We Are All Treaty People
We Are All Treaty People
The Treaty Commissioner is a member of the Keeseekoose First Nation and with her in January 2018 appointment she became the first woman Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan. She has over 20 years of professional experience working in federal, provincial and territorial governments and with Indigenous organizations. This includes Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Canada, Corrections Services Canada, the Government of Saskatchewan, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, Sunchild Law, and various Tribal Councils. Over the years, Mary has been an active volunteer in many community organizations and engaged in advocacy work with Indigenous communities, families and grassroots organizations.
Mary holds a Juris Doctor of Law from the University of Saskatchewan. She grew up seeing both worlds on her family farm north of Pelly SK., across the river from Fort Livingston site and her Nation of Keeseekoose. She is the granddaughter of late Senator Roy Musqua and Nellie Brass. She is a mother of four grown children and proud Kokum to 4 grandchildren. She firmly believes the teachings she learned from her family, her aunts, uncles, cousins and parents have shaped her journey, her knowledge and her determination.
Angie is a Cree from the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation. After working with the Office of the Treaty Commissioner as the Project Coordinator – Youth in Service since July 2019, Angie became the Director of Operations.
The Youth in Service project, which ended in May 2020, involved the coordination of promoting the civic engagement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth, to enhance and build upon the efforts of OTC, particularly related to reconciliation.
Angie was born and raised in Pelican Narrows, currently lives in Saskatoon, SK and she is fluent in the Cree language.
Angie brings a wide variety of experience having worked as a Ministerial Assistant to several Cabinet Ministers and Special Advisor to the Premier of Saskatchewan with the Government of Saskatchewan; a Workforce Planning Specialist, Human Resources for Cameco Corporation; Band Councillor for the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation where she held the portfolio for youth and justice; Victim Services Coordinator within the Pelican Narrows RCMP Detachment for the NorthSask Victim Services; Project Manager for the Northeast Youth Violence Reduction Partnership; and most recently she worked as a Jordan’s Principle Coordinator for PBCN Health Services.
Rhett Sangster works with the Office of the Treaty Commissioner, coordinating efforts to engage both the public and community leaders on the nature of reconciliation in Saskatchewan. This process aims to work with as many partners as possible to identify shared priorities and a broadly-owned vision for the future.
Rhett grew up in Treaty 6 territory (Tisdale, Saskatchewan) and is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan (B.A. Political Studies). He moved to Ottawa in 2000 to become a Foreign Service Officer and has spent the majority of his career working on issues of international conflict and peacebuilding. He spent three years posted as a diplomat in Turkey, led a successful effort to improve dialogue and cooperation between Afghan and Pakistani border officials, and coordinated Canadian international policy on mediation, peace processes and the effects of war on women and girls. Rhett accepted a Rotary Peace Fellowship in 2012 and graduated in 2014 with a Masters in International Development Policy from Duke University. His thesis focused on conflict prevention and reconciliation in Saskatchewan.
Rhett is married and has three young children.
Sheldon Krasowski was born in Treaty Six territory in Saskatoon and attended the University of Saskatchewan and received a BA with a major in Indigenous Studies from the University of Saskatchewan in 1995. In 1998 he received an MA in Indigenous Studies from Trent University and completed the thesis “A Numiany” The Prayer People and the Pagans of Walpole Island First Nation.” In 2011, he received a PhD in history from the University of Regina for the dissertation, “Mediating the Numbered Treaties: Eyewitness Accounts of the Numbered Treaties Between the Crown and Indigenous Peoples, 1871-1876.” This research became the basis for No Surrender: The Land Remains Indigenous which was published by the University of Regina Press in 2019 and includes a foreword by Dr. Winona Wheeler.
Dr. Krasowski has taught in both history and Indigenous Studies departments at First Nations University of Canada; Vancouver Island University; the University of Saskatchewan; Blue Quills First Nations College; the University of Calgary; and Athabasca University. He has completed research for the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the Metis Nation of Ontario, and is currently a co-investigator on a research project with the Montreal Lake Cree Nation on the Treaty 6 Adhesion of 1889. Sheldon began his research journey with the office of the Treaty Commissioner in 1998, and after a hiatus of almost 20 years is currently the coordinator of research and archives at the Office of the Treaty Commissioner in Saskatoon.
Charmaine joined the OTC as Administrative Assistant, Reconciliation in April 2017 as part of a partnership with the City of Saskatoon.
She loves work on Reconciliation because she likes to see the positive change in the community, while bettering the lives of youth, who are our future leaders of tomorrow. Her personal call to action is Listen, Learn, Show Up and Share.
Charmaine was born and raised in in Ile a la Crosse, but has lived in Saskatoon on and off since 1995. She has two children, Bryden, 22, and Desiree, 18. She loves to spend time with her partner, Clarence, and her family -- and she likes a good read or drama series.
Nicolette Merasty is a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation. She was born and raised in Northern Saskatchewan and calls Pelican Narrows her home. In the fall she will be in her third and final year of Law at the University of Saskatchewan. She received a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of Regina in 2015.
Nicolette enjoys being involved in her community. She is currently the President of the National Indigenous Law Student Association. Recently, she volunteered for LEVEL’s Justice Indigenous Youth Outreach Program teaching the Criminal Justice system to middle school children. While studying at the University of Regina, Nicolette was able to achieve her goal of studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea. While there she was able to learn about the Korean culture as well as share her Indigenous culture.
She truly believes in the work the OTC does and is looking forward to building her legal research and writing skills with the OTC.
