WATCH ABOVE: Work is now under way to write a new chapter for the 40-year-old attraction that delves into history. Vinesh Pratap reports.
EDMONTON — A new agreement is designed to be the launching pad to provide an in-depth look at the full history of the Edmonton area.
Fort Edmonton Park and the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding Thursday morning that will work to incorporate the history of First Nations into the cultural programming at the park.
“Today we made history. We’re trying to make history for our young generation so they can read about what it really signifies,” said Chief Bernice Martia, Grand Chief of Treaty No. 6.
Martia hopes to see more cultural events and information on Treaty No. 6.
A Fort Edmonton Park spokesperson says Thursday’s event signifies the beginning of a new approach to the portrayal of First Nations people’s history.
Mayor Don Iveson was on hand to serve as a witness to the signing.
“We know that there’s so much more to the history. That there was mutual aid, That there was interdependence, that there was this rich Metis culture that came out, said Iveson.
The Fort has adopted over time and told more and more of that story, but there’s still a long way to go.”
The memorandum is the first step toward a plan for a new $45 million expansion of the park, the Indigenous Peoples Experience.