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Treaty 6 flag raised at City Hall

Jun 21, 2018 | 12:00 PM

There is a new flag flying at North Battleford’s City Hall.

This morning crowds gathered to watch the Treaty 6 Flag being raised into its new permanent home. Many people attended the historic event, and that made Mayor Ryan Bater extremely proud.

“It’s a great day for the community,” Bater said. “I’m proud, not just that the flag was raised today, but that we had so many people come out, especially so many young people.”

Bater said it’s important the public recognizes how the city was originally created.

“It was a historic day to celebrate and pay respect to Treaty 6,” Bater said. “If it weren’t for Treaty 6 our community wouldn’t be here, because it was through Treaty 6 that the Indigenous people who lived here before there was a North Battleford or a Saskatchewan or a Canada, it was a vehicle in which they agreed to share the land.”

The celebration coincided with National Indigenous Peoples Day, and the presentation included Elders, youths, and prominent figures from around the Battleford area. The flag raising was “over a year” in the making, Bater said, and it was no coincidence that it happened on National Indigenous Peoples Day.

“That was developed in consultation with the Elder group out of Battle River Treaty 6 Health Centre,” Bater said. “It was their wish to have it today to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day and to celebrate Treaty 6 at the same time.”

Celebrations will be continuing all day in the city of North Battleford and around the area.

 

brady.lang@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @BradyLangCJNB