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13TuesdayJune242014Celebrationmarks115thanniversaryofTreaty8signingByMEAGANWOHLBERGAsayoungboySmithsLandingFirstNationcouncil-lorThaidenePaulettedidntunderstandthatthegrassyeldwhereheoftenplayedinFortFitzgeraldAlta.wasthesamegroundonwhichhisancestorsmadeabind-ingnation-to-nationagree-mentwithsomeoftherstsettlerstothearea.IgrewuphereplayinglittledidIknowthatIwasplayingandridingbikerightwheretheysignedtreatyasakid.OnceIlearnedthatwhenIwasolderIthoughtthatwasprettyamazingPaulettesharedwithacrowdgatheredontheveryspotlastTuesdayeveningtohonourthe115thanniversaryofthesigningofTreaty8.HundredsofDeneNa-tiondelegatesfromacrosstheNWTmembersoftheSmithsLandingandSaltRiverFirstNationsandcom-munitymembersfromFortSmithandFitzcameouttocelebratethemonumentaloccasion.Apartfromamassivefeastofroastedcaribouandshgamesandprizeskeptchil-drenbusywhileadultsen-gagedintraditionalhandgamesandthesteadywindkeptmosquitoesatbayunderthewarmJunesun.SpeechesweregivenbySLFNChiefAndrewWan-deringSpiritDeneNationalChiefBillErasmusAtha-bascaChipewyanFirstNa-tionChiefAllanAdamSaltRiverFirstNationChiefFriedaMartselosSmithsLandingelderFrancoisPauletteandPerryBelle-gardechiefoftheFedera-tionofSaskatchewanIndianNations.SpeakersremarkedonthehistoryofTreaty8itslegalweightandoverallsignicance.Whatissoimportantisthatwearethedirectdescen-dentsofthepeoplewhowerehere115yearsago-thedirectdescendents.Thepeoplewhoenteredintotreatyherewecomefromthemandwearestillalive.WhatthatmeansthenisthatthetreatyisstillaliveErasmussaid.Whatthatmeanstomeisthatthetreatyistheinstru-mentthathaskeptusalive.InotherwordsiftherewasnotreatyIdontthinkwedbeheretoday.Ireallydont.SpeechesalsotouchedonthecurrenttroublesFirstNationsfacewhenattempt-ingtofullyimplementtheagreementandtherightsitguarantees.Adamprofessedahopethatthespirituallawrepresentedbythetreaty-oneofpeaceandfriend-ship-willonedayberec-ognizedbybothpartiessothatitstrueintentcancometofruition.ThespiritandintentoftreatywasbasedonuniversallawthatweweresupposedtomakesurethatweliveinharmonywitheachotherandalsoinharmonywithMotherNatureAdamsaid.Themiseryisthatwedontcommunicateproperlyandthatwedontunderstandeachother-themisconcep-tion.Soworkatitworkattreatyheadvised.StrugglesexistingovertreatiestodayTheeventtiedintothemaintopicoflastweeksDeneNationalAssemblyinFortSmithHonouringtheTrea-tieswhichfocusedoncurrentstrugglestiedtoFirstNationsrelationshipswithCanada.Canadahasahardtimewithusbecausetheyveledpeopletobelievethatourtrea-tieshavenomeaningthatourlandsandresourcesbelongtosomeoneotherthanourpeo-pleErasmussaid.Wehavepeoplewhohaveofficersontheirtraplineswheretheyvelived30or40yearsharassingthem...ask-ingthemwhattheyredoingaskingiftheyhaveapermittocutwoodtohuntcaribou.TheysaynobecauseImaTreatyIndian.Sowehavearealsituation.Whilemanyconictsbe-tweenFirstNationsandtheCrownhaveendedupincourtasoflatethechiefsbelievethereareotherwaystosolveissuesstartingwithdialogue.Soonerorlaterthegov-ernmentsandtheindustryaregonnasaywevehadenoughghtingwiththeFirstNationsinCanadaandweretiredoftheFirstNationstakingustocourtsaidAdamwhoseFirstNationhasseverallegalactionsongoingagainstthefederalgovernment.Ifweweretositdownandhaveanopendialogueanddis-cussionIthinkwecouldbeabletobuildabetterCanadaabetterplaceforourpeopletolivehesaid.Untilthenwewillcontinuestrugglingandholleringateachother.PhotosMeaganWohlbergDrummersfromacrossDenendehjointogethertokickoffcelebrationshonouringthesigningofTreaty8atFortFtizgeraldAlta.lastTuesdayevening.SaltRiverFirstNationChiefFriedaMartselosandSgt.BarryLedouxoftheRCMPhelpmarkthemomentousoccasiononSmithsLandingFirstNationterritory.LittleJayPaulettea2year-oldmemberoftheSmithsLandingFirstNationcelebratestheoccasionbyfeastingonsomefreshlyroastedcaribouribs.FromleftAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationChiefAllanAdamDeneNationalChiefBillErasmusandChiefPerryBellegardefromtheFederationofSaskatchewanIndianNations.PoliticsTreaties