150th Anniversary of Treaty 6

"Treaty Six Territory Marker: Bear Spirit," 2016; Sculpture: carved granite; Stewart Steinhauer: Born Saddle Lake Cree Nation, 1952; University of Alberta Museums Art Collection, University of Alberta Museums; 2016.7.1

Dear students and colleagues,

On August 23rd, we commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Treaty 6 first entered into between First Nations and the Crown at Fort Carlton on August 23, 1876. Treaty 6 territory extends across what are now Alberta and Saskatchewan, and includes amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton), where the University of Alberta is located.

This anniversary provides an important opportunity to learn about the history, spirit, and intent of Treaty 6; to recognize the enduring rights and relationships established through Treaty; and to reflect on our responsibilities as Treaty people today.

To learn more about Treaty 6 Recognition Day, we encourage you to explore the following resources:

• Understanding the Concept of Treaty
• The History of Treaty 6
• Treaty 6 and the Indian Act: How can both be true?
• Treaty 6 Information and Territorial Acknowledgements

The city of Edmonton will host a number of events to recognize the 150th Anniversary starting next week:

• Treaty 6 Recognition Day and the City of Edmonton Events

We would also like to share that we have recently changed our committee name to the Psychology Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigenization, and Reconciliation (EDI-IR) Committee. The revised name better reflects our undertaking of making Indigenization and Reconciliation explicit parts of the committee’s mandate and ongoing work.

As members of the EDI-IR Committee, we know that reconciliation requires ongoing learning, reflection, relationship-building, and action. We encourage members of our department to use this anniversary as an opportunity to deepen their understanding of Treaty 6 and what our Treaty relationships and responsibilities mean today.

Sincerely,
Peggy St. Jacques
Chair Psychology EDI-IR Committee