Tansi and welcome to our educational website about Treaty 6 and the people who live here!

...as long as the sun shines, the grass grows, and the rivers flow…

To our Teachers:

How do we teach about treaties and find meaningful ways to embed First Nation, Métis and Inuit "ways of knowing" into all curricula?  Living Sky School Division provides curriculum and instruction support through this website and their programs.  This site was developed with the help of historians, cultural leaders and teachers who have shared their units, lessons, stories and documentation of special projects. Be sure to check out the "For Teachers" link (above) for curricular support in the classroom and for staff. This is a 'living site' and will continue to grow and develop as material is added.

Introduction:

Treaty Six territory is a vast landscape of prairies, rolling hills, rivers, and wide open skies. It is home to many cultures and people that share in this bountiful land. The land base of treaty six territory covers 313,390 square kilometers (or 121,000 square miles). Since the signing of Treaty Six in 1876, the growth of cities, vast industrial developments, and increasing populations have transformed Treaty Six lands into what we know as part of present day Saskatchewan and Alberta.

The First Nations people who occupied these lands prior to signing Treaty Six found that with the newcomers arrival, the disappearance of the buffalo, diseases, starvation, and encroachment on their lands, the pressure to sign Treaty with the Dominion of Canada on behalf of the Crown was the best alternative to their survival and future.

First Nations believed that the terms of the Treaty would provide them with the tools to survive in the fast changing landscape while never extinguishing their aboriginal and treaty rights. In turn the Crown received access and settlement of lands for the settlers coming to Canada and building the railway west connecting western Canada to the East. It was the beginning of the formation of Canada as we know it. It was understood by the terms of the treaty that there would be a peaceful co-existence with one another.

The treaty is a living agreement between the First Nations and the Crown for the benefit to all people whom live in treaty territory, covering the entirety of Saskatchewan. All residents in Saskatchewan, whether your ancestors immigrated here or you are new to Saskatchewan, including all Aboriginal peoples, are treaty people.

This website is intended to depict a general understanding of the scope of Treaty Six including:

• Treaty Six Basics
• The Story of Treaty Six
• Treaty Perspectives
• Contemporary Issues of Treaty
• Curriculum and Instructional support
• Living Histories project documentation
  
• Interactive game on Treaty 6 Territory
• Additional resources and links
  

This web site is developed as part of a project undertaken by the Living Sky School Division to proivde information about Treaty 6 to its students and teachers.

For more information contact

Living Sky School Division

509 Pioneer Avenue

North Battleford, SK

S9A 4E5

306-937-7702