Treaty No. 6 History

TREATY NO. 6 HISTORY

Treaty No. 6 was entered into on August 23, 1876 at Fort Carlton and on September 9, 1876 at Fort Pitt with adhesions from 1877-1950. Treaty No. 6 is an International Treaty entered into with the Crown of Great Britain. Provisions in the Treaty recognize the Medicine Chest Clause, Famine and Pestilence Clause as well as the rights to Health, Education and other Treaty and Inherent Rights.

View Treaty No. 6 Text

Treaty First Nations Peoples have Inherent Rights which include but are not limited to:

The Right to Self-Determination which includes, governance and establishing institutions
The Right to jurisdiction and authority to enact laws
The Right to protect andpreserve our lands, resources and water
The Right to preserve our languages, practice our cultural customs and ceremonies
The Right to hunt, fish, trap and gather

Fundamental Treaty Principles

The Royal Proclamation of 1763 recognized First Nations title, sovereignty, and established the treaty-making process. The Royal Proclamation also established the relationship of mutuality between two nations and the principle of consent between First Nations Peoples and the Imperial Crown.

Pursuant to the Royal Proclamation of 1763, treaties were entered into between sovereign and independent nations with their own preexisting laws, principles, and forms of government. The Treaty First Nations agreed to live in peaceful coexistence with other peoples; with respect to and without interference in one another's laws, governments, and ways of life.

At no time did Treaty First Nations relinquish their right to nationhood, their Inherent Right to determine their own destinies, nor did they allow any foreign government to govern them.

The spirit and intent of the treaties must be respected and honoured as made sacred by traditional Indian laws and ceremonies and the involvement of the Crown.

Treaties are not static nor can they be unilaterally defined. They evolve and will continue to evolve for "...as long as the sun shines, the rivers flow, and the grass grows..."

The International stature of treaties are recognized, respected, and upheld.

Pursuant to the Royal Proclamation of 1763, treaties established a bilateral nation-to-nation relationship between Treaty First Nations and the Imperial Crown.

In accordance with the bilateral process, as recognized and confirmed by Treaty, the Crown in right of Canada is under a continuing obligation to deal directly with the First Nations signatories to Treaty. Therefore, no discussions on treaties can proceed which deviate from or diminish the bilateral nation-to-nation relationship.

Since the principle of consent is entrenched in the Royal Proclamation of 1763, the Government of Canada is not entitled to make unilateral decisions with respect to Treaty issues.

As each First Nation is its own governing entity, respect and recognition must be given to the politicalstructure and authority of each First Nation government.

JOSIE LANE

MARTIN REED

CARLA JONES

CONFEDERACY OF TREATY
SIX FIRST NATIONS