Reconciliation In Action

Land is fundamental to Indigenous ways of life. This is why the Office of the Treaty Commissioner has partnered with the Treaty Land Sharing Network.

The Network is a group of farmers, ranchers, and rural people who are putting reconciliation in action by coming together to begin the crucial work of honouring Treaties.

During Treaty negotiations Indigenous nations agreed to share the land with settlers – not to cede or surrender it. As part of these sacred commitments to live together in peace, take care of shared lands, and ensure one another’s wellbeing, Indigenous People were guaranteed that their way of life would be protected, including the ability to move freely and hunt throughout their traditional territory. In recent years, ongoing privatization of public land – combined with racism, systemic discrimination, and changes to trespassing legislation – have compounded historic land loss and made it increasingly difficult for Indigenous people to safely exercise their Treaty and inherent rights.

Public Education at the OTC has partnered with the Treaty Land Sharing Network to facilitate understanding and ways of recognizing roles and responsibilities as Treaty partners to the land and resources. The partnership will work to enhance the knowledge base and broaden the scope of network members. The OTC also supported with the development of a website, and creation of a logo that accurately represents their identity and the responsibilities associated.

In the words of Mary Culbertson, Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan:

“Good Treaty partners learn and honour their obligations to the stewards of the land that has provided generational wealth. Indigenous people have had their access to land diminished, removed, and their right to hunt, fish, gather medicines and plants impacted. This has affected people’s ability to feed families and practice traditions and cultures. It is the people that will lead Treaty implementation, and that's what we see with the TLSN. We have existing obligations that we have inherited and part of those obligations is ensuring the Treaty relationship that was promised is upheld when others who benefit won’t. It is up to the rest of us to lead the way and that’s what the TLSN is doing.”

Indigenous land users can learn how to access the lands here