Every year, the Treaty 4 Gathering occurs in Fort Qu’Appelle where a week-long celebration brings together visitors and members of the File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council (FHQTC).
This gathering celebrates the signing of Treaty 4 in 1874.
Gaylene Anaquod, FHQTC Governance Programs, Policy and White Raven Healing Centre executive director, said every year, they come back to honour the signing of their treaties.
“We offer both the ceremonial and traditional aspect as well as cultural learning aspects,” said Anaquod. “We have a pipe ceremony every morning to commemorate. We begin with the feast, which was held yesterday. We have our flag-raising ceremonies to honour … the signing of treaty and the relationship between First Nations and the Crown.”
Anaquod said on average, the gathering sees about 800 to 2,000 students a day that come and rotate between the tipis. There are numerous tipis set up in the Qu’Appelle valley, each of which has its own purpose for visitors such as learning about moose hides, health and wellness, learning about who the Treaty 4 Chiefs were and listening to various elders’ teachings.
“Those are for all of the school to provide education awareness on treaty within the area,” said Anaquod.
“We provide that education and awareness and bring the children out to learn, because it’s important to learn your history, to learn where you come from and to learn in the environment or something symbolic and significance to having the ability to actually come and gather on where the actual treaty was signed.”
Students of diverse backgrounds attended the second day of the Treaty 4 Gathering. Catherine Stonechild, a Starblanket Cree Nation councillor, said it’s important that others join in this event to celebrate diversity and to obtain knowledge.
“It’s kind of like a teaching tool and just to showcase our culture and all of the stuff that we did years back,” said Stonechild. “We’re all equal … (and) we can all celebrate each other’s culture in a good way.“
The Treaty 4 Gathering is open to all. Attendees can take in the tipi teachings, browse the fine arts fair, watch the fashion show and check out the annual powwow that takes part of the last two days of the gathering.
More details can be found on the Treaty 4 Gathering website.