Thunderchild Cree Nation- Treaty No. 6

DECLARATION Of the MEDICINE CHEST GATHERING FOR Thunderchild Cree Nation- treaty No. 6 Treaty Right to Health

We the people of Treaty No.6 territory, recalling and agreeing with the Chiefs of Canada in 1981 regarding the Declaration of First Nations hereby declare;

“We the original people of the land know the Creator put is here”

“The laws of the Creator gave us laws that govern all our relationships to live in harmony.”

“The laws of the Creator define our rights and responsibilities”

“The Creator gave us our spiritual beliefs, our languages, and culture and a place on mother earth which provided us with all our needs”

“We have maintained our freedom, languages and traditions from time immemorial.”

“We shall continue to exercise the rights and fulfill the responsibilities and obligations given to us by the Creator for the land upon which we were placed.”

“The Creator has given us the right to govern ourselves and the right to self-determination.”

“The right and responsibilities given to us by the Creator cannot be altered or abrogated by any other Nation.”

The Royal Proclamation of 1763 initiated and adopted by the British Government recognized Nations and Tribes of Indians. The proclamation recognizes our regional title of all lands traditionally occupied and used by our ancestors. The status of our Indian Nations was confirmed and entrenched by our entering into Treaties with the British Crown. Recognizing that in 1982, at the peak of our Nations struggle to securely entrench our Treaty and Inherent Rights in the Constitution Act; Justice Lord Denning supported the solemnity, integrity and durability of our Treaties with the British Crown. On January 29, 1982, Lord Denning in the High Court of the United Kingdom proclaimed his judgment, “There is nothing, so far as I can see to warrant any distrust by the Indians of the Government of Canada”. But, in case there should be, the discussion in this case will strengthen their hand so as to enable them to withstand any onslaught. They will be able to say that their rights and freedoms have been guaranteed to them by the Crown originally by the Crown in respect of the United Kingdom, now by the Crown in respect of Canada, but, in any case, by the Crown. No Parliament shall do anything to lessen the worth of these guarantees. They should be honored by the Crown in respect of Canada “as long as the sun rises and the river flows”. The promise never is broken.

Further on July 5, 1973 Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth 11 affirmed the Treaties in an address to the Chiefs of Alberta, stating “You may be assured that my Government of Canada recognizes the importance of full compliance with the spirit and intent of your Treaties”.

The Treaty which became known as Treaty No 6 contains a “Medicine Chest” clause which was agreed to due existing circumstances at the time.

Also recognizing the Treaty No, 6, Treaty No. 7, and Treaty No. 8 Treaty Right to Health Declaration ratified on March 16, 2005 at the Assembly of Treaty Chiefs meeting (Alberta).

Emphasizing that section 25 and 35(1) of the 1982 Constitution Act of Canada recognizes and affirms Treaty rights.

Also recognizing that unity is recognized amongst the Cree, Dene, Chipweyan, Nakota Sioux, Lakota Sioux, Dakota Sioux, Assiniboine, Salteaux, Deh Cho, Ojibway and within their traditional territories have always considered ourselves integrally related, possessing from time immemorial, all the attributes of Nationhood and all it entails under international law. Acknowledging that International Law recognizes the Nationhood of the Cree, Dene, Chipweyan, Nakota Sioux, Lakota Sioux, Dakota Sioux, Assiniboine, Saulteaux, Deh Cho, Ojibway, and the declaration on the Health and Survival of Indigenous Peoples (23 – 26 November 1999 ) Part 1 includes “a call on Governments where Treaties, Agreements and other constructive arrangements exist, that the original spirit and intent of these International Agreements be honored, respected and implemented’, and

Also Acknowledging the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ratified by the UN General Assembly on September 13, 2007.

We now therefore declare, on this twenty – fourth day of July 2008, the Chiefs, Elders and Descendents of the Great Turtle Island gathering at the Treaty Six Medicine Chest Gathering “Exercising our Nation hood in Sovereignty” hosted by Thunderchild First Nation, Saskatchewan Canada and; Big Island Cree Nation Onion Lake Cree Nation Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations of Alberta

To revive and retain the Spirit and Intent of the “Medicine Chest” along with the teachings of the places of the medicines and all that is required to maintain holistic health (Miyo Mahcihowin); and

To reaffirm our Nations ‘values and principles’ relating to the provision of health; and

To collaborate the efforts in developing mechanisms to enhance the quality of health of Treaty peoples; and

To protect and promote the medicines gathered and utilized to heal our peoples from diseases; and

To provide for a “Task Force” compromised of Treaty No. 6 Nations to provide support in the form of a unified voice on Treaty peoples Right to Health, whose initial signatories, shall be three (3) Chiefs of Nations within Treaty No.6

That will compliment the contemporary health systems provided to the Treaty peoples through the provisions of the “Medicine Chest” Clause within Treaty No.6 “As long as the sun shines, rivers flow and grass grows’, these sacred undertakings must never be broken and we affirm this to be true as a covenant between the Creator and the indigenous people of the Great Turtle Island.