Manitoba marks 150th anniversary of the signing of Treaty No. 1

WINNIPEG -

Tuesday, Aug. 3 marks the 150th anniversary of the signing of Treaty No. 1 – the first of the numbered treaties signed across Western Canada.

Treaty No. 1 was signed at Lower Fort Garry, southeast of Selkirk, Man., on Aug. 3, 1871. The signatories included representatives from the Crown, Anishinabe, and Swampy Cree.

About 1,000 Indigenous men, women, and children from around Manitoba attended the eight-day negotiation process for Treaty No. 1, which was the first in a series of 11 treaties made between 1871 and 1921.

Treaty One Nation is made up of the following seven First Nations: Brokenhead Ojibway First Nation; Long Plain First Nation; Peguis First Nation; Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation; Sagkeeng First Nation; Sandy Bay First Nation; and Swan Lake First Nation.

Treaty One territory stretches from north of Gimli, Man., to the United States border. It also runs from east of Brandon, Man., to Whiteshell Provincial Park. Cities within Treaty One territory include Winnipeg, Brandon, Portage la Prairie, Selkirk, Steinbach, Lundar, Grand Beach, Emerson and Winkler.

In a statement, Alan Lagimodiere, Manitoba’s Indigenous reconciliation and northern relations minister, said the 150th anniversary of the signing of Treaty No. 1 comes at a challenging time.

“Our hearts go out to the thousands of children whose lives were lost at residential schools, and to survivors who were often neglected or abused,” the statement said.

“Residential schools had a profound intergenerational impact on these children, their families and their communities. The horrific legacy of residential schools is deeply felt here in Manitoba and across our country following the discovery of unmarked graves on the grounds of former residential school sites across Canada. “

Lagimodiere noted that Manitoba is committed to supporting Indigenous-led investigations into residential school sites.

COMMEMORATIVE EVENT

On Tuesday, representatives from the Treaty One Nation, the Government of Canada and the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba marked the anniversary at the Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site.

The commemorative event included a drum song by the Spirit Sand Singers, an Honour Ride into the Lower Fort Garry site, speeches, and a presentation of the newly minted treaty medals to each Treaty One First Nation.

Chief Dennis Meeches, a spokesperson for Treaty One Nation, said in a news release that it is important to remember that treaties are living documents between First Nations and the Crown.

“Taking this time to honour our Chiefs and leadership for their courage and insight in the negotiations of these agreements is empowering for our people and especially our youth,” he said.

“First Nations people more than fulfilled our commitment to live and work together with newcomers, and we look forward to resetting the relationship with the Government of Canada going forward.”