Treaty4Project: Student’s Perception of Their Relationship to Treaty 4 and First Nation’s People

Researchers: Naomi Fortier-Fréçon and Leia Laing
January 2017

Treaty4Project is also known as Treaty 4: The Next Generation Project. It was an educational project that allowed students to explore the idea of treaty citizenship. It helped them understand their generation’s relationship with Treaty 4 in Saskatchewan, both today and in the future. Through the participation of an Elder, a Cree/Métis artist, university professors, activists, and education students, as well as through the introduction of classroom resources, the project provided students with the fundamental knowledge they needed to tackle these very complex issues.

This research study explored students’ evolving understandings of themselves as treaty people after they participated in a conference aimed at unpacking ideas related to treaties. The conference explored treaty citizenship in several ways, such as by addressing treaty roles and responsibilities and by working with an Indigenous artist to create artwork inspired by related questions. The project was a learning experience for students and teachers alike, as it strove to reinforce inclusive interpretations of Saskatchewan history and help youth develop their own perspectives on treaty citizenship.