Saskatchewan Treaty Commissioner hopes new monarch will strengthen Indigenous relationships

Indigenous Peoples across the country have mixed emotions when it comes to processing the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch. Many question how will her death impact treaty relationships.

The Saskatchewan Treaty Commissioner says there is uncertainty of what lies ahead with King Charles III on the throne.

“A lot of us in this lifetime have not seen the changing of monarchs,” said Mary Culbertson. “I don’t think it’s going to change. Maybe it’s going to be bolstered. Maybe it’s going to be better.”

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As the head of the British Crown, Queen Elizabeth II represented the relationship between First Nations and the Crown through Treaty. The treaties are promises to Indigenous Peoples from the Crown. Looking through history, the relationship with the Crown and the Indigenous Peoples in Canada was contemptuous, Culbertson said.

“First Nations believe very much that the queen was extending her hand to build good relations and that she would protect them,” said Culbertson. “That relationship with the Crown has not always been a good one.”

Culbertson said many Indigenous people have a lot of animosity towards the Crown because of its representative role in assimilation and in colonization, such as the creation of residential schools. Due to this complex relationship, Culbertson wants to see engagement in bettering the relationship with the new British monarch in the future.

“I’m hoping that there’s going to be direct engagement. I’m hoping that our new King will be visiting our treaty territories very soon,” said Culbertson. “We we have to start creating that opportunity. And I’ll do my best and what I can in order to get a delegation to England or have them come this way. And we’ll work with all our partners that we’ve been building and of course, the lieutenant governor, Governor General and all those channels that we have to in order to make that happen.”

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner will be setting up a tipi at next week’s Treaty 4 gathering in Fort Qu’Appelle where Culbertson and team members will be doing buffalo hide demonstrations and having discussions with people about the queen and the monarch relationship.

Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister says ‘all Canadians have a responsibility’ to make sure treaties are upheld – Oct 19, 2020