney Knoll celebrates anniversary of Treaty 6 signing
- Angela Hill | September 12, 2016
Indigenous and non-indigenous people gathered at Stoney Knoll on Aug. 23 to build relationships and commemorate 140 years since the signing of Treaty 6.
“Today is a big day for us,” said Neil Sasakamoose, executive director of Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs and the MC for the day.
He said it is important to celebrate the signing of Treaty 6, but the gathering also provided a chance to openly talk about past wrongs, current issues and remember the work of people who have passed on.
“It’s good when people can be candid, can talk and laugh. That’s what builds friendships … you need that laughter and candid talk and good conversations and understandings of each other, and culture. You need those. It has to give you hope,” Sasakamoose said.
The location of the gathering, a hill in the middle of the prairie near the community of Laird, was not a coincidence; it provided a meeting place for the former owners of the land, the Young Chippewayan, and those who now occupy it, Mennonite and Lutheran farmers. The timing was important too, with the racism being seen around the province after the shooting death of 22-year-old Colten Boushie on a farm near Biggar.
“2016 is really important, it’s the 140 year celebration, but with what’s been going on in this province, this summer, it’s good to meet with non-native people right now,” Sasakamoose said.
The meetings at Stoney Knoll began 10 years ago, when the late Stoney Knoll Chief Ben Weenie called Leonard Doell to see if they could commemorate the 130 anniversary of the Treaty 6 signing together with Lutheran and Mennonite settlers.
Doell, coordinator of the Indigenous Neighbour’s Program for the Mennonite Central Committee, talked about the history leading up to that point, starting back in the 1970s.
“There was an attempt to talk to local farmers about the Young Chippewayan connection to this land. This created a lot of fear and anxiety in the settler community and the Young Chippewayan who came to this land hoping to build some understanding and empathy to their situation left frustrated by the experience,” he said.
However, it was the starting point that had people take the initiative to learn about the land where they lived, Doell said.
It was the action of chief Weenie that “began a journey of reconciliation,” he said.
“It is here that we met, learned to know, respect and to trust one another.
“Through gatherings like this relationships have been started and nurtured that help in breaking down the racism and prejudice that we have witnessed again recently in our province.”
The work of chief Weenie was remembered by many during the event. Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief (FSIN) Bobby Cameron spoke about Weenie as a role model and inspiration for those who were following a cultural and ceremonial path.
“He had a big impact on many lives, including mine,” Cameron said.
“He did what he could in the best way he knew how – all heart and soul.”
The Treaty 6 Gathering provided a place for a renewed commitment to honour the covenant between our people, seek justice and create a healthy space to move forward, Doell said
“We’ve heard a lot of good things, we’ve heard a lot of hope,” said Harry Lafond, Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC) executive director.
After a shared feast, the OTC provided each person in attendance with a replica Treaty 6 medal to remind them that everyone is treaty and there is a responsibility that comes with it.
“It’s really important for us to keep it alive and make sure that those little people that are wandering around on the grass over there inherit a world that is a consequence of us taking our responsibility seriously,” Lafond said.