Flags raised for Treaty 6, Metis Nation
Timothy Lewis and his classmates travelled to Saskatoon from the Onion Lake Cree Nation to witness the raising of their Treaty 6 flag at City Hall.
“I’m excited to see it. We’re going to sing, too,” Timothy said before the start of a ceremony to raise the Treaty 6 and Metis Nation flags.
Onion Lake Chief Wallace Fox and other dignitaries said the flags were raised as an acknowledgment of Metis and First Nations’ long history in the area, and to show Timothy and other children they are welcome and equal in Saskatoon.
“Flags will bring our people closer together as equals. We are all family on this Earth the Creator lent us. It’s time to heal, to work together,” Fox said.
Lt.-Gov. Vaughn Solomon Schofield said flags are “powerful symbols” and the Crown recognizes that First Nations and Metis roots in the region predate European settlement.
Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Felix Thomas said life is still difficult for many First Nations and Metis people in Saskatoon. He hopes the flags will be one step toward remedying that inequality, he said.
“That’s what the treaties are all about — inclusion.”
Metis Nation-Saskatchewan president Robert Doucette said the Metis flag, Canada’s oldest, will be a reminder of the often-forgotten Metis history.
Saskatoon Mayor Don Atchison said he hopes the flags will help Saskatoon residents build bridges among various cultures.
The ceremony began with an honour drum song and grand entry by veterans and other dignitaries, including Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Chief Perry Bellegarde and Saskatchewan Treaty Commissioner George Lafond.
Following the flag raising, Metis fiddle music and First Nations drumming sounds filled the downtown.