Celebrating nearly 150 years since Treaty 6 was signed

The Treaty 6 flag being raised at Edmonton city hall for Treaty 6 Recognition Day on Friday Aug. 23, 2024. (Matt Marshall/CTV News Edmonton)

A ceremony was held at Edmonton city hall to celebrate the anniversary of the signing of Treaty 6.

On Aug. 23, 1876, in Fort Carlton, Saskatchewan, the treaty was signed between the Crown and First Nations western Canada. A year later, an adhesion was signed in Fort Edmonton, adding more First Nations to the treaty.

The treaty covers the area from western Alberta through Saskatchewan and into Manitoba and includes 50 First Nations.

On Friday, the Treaty 6 flag was raised at city hall. The ceremony was attended by the mayors of Edmonton and surrounding communities, along with Confederacy of Treaty 6 leadership.

"It's great that this moment and this movement is expanding beyond just Edmonton and into the region, and that the mayors recognize how important it is," said Kayli Avveduti, the executive director of the Confederacy of Treaty 6.

This is the eleventh year the city has celebrated Treaty 6 Recognition Day and the ninth year for the ceremony, something Avveduti says is an important part of reconciliation.

"This action of raising the flag is an important moment for us to make sure that all Edmontonians are aware of their role in the treaty promises and the treaty commitments that they have, the responsibilities they have to uphold," Avveduti added.

"We've seen a real push towards reconciliation over the last decade or so, and while it's taken a lot longer than I think many of us hoped it would have, we're grateful to see those efforts being taken and efforts being put underway."

Ceremonies like this are good opportunities for Edmontonians to see and learn about Indigenous culture, according to Edmonton mayor Amarjeet Sohi.

"Edmonton is a phenomenal and dynamic place to live, and we are richer because of the presence of such a large population of First Nations' community members here in the city," Sohi added.

First in 2012 and again in 2021, the city signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation with Treaty 6 nations, committing to ongoing dialogue and cooperative effort around shared issues and interests.

"We actually do assessment and reflect – Are we moving in the right direction? Are we actually getting to where we need to be in order to meet our commitments," Sohi said.