Treaty Six leaders travelling to London to meet King Charles

Chiefs from a delegation of Treaty 6 nations left for England Monday, set to deliver an invitation to the royal family to visit Saskatchewan.

A group of Treaty Six leaders are heading to London to meet with King Charles, hoping the visit will lead to a royal appearance at next year’s 150th commemoration of Treaty Six.

“It’s been in the works for a long time ... two years in the making finally coming to reality that the king will find time for us First Nations people, to listen to us, and to hopefully one day be able to have him here where the Treaty has been signed 150 years ago,” said Chief Edwin Ananas of Beardy’s & Okemasis Cree Nation.

While the King has not yet accepted the invitation to attend the commemoration, Ananas said he hopes the visit will help pave the way for a future royal visit to Treaty Six territory.

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“Our treaties have been either watered down or overlooked, period. So I guess part of our discussion will be adhering to our treaties ... that’s part of our discussions that we had collectively,” he said. “The main topic is to bring them here for the commemoration of 150 years, and at that time is when if he is here, we can discuss our treaties more [thoroughly].”

In addition to a hand-crafted invitation for the King, the group plans to present the royal family with a ribbon skirt and a pair of beaded moccasins.

“[It’s] to remind the Crown that the treaties are for as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and rivers flow. And so these moccasins are rooted with love and prayers for the future generations and they represent the groundedness that we all have with our Mother Earth and it’s very important that we bring these things to light with the King,” noted Chief Christine Longjohn of Sturgeon Lake First Nation.