Treaty 6 marks 150th anniversary with events in Edmonton and Fort Carlton

Treaty 6, covering much of what is now central Alberta and central Saskatchewan, was first signed Aug. 23, 1876, at Fort Carlton, roughly 100 kilometres north of Saskatoon. Anniversary events have been held across the region, including pow wows in Edmonton, viewings of the original parchment at Fort Carlton Provincial Historic Park, and the unveiling of a commemorative monument there.

The treaty was the sixth of 11 Numbered Treaties signed between the Crown and First Nations following Confederation in 1867. Crown representatives at the first signing included Lieutenant-Governor Alexander Morris and commissioners James McKay and W.J. Christie, alongside nine chiefs including Mistawasis, Ahtahkakoop and James Smith. Additional First Nations joined in the days after, with a major signing at Fort Pitt, Sask., on Sept. 9, and further adhesions continuing until as recently as 1954 and 1956.

Treaty 6 included commitments not found in earlier treaties, such as a pestilence and famine clause and a medicine chest clause, which First Nations have long interpreted as a promise of comprehensive health care. The Crown also pledged annual payments, farming and carpentry equipment, livestock, and clothing and salaries for chiefs, arrangements now informally known as "Cows and Plows."

While the treaty text states First Nations "ceded" claims to certain lands, Indigenous leaders have long maintained the agreement was intended to share land rather than surrender title. About 50 First Nations are part of Treaty 6 today, covering nearly 315,000 square kilometres.