Saskatchewan’s Treaty Commissioner says a treaty fair held this week has been a huge success.
The Office of the Treaty Commissioner and the Prince Albert Grand Council hosted the virtual treaty fair over the last few days.
“Partnerships can create movements of change and movements of change start with education,” said Treaty Commissioner Mary Culbertson when speaking to MBC News about the event.
Early in the planning process, the decision was made to hold the treaty fair on a virtual platform due to concerns around Covid-19. While Culbertson understands the need to hold the event online she admits she would have preferred to hold the event in person.
“I feel like in person connections create a more lasting impact and memory, but we will get there,” said Culbertson.
The Treaty Commissioner does believe the online event allowed them to reach a greater audience with people joining from all over the province. She says 346 participants tuned in for one session alone.
“It looks like it has been a great success and an example of how we can reach so many and create the systems of education where we need to re-educate people on Canada’s history that was wrongly taught to us,” said Culbertson. “But this is how we get to reconciliation and moving forward together.”
The treaty fair had several sessions based on treaty awareness, education, and reconciliation.
Culbertson says with the success of this year’s treaty fair the OTC may be looking into holding a treaty fair every year.
(PHOTO: Treaty Commissioner Mary Culbertson. File Photo)