I've written about treaties a number of times in the past. If you want to catch up, then I would recommend "An introduction to the Treaty issues on Turtle Island" and "Canada has a land problem and their solution is cultural genocide". I know for a fact that the Queen in Right of Canada or the Queen in Right of Alberta do not share my views. But if we are going to be honest with ourselves and not give in to hate and fear, we must confront our participation, ignorance and silence. Peace demands it!
Source: http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/al/hts/mp-eng.asp
Treaty Six was signed in 1876 and within the Crowns text of the treaty it was made clear that peace and prosperity was to be the foundation of this agreement.
... "and to make a treaty and arrange with them, so that there may be peace and good will between them and Her Majesty, and that they may know and be assured of what allowance they are to count upon and receive from Her Majesty's bounty and benevolence."
Notwithstanding the rest of the treaty text, I am confident in saying that it was the intent of the nêhiyawin to maintain the peace as well. Their desire for peace, prosperity and sharing of the land was solidified in their version of the treaty, through ceremony, song and story.
I postulate that should any party not maintain the peace or any other clause within the treaty, then that failure would render the agreement null and void due to a failure to perform. The Queen in Right of Canada has constantly justified her actions against the nêhiyawin of Treaty Six in direct violation of the treaty. Let me submit facts to highlight the violation.
- Establishment of 'reserves' while telling them it is 'their' land when actually the Queen claimed it all, forcing them to move onto these 'reserves' and having to get permission to leave the 'reserves', banning their culture, language, ceremonies and customs without being able to vote, is by definition: INTERNMENT CAMPS
- Establishment of internment camps is not a peaceful act and violates Treaty Six terms for "peace and good will".
- Establishment of residential schools, while telling them it is to help train their children while hiding the death and experimentation of the children, is forced cultural genocide and violates the "peace and good will" clause of the treaty.
- Establishment of the Indian Act, which in itself is discriminatory as no other identifiable minority has an act solely to govern them, violates any level of respect, decency and honour. As a result, it too is a violent act and violates the "peace and good will" clause of the treaty.
- Establishment of a ministry used to govern the 'Indians' and ensuring that the 'Indians' form of governance is replaced by a governance model established by The Queen in Right of Canada so that the 'Indians' can be kept in poverty, poor housing, unsafe drinking water, etc is a violent act, violates the clause of "peace and good will" within the treaty and also violates the promise that they can partake in the "Queen's bounty and benevolence".
- By establishing these protocols to treat the said 'Indians' as animals, a chain of events to break the will and spirit of these people was put into motion. Alcoholism, abuse, drug addictions and other problems manifested, which then supported the discrimination of a once proud and powerful race of people. This discrimination was used to turn the settlers against the nêhiyawin in order to create conflict, crime and murder. This intent by The Queen in Right of Canada to cause chaos, hatred and conflict was to ensure that the nêhiyawin never rise up but in fact would perish so as not to stand. This in turn would then render Treaty Six null and void as only one party would remain standing, The Queen. This violates the "peace and good will" clause of Treaty Six.
- As a result of all this conflict and social decay, children could then be deemed vulnerable and need protecting. Under the guise of protecting children, a new residential school version 2.0 program can be implemented to continue the assimilation of the nêhiyawin into colonial culture which would again result in no nêhiyawin left standing as one party of the treaty. This again would render Treaty Six null and void as only one party would remain standing, The Queen in Right of Canada. This violates the "peace and good will" clause of Treaty Six.
My dear friends and family. While it may be very tough for us to admit, our relationship with the nêhiyawin has been a brutal, violent and genocidal relationship. Yet they continue to stand! The trial and acquittal of Gerald Stanley in Saskatoon, Treaty Six territory, may very well be the day that Treaty Six died.
I've been saying for years, that the Queen in Right of Canada has violated this treaty over and over again for well over one hundred years. The nêhiyawin have every right to stand up and declare the treaty null and void due to the Queen in Right of Canada's failure to perform which is a failure on our part as well as only a hand full have stood up to rebuke the violence that we see.
The implications of such a declaration is immense as all the land patents ever created by the Queen in Right of Canada, Queen in Right of Alberta or Queen in Right of Saskatchewan are all founded on the legitimacy of Treaty Six. The Queen needed the treaty in order to 'legally' issue the land patents that are the foundation of every land title in the region.
Imagine trillions of dollars worth of real estate titles being wipe off the market because the Queen in Right of Canada refuses to maintain the peace and good will and the nêhiyawin stand up to declare the treaty null and void due to non performance.
In my view, the treaty died the moment it was signed and each event that unfolded over the past 142 years. The trial of Gerald Stanley may most likely be the last nail in that coffin. I will encourage the nêhiyawin of Treaty Six to make such a declaration as the violence and coercion of people must stop now! The Queen in Right of Canada has always been violent and abusive right and it will no longer be tolerated.
As settlers and nêhiyawin alike, it is our job to declare peace and good will directly with one another as the state will NEVER do it! It is time to walk away from the state, learn how to govern ourselves under Natural Law as Creator intended and work hard to acquire the peace and good will that we all have been looking for but never seem to find. I invite my nêhiyawin brothers and sisters to seriously consider declaring Treaty Six null and void due to the Crowns failure to perform. It is time.
Sweetgrass Sitting Bear (Ben Badger), Sylvia McAdam (Saysewahum), White Walking Feather (rob in the pagé family)