Fort Carlton Provincial Historic Park in Saskatchewan — the very ground where Treaty 6 was negotiated and first signed on Aug. 23, 1876 — drew more than 5,000 visitors over four days in late August for a landmark commemoration of the agreement's 150th anniversary, according to IndigiNews.
The historic fort, established by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1795 and known in Cree as pêhonânihk, or 'a waiting place,' sits at the bottom of the North Saskatchewan River Valley, accessible only by a winding descent from the flat Saskatchewan prairie. The site now operates as a provincial historic park. Treaty 6 covered more than 300,000 square kilometres, according to IndigiNews; CBC, citing the Confederacy of Treaty No. 6, reports the treaty area stretches from western Alberta through Saskatchewan and into Manitoba and includes 50 First Nations.
The four-day event, running Aug. 20 to 23, was hosted by nîpisîhkopâwiyinînâhk — Beardy's and Okemasis' Cree Nation — whose Chief Edwin Ananas said he hoped it would help participants remember the leaders who 'set the path' for future generations. More than 20 tipis were erected across the valley floor, and dozens of Treaty 6 flags flew throughout the site. The commemoration blended traditional ceremony, current affairs discussions, and collective planning for the future, with a particular emphasis on Indigenous youth, according to IndigiNews.
The anniversary events were not confined to Fort Carlton. CBC reported commemorations spanning both Alberta and Saskatchewan, including a Treaty No. 6 Recognition Day at Edmonton City Hall on Aug. 17 and a full day of programming at Wanuskewin Heritage Park outside Saskatoon. A four-day unity ride from James Smith Cree Nation to Fort Carlton was also organized for the occasion.
For the young people who spoke at the Fort Carlton gathering, the occasion was less a look backward than a declaration of present purpose. 'Oftentimes people are saying we're the future generation of leaders — but we're actually the today leaders,' said Serenity Gamble, a Beardy's and Okemasis' Cree Nation member and Treaty 6 Youth planning committee member, as reported by IndigiNews.