The Treaty

For more than a century, the lives of the Saulteaux, Nakoda, Chipewyan and Cree peoples of the Treaty 6 area have been shaped by the contents of ten pages of handwritten script. The sixth of the numbered treaties was signed first at Fort Carlton and subsequently at Fort Pitt in 1876; between the First Nations peoples of the area and representatives of the British Crown. Since its signing, Treaty 6 has been regarded as the definitive and authoritative statement on a number of issues affecting life in the Treaty 6 area. Details regarding the allocation and use of Treaty 6 lands and resources, the compensation received by Treaty members for surrendering their land rights, and the relationship between the Treaty 6 First Nations and the government are all outlined in the document. There have been many interpretations of the treaty’s terms over the years, and the implications of the treaty have led to much controversy and debate.

There are many questions to be asked about Treaty 6 and its contents. In this section of the website, you are invited to examine the document for yourself, one which has had profound effects on the lives of so many. Look through the weathered pages of the original treaty parchment, where you may examine the signatures of the very first Treaty 6 members; read an online version of the treaty text; and explore the many treaty boundaries that extend over present-day Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the rest of Canada.