Office Of The Treaty Commissioner English River First Nation . - Otc.ca

Set ting the Cont extR o le s a n d Fu n c tio n s o f th e Off i ce o ft h e Tr e a t y C o m m i s s i o n e rThe Memorandum of Agreement states, inSection 5.1:“The primary mandate of the Office of theTreaty Commissioner is to analyze Treatyrelated issues, develop options, and report toand provide advice to the Parties regardingcourses of action that will achieve practicalresults that reflect the Treaty relationship.”The Memorandum of Agreement alsoprovides in section 6, that the OTC “mayfacilitate discussions at the Treaty Table.”This fiscal year, OTC did facilitate andcoordinate bilateral discussion meetings thatincluded the Province when appropriate.The initial discussions held were with theTreaty Policy Directorate, Indian andNorthern Affairs Canada and the TreatyGovernance Office, Federation ofSaskatchewan Indian Nations.The first talks held gave the parties (FSIN andCanada) an opportunity to consider the futuredirections of the OTC and the role of theTreaty Commissioner.6The respective views of the parties wereprovided to the OTC regarding activities,which FSIN and Canada consideredappropriate for the OTC. With anunderstanding of the parties’ expectations andthe functions set out in the MOA, theCommissioner and staff developed statementsthat express the vision and the mission thatwill guide the Office. For greater clarity, thestaff worked together to articulate the valuesthat the OTC will adhere to in all of itsendeavours.The accountabilities of the OTC to the Parties(FSIN and Canada) are set out for the nextthree years in the MOA. At the end of eachfiscal year a report to the Minister of INACand the FSIN Chief is required regardingprogress on fulfilling the OTC mandate andworkplans. The Commissioner is to addressthe Chiefs-in-Assembly once a year, or asrequested. In addition, a joint forumcomprised of the Chief of FSIN and the INACMinister will provide direction, evaluationand monitoring of progress of the OTC onissues identified in sections 5.0 and 6.0 of theMOA: Economic Independence,Including: Lands and Resources; Hunting,Trapping, Fishing and Gathering; Shelter;First Nations Citizenship; Justice, Education,Child Welfare, and Health.

The Treaty Commissioner expressed both thechallenges faced and the vision of the OTC,saying:“First, let us be clear, the number of successeswith respect to Treaty implementation in the waythat either party originally conceived it – are fewand far in between. In fact, the lack of Treatyimplementation is a tragic injustice to FirstNations peoples and, in fact, to all Canadians.Ministry of Education/Ministry of FNMRSecond, the likelihood of fundamental success inthe near term is remote.Third, we cannot let this challenge prevent usfrom continuing to work towards true TreatyImplementation. Nor, can it prevent us frombuilding on and learning from the successes thathave been achieved.So, with that context I now want to describe afew of the opportunities, which I think are beforeus: In Saskatchewan we have—Susan Beaudin, Resource Development An Office of the Treaty Commissioner, anindependent, neutral, impartial body to,broadly speaking, facilitate Treatyimplementation discussions; A good understanding of and the support ofthe wisdom of the Elders as a foundation; The support, because we exist at the pleasureof the two Parties, the FSIN and Canada; First Nations in Saskatchewan, through theFSIN, are united, organized, strong, andfocused on Treaty implementation; We have a Treaty Table – not anExploratory Treaty Table – at which theparties come together to advance Treatyimplementation; The Province comes to that tableenthusiastically and seriously; and The attitude of the parties is realistic, butnot fatalistic, and they are deeply committedto making progress incrementally andsystemically, both short term and long term,but in the end with tenacity anddetermination. On the one hand we have the Treaties. Theseare sacred understandings undertaken with thethree Parties – the Creator, The First Nations andthe Crown. Even with the most basicunderstanding of the Treaties one should realizethat they are fundamentally about three things, aswas told to us in Treaty Elders in Saskatchewan,2000. Getting Along with others. Living Together on the Land, and Making a livingThree pretty basic and reasonable objectives.K-6 Treaty Kit7

On the other hand, we have the Indian Act,which is fundamentally about assimilation,and subjugation.When these two things are present, we arefaced with a dilemma, a paradox, afundamentally irreconcilable conflict. Thus,the challenge and impediment to Treatyimplementation, to be more precise is—TheIndian Act. From my perspective true Treatyimplementation cannot be achieved while theIndian Act exists.I understand there are great fears on bothsides of the Table about getting rid of theIndian Act. But until we turn our minds tothat challenge, we will only be workingaround the edges; we will only be tinkeringwith failure.I suggest we look to incremental ways oftaking on this challenge The Elders said Treaty is about “Gettingalong with others”Therefore it is my intention to continue theprevious efforts aimed at public education.The Elders said Treaty implementation isabout “living together on the land”Therefore it is my intention to continueefforts to have the parties come together todiscuss items of mutual interest – to makeprogress where ever we find it – Educationand Child Welfare seem to be potentialpriorities for the Parties.The Elders said Treaty implementation isabout “making a living”Therefore I intend to focus on selfsufficiency and economic well-being forFirst Nation peoples ”FSIN Powwow - 20078

OTC Mission StatementThe Office of the Treaty Commissioner(OTC), an independent body, will serve as theprimary mechanism to coordinate andfacilitate a bilateral process betweenGovernment of Canada and the Federation ofSaskatchewan Nations to achieve a commonunderstanding on Treaties No. 4, 5, 6, 8, and10 in Saskatchewan.The OTC will assist the Parties inunderstanding the relationship buildingprocess inherent in the Treaties andpromoting that relationship amongst allCanadians.Elder Danny MusquaThe OTC is committed to coordinating theresearch, initiating, facilitating andsupporting of initiatives aimed atachieving First Nations economicindependence in the context of Treaty in amodern environment.The OTC is committed to coordinatingindependent and focused research onTreaty issues to assist the Parties.O T C Vi s i o nThe Government of Canada and theFederation of Saskatchewan Indian Nationswill have a common understanding onTreaties No. 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 in the Provinceof Saskatchewan.O T C Va l u e s C o m m i t m e n tThe Office of the Treaty Commissioner iscommitted to the values of- Neutrality- Honesty- Integrity- Respect- Fairness- Accountability- Open CommunicationOTC LogoThe logo designed for the OTC depicts theCircle and feather in motion giving witness tothe life in the Treaty Relationship.The OTC is committed to engaging inpublic information and public awarenessprogramming to educate and advancegood relations among all the peoples ofSaskatchewan on Treaty issues.Lester Lafond9

OTC St ra tegic I mpe ra tivesThere are many areas in which theOffice of the Treaty Commissioner must excelin order to achieve a common understandingbetween the Government of Canada and theFederation of Saskatchewan Indian Nationson Treaty rights issues.These areas of excellence or strategicimperatives are key to the Office of the TreatyCommissioner’s role as the coordinator andfacilitator of the bilateral discussions at theTreaty Table and are fundamental to therealization of the Vision. The OTC hasdefined as its core directional statements thefollowing goals and objectives:I n d e p e n d e n c e — To steadfastly maintain theindependence and accountability of the Officeof the Treaty Commissioner.F i n a n c i a l M a n a g e m e n t — To provideefficient and effective allocation of financialresources and containment of operationalexpenses.E c o n o m i c I n d e p e n d e n c e — To providetimely, well researched information to theParties and to facilitate discussions andactivities with appropriate agencies towardsstated goals and objectives.R e s e a r c h — To provide timely, wellresearched, balanced, objective information tothe Parties.E d u c a t i o n — To provide balanced, objectiveinformation to the people of Saskatchewan onTreaty issues.F a c i l i t a t i o n — To facilitate the discussionsof the Parties, so that they move towardachieving the Vision of the Office of theTreaty Commissioner by creating anenvironment which demonstrates mutualrespect, mutual recognition, responsibility andreciprocity.Treaty Table - March, 2008Treaty Table - March, 2008S e r v i c e E x c e l l e n c e — To provide timely,effective, efficient and value added services tothe Parties.C o m m u n i c a t i o n — To ensure that allemployees of the Office of the TreatyCommissioner communicate clearly, openlyand fairly.Treaty Table - March, 200810

T H E T R E AT Y TA B L ETreaty Table - March, 2008One of the undertakings of the new OTC wasto renew the meetings of the Treaty Table.The parties agreed that the meetings would nolonger be ‘exploratory. Instead, theparticipants would commit to working towardspecific targets in achieving commonunderstandings and establishing tangible goalssupporting the well-being of Treaty FirstNations people in Saskatchewan. The firstTreaty Table meeting to be facilitated byCommissioner McKnight was held in October2007. At the time, the parties were finalizing anew mandate, so the meetings were heldunder the 1996 mandate. Treaty Tableworkplans were developed for the fiscal year,since a new mandate to carry the officebeyond March 31, 2008 was still in progress.T r e a t y Ta b l e M e e t i n g sTreaty Table - March, 2008Oc tober 2007At the end of October 2007, FSIN andCanada’s representatives met with the TreatyCommissioner. The objective was to discussthe nature of the work to be accomplishedduring the current term of Office. The TreatyCommissioner spoke on the importance ofeconomic independence.1Treaty Table - March, 2008At the initial Treaty Table meeting, the FSINTreaty Governance representatives presentedtheir response to the OTC publication TreatyImplementation: Fulfilling the Covenant.1FSIN also detailed their Treaty Principlesstatement and provided an overview of theFSIN organizational structures.De cem ber 2007When the December meeting of the TreatyTable was called, the OTC extended aninvitation to the newly elected Premier ofSaskatchewan and the Minister of FirstNations and Métis Relations (FNMR) toattend and observe the discussions. Althoughthey were unable to attend the Treaty Tablemeeting, an FMNR representative broughtgreetings to delegates on behalf of thePremier and Minister and spoke about theimportance of having a Provincial presence inthe process.Canada provided its preliminary review ofseveral Context Papers to the FSIN and theOTC in advance of the Treaty Table meeting.At the meeting the FSIN presented its plan toestablish small working groups to review thetopics to be discussed by the Treaty Table.Distributed by Purich Publishing, purich@sasktel.net or (306) 373-931111

T r e a t y Ta b l eJanuary 2008In accordance with the OTC mandate, whichallows provincial participation in bilateraldiscussions as observers, OTC invited thenew Saskatchewan Government to observethe January Treaty Table Meeting. TheMinister of First Nations and Métis Relations,Hon. June Draude attended.During the meeting a representative fromTreaty 4 raised concerns about the need forincreased Provincial engagement at the TreatyTable, and the Parties considered a futureincreased role for the Province at the Table.shelter, annuities, and health were preparedbetween 1997 and 2005. In addition, initialwork in the areas of justice, lands andresources, and hunting, fishing, trapping, andgathering will be continued under the newmandate. A draft report on Acts of Renewalhad also been prepared by the parties, and issubject to review and further work.Muskeg Lake Urban Reserve - 20 YearsT r e a t y Ta b l eMarch 2008The FSIN provided insights into their reviewof the Context Papers, focusing on theeconomic indicators and adherence to theFSIN implementation principles.Treaty Table - March, 2008The Federal government provided theirreview of the Context Papers to the FSIN inadvance of the Treaty Table meeting. TheContext Papers under discussion were writtenby FSIN and Canada officials followingTreaty Table discussions between the parties.The Papers on education, child welfare,Treaty Table - March, 200812

G AT H E R I N G S &CONFERENCESDuring the year, the Office of the TreatyCommissioner participated in several formalgatherings related to Treaty awareness,economic development and well-being in thecontext of Treaty. Such functions included thefollowing:G a t h e r i n g o f N u m b e r e d Tr e a t i e sFSIN Powwow - 2007Treaties 1- 11 Gathering at Fort Carlton theend of July 2007 included Elders Ceremoniesand an Elders’ Forum on July 22nd. TheConference was co-hosted by the PrinceAlbert Grand Council and the SaskatoonTribal Council.M uske g Lake Me dical CentreIn July 2007, the Treaty Commissioner wasamongst dignitaries at the Sod TurningCeremony for the Muskeg Lake MedicalCentre. The 5.5 million dollar WellnessCentre is being developed on-reserve atMuskeg’s Asimakaneesikan Aski reserve inSaskatoon.The Office of the Treaty Commissioner alsoparticipated in the 20th Anniversarycelebration of Muskeg Lake Cree Nation’sfirst urban reserve in Saskatchewan.FSIN Powwow - 2007F SIN A nnual Pow w owIn October 2007, Treaty CommissionerMcKnight was honoured to be included in theGrand Entry of the FSIN Annual CulturalCelebration & Powwow. Two specialceremonies honouring Residential SchoolSurvivors and recognizing the 35thAnniversary of the Saskatchewan IndianCultural Centre were held in conjunction withthe Powwow.F SIN F all A ss em blyOn October 24th, 2007, Treaty CommissionerBill McKnight made his inaugural address tothe Chiefs-in-Assembly. In his presentationfocused on the implications of economicindependence and skill development on futureTreaty relationships, he said:.“My vision is that First Nations peoples willbecome part of the economy and participatefully in it. Many First Nations are alreadydoing that, but many have not had theopportunity and support to enable this tohappen. For me, this is what the Treatieswere all about and this is what we need for thebetterment of First Nations people and all ofus in this province. Each component of thisinitiative is critical to success. OTC can playa role facilitating employment opportunities,it can broker training new opportunities, andOTC can arrange for supports for theseemployees to increase their chance of success.13

I see this support as essential. We often forgetthat as we move from one opportunity to theother, often it is not the job or the training,often it is the new environment, the implicitculture and the change in community thatcreates the challenge for people.”Tr e a t y C o m m i ss i o n e r a n d FN M RM inis te r Me etIn December the Commissioner met with theHon. June Draude, Minister of First Nationsand Métis Relations, the Minister ofAdvanced Education, Employment andLabour/Apprenticeship, and the Minister ofEducation.O TC G ues ts of Legi sl atureIn the company of Chiefs from throughout theProvince, FSIN Chief Lawrence Joseph,Premier Brad Wall, Cabinet Ministers andMLAs, the Treaty Commissioner participatedin the First Nations Feast at the SaskatchewanLegislature held in December. Minister JuneDraude’s FNMR Department initiatedtraditional feast in cooperation with theFederation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations.14M e e t i n g i n T r e a t y 2 Te r r i t o r yIn January 2008, the Commissioner met withthe White Bear First Nation and the PheasantRump First Nation. Both nations areadherents to Treaty 4, but occupy theirtraditional territory within the boundaries ofTreaty 2.Aborigina l Le arning Knowl edgeCouncilA n n u a l C o n f e r e n c e - Va n c o u v e rTreaty Kit DevelopmentIn February, 2008, OTCs Executive DirectorHarry Lafond, Debra Laliberte, and KenHorsman presented at the Seeing Ourselves inthe Mirror: Giving Life to LearningConference held in Vancouver and hosted bythe Canadian Council on Learning.N a t i o n a l Tr e a t y C o n f e r e n c e SaskatoonTreaty Table - March, 2008The Elders’ Forum at Wanuskewin wasco-chaired by Harry Lafond and Dorothy Myo(SICC).Commissioner McKnight spoke on a panelabout the challenges of TreatyImplementation. He spoke about theopportunities in the current context to advancethe growth of Treaty Relationship inSaskatchewan and in Canada.Treaty Learning Network - St. Walburg

As Long as the Sun ShinesMarch 2008: The Hon. Chuck Strahl took the opportunity tocongratulate Treaty Commissioner McKnight on hisreappointment when the two were speaking at the first everNational Treaty Conference.The Treaty Commissioner participated in a panel presentationduring the AFN-Canada National Treaty Conference in March2008. The Treaty Commissioner’s presentation on the historyand the future directions of OTC focused on the implicationsof current legislation on Treaty implementation in CanadaJ o u r n e y T h r o u g h Te a c h i n g sIn March the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Literacy Network heldits 2008 gathering, Harry Lafond and Ken Horsman provideddelegates with an introduction to the public educationstrategies of the OTC and the OTC Treaty Resources Kit,which the Office has distributed widely throughout theProvince. (See Appendix 2 for further detail.)15

RESEARCHIn accordance with MOA subsection 6.1.4,with the agreement of the Parties, the OTCmay “conduct focused research and analysisand prepare reports on specific topics as wellas reports which would contribute to theresolution of an issue and promote solutions.”Research and analysis may be triggered by ajoint request for reports on specific topics,with potential to contribute to resolution of anissue and promote solutions.In addition, the OTC may prepareindependent reports on their Treatyrelationship.During the fall of 2007 OTC contracted aresearcher to prepare a preliminary plan forfuture work in youth employment. The TreatyCommissioner spoke about the research at theTreaty Table meeting.In February, OTC determined thatindependent research on the The Duty Consultand the Constitution would prove helpful inrelation to Treaty Table discussions. TheRawson Group was contracted to do the work.The completed research report was presentedfor discussion at the March 2008, TreatyTable meeting in Saskatoon.External Research Proposals to OTCOpportunities to engage in research wer

workshop in October, the OTC vision , mission and values were considered. The workshop results included development of a vision statement and a mission statement, strategic imperatives (goals) and a commitment to a set of values.These statements underpinning the OTC operations are reproduced on pages 7 to 8 . With a new Commissioner, vision .