Grand Chief Billy Morin of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations (Photo: treatysix.org)

By Erika Chorostil

16 first nations included

Treaty Six First Nations sign agreement with Alberta government

Dec 16, 2020 | 12:31 PM

The Alberta government and Treaty Six First Nations have signed a historic agreement that the government says will benefit all people living in central Alberta.

The Alberta-Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations Protocol Agreement outlines a formal process for ministers, chiefs, and councils to meet several times throughout the year.

Meetings will focus on six priorities, including land and resources, health care, education, justice, economic development, and culture and tourism.

This is the first agreement to be signed between the province and the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations since 2008, according to Minister of Indigenous Affairs Rick Wilson.

“I’m proud to walk a path of reconciliation with the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations. We will work together in a spirit of respect and partnership to move forward with our shared social and economic priorities,” said Wilson.

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The protocol agreement gives Alberta and the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations a way to have meaningful discussions, share information, and explore issues of mutual concern. It also commits to an annual meeting between the chiefs of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations and Premier Jason Kenney.

“The recovery we are driving for this province, after unprecedented economic and social challenges, will not be complete without Indigenous involvement,” said Kenney. “It’s a great moral imperative – ensuring Alberta’s opportunities and prosperity are shared with First Nations – the first peoples, the first entrepreneurs, and the first stewards of this rich land on which we stand. And the protocol agreement we’re signing today is key to making that happen.”

Grand Chief Billy Morin of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations added, “A protocol agreement is more than a document. It is a promise between governments about communication and collaboration with a focus on shared prosperity, now and for years to come.”

The Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations includes 16 First Nations that span central Alberta. They include Ermineskin Cree Nation, Montana First Nation, Louis Bull Band and Samson Cree Nation at Maskwacis, and O’Chiese First Nation and Sunchild First Nation near Rocky Mountain House.

In 2020-21, Alberta’s government will provide the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations with a $300,000 grant to support the agreement’s implementation.

The agreement will remain in place for as long as both parties wish to keep it active.