Leaders and community members gathered in Enoch Thursday to view the original treaty manuscripts and adhesions.
Signed in 1876 and 1877, Treaty 6 covers territory from western Alberta into Manitoba and encompasses about 50 First Nations—predating the province of Alberta itself.
Enoch Chief Cody Thomas told the gathering that the treaty was meant as a peace agreement in which ancestors looked out for future generations. In his view, those commitments remain unfulfilled.
Indigenous Relations Minister Rajan Sawhney did not attend the gathering, just as she skipped Treaty 6 events in August.
Instead, Children and Family Services Minister Searle Turton represented the government, calling the documents’ longevity striking and affirming ongoing work toward “reconcili-action.”
The timing amplified existing friction between First Nations and the Alberta government over the province’s planned referendum process on separation in October.
One of the 10 questions on the referendum ballot that Albertans will be asked… “Should Alberta remain a province of Canada? Or should the government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?”
Enoch Council member Charlton Thomas stressed that treaties predate Canada and Alberta and take precedence over their laws.
He said Enoch members will vote against the initiative.
“It shouldn’t have even actually come to the table.”
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