Talk Treaty to Me: Regional Conversations on Land and Treaties – Edmonton

As 2026 marks the 150th anniversary of the signing of Treaty 6, this series offers a timely opportunity to bring treaty conversations to the forefront at the University of Alberta. It provides a dedicated space to reflect deeply on place-based relationalities, historical obligations, and our shared contemporary responsibilities.

Facilitated by Dr. Crystal Gail Fraser, the event draws inspiration from the core themes of Talk Treaty to Me: Understanding the Basics of Treaties and Land in Canada, co-authored with Dr. Sara Komarnisky.

Attendees are encouraged to purchase and read the book ahead of time, listen to the U of A Reads podcast episode featuring Talk Treaty to me or read the "Understanding the concept of Treaty" blog by Dr. Florence Glanfield.

By bringing together scholars with national leadership in relational curriculum design, cross-cultural dialogue, the ecological imaginations of place, and Indigenous legal traditions, this conversation is grounded specifically for our alumni and the broader communities. In particular, the panel explores vital Indigenous legal frameworks—examining Indigenous law (wahkohtowin and Cree constitutionalism), inherent and treaty rights, sovereign relationality, and the ongoing responsibilities created through treaty relationships.

The conversation will also address some of the persistent stereotypes and misconceptions that shape how Canadians understand Indigenous Peoples, treaties, treaty rights, and relationships to land.

With support from SILR (Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization)

Host and Facilitator

Dr. Crystal Gail Fraser is a historian and Indigenous studies scholar at the University of Alberta whose work centres on Indigenous histories of colonial schooling, oral history, governance, and community-driven research in the Canadian North. She is the author of By Strength, We Are Still Here: Indigenous Peoples and Indian Residential Schooling in Inuvik, Northwest Territories and co-author of the national bestseller Talk Treaty to Me: Understanding the Basics of Treaties and Land in Canada. Her scholarship and public engagement were recently recognized with a Governor General’s Award for Scholarly Excellence. She leads Survivor-centred, community-engaged projects that support public education, Indigenous methodologies, and truth-telling grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems.

Panelists

Dr. Darcy Lindberg '08 BA

Darcy Lindberg is non-status nêhiyaw  with his family coming from maskwâcîs in Alberta and Battleford, Saskatchewan. He teaches within the joint degree program in the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria, engaging with Indigenous legal orders and the common law. His work and teaching focuses on nêhiyaw law and governance, the foundations of Indigenous legal orders generally, ecological governance through Indigenous laws, Canadian constitutionalism, and nêhiyaw treaties and treaty making.

Janice Makokis '05 BA (NS)

Janice Makokis is a nehiyaw iskwew (Cree woman) from Onihcikiskwapiwin (Saddle Lake Cree Nation) in Treaty No. 6 Territory. She is an Indigenous legal scholar, Treaty advocate, and educator whose work is grounded in the protection, interpretation, and implementation of Treaties and the revitalization of Indigenous laws and governance. Janice is an Assistant Professor at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law and serves as a legal, governance, and Treaty advisor to First Nations. For many years, she has worked alongside Treaty Nations and their leadership regionally and nationally to protect Treaty rights, inherent jurisdiction, and the direct Nation-to-Nation relationship between Indigenous Nations and the Crown. Her work includes Treaty-based policy and funding, Indigenous law development, legislative analysis, advocacy, and advancing Indigenous self-determination and jurisdiction.

Internationally, Janice has advocated for Indigenous Peoples’ rights through United Nations mechanisms. She served as Co-Chair/Co-Coordinator of the North American Indigenous Peoples Caucus and has prepared submissions to and attended the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on behalf of First Nations, advocating for Treaty. Janice is also a co-producer of Awasisak Our Future, a documentary following Treaty walkers on a journey exploring Treaty relationships, responsibilities, and obligations to future generations. She is currently involved in a new film examining Treaty No. 6 and the Medicine Chest promise, continuing her work of bringing Treaty histories, understandings, and responsibilities into contemporary conversations through Indigenous storytelling, law, and advocacy.

Dr. Dwayne Donald '09 PhD (Ed)

Dr. Dwayne Donald is a descendent of Norwegian, Metis and amiskwaciwiyiniwak (Beaver Hills people) ancestors and works as a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. His work focuses on ways in which Indigenous wisdom traditions can expand and enhance understandings of curriculum and pedagogy. Dr. Donald holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Reimagining Teacher Education With Indigenous Wisdom Traditions. 

Elder Bruce Cutknife '97 BA

Bruce Cutknife is a member of the Samson Cree First Nation in Maskwacis Alberta. Bruce was born and raised on the Bear Hills Maskwacis community with Cree as his first language. He attended the
Ermineskin Indian Residential School up until grade 9. He was then moved to Edmonton to attend High School. In 1974 Bruce completed his High School in Ponoka Alberta. After working a few labour jobs Bruce went back to school at the newly established Maskwacis Cultural College in 1976. Bruce then started to work with the Living History Program of the Maskwacis Cultural College. His duties included Audio and Video recording of Elders talking about local history. This involved working with Elders to collect and archive the Cree language, work with the Cree Syllabics and use them in the collection and archiving of local history.

Bruce went back to school to complete his undergraduate studies. He received his BA in History/Native Studies from the Augustana University College in Camrose Alberta. After graduation Bruce worked local Radio and Television, taught Cree Language, Cree Studies and History courses at the Maskwacis Cultural College. Bruce was also the Director of Education for the Samson Cree nation and is now the Indigenous Education Coordinator for the Maskwacis Education Schools Commission. Bruce has worked on numerous projects related to Cree Language, Cree Culture and Cree History. These include Power Point Presentations on the Cree Place Name Map, First Nation History Presentation, Treaties and the History of the Residential School. Bruce’s hobbies and other areas of interest include photography, music, archery, travel, traditional music and dance. Most recently Bruce has received the Lois Aspene Alumni Award from Augustana University and the Pioneer of the Year Award from Wetaskiwin Alberta.

The in-person portion of this event has reached capacity. You can join the in-person waitlist or register to attend virtually using the link below.