“This year, we bring a new perspective and commitment to reconciliation as we recognize the signing of Treaty 6 between the Crown and First Nations.
“Treaty 6 was signed at two sites in Saskatchewan: at Fort Carlton on Aug. 23, 1876 and at Fort Pitt on Sept. 9, 1876. An adhesion to the treaty was signed in Alberta at what is now Edmonton.
“As early as 1871, Plains tribes expressed interest in negotiating a treaty that would protect them from the settlement of outsiders on their lands, and an agreement to share the land was finally reached in 1876.
“We all recognize now that Indian residential schools betrayed the protection that was promised by the treaty. Non-Indigenous Canadians are working to understand this tragedy and its continuing impact, and we welcome the courage and generosity of Indigenous peoples in building our understanding of this and other challenges so we can move forward together.
“We recognize that First Nations were the first trading people and entrepreneurs in the West, and we are pleased to provide support to help Indigenous-led businesses and entrepreneurs become economic leaders in Alberta.
“All people in Alberta – First Nations and non-Indigenous – can work together in mutual respect in the spirit of the treaties.”