On Sept. 3, I was honoured to represent the university at a special event on North campus: the official raising of the Treaty 6 and Métis flags, which now fly in their rightful place in the flag plaza outside of University Commons.
Many distinguished guests were on hand as we celebrated this new era at the university, including Her Honour, the Honourable Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor and His Honour, Zaheer Lakhani; Elder Dr. Francis Whiskeyjack, Chief Cody Thomas, Chief Joel Mykat, Chief Vernon Watchmaker, and members of Treaty 6 Nations, Lisa Wolfe and representatives of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government, representatives of the Métis Settlements General Council, students, including speaker Tamara Dubé, faculty, staff and members of the community.
The university, its campuses, and labs are situated on lands that are part of Treaties 6, 7, and 8, and the homeland of the Métis. In the spirit of these agreements, the university upholds its commitment to working and living in good relation with each other, respecting Indigenous Peoples and Nations who, through treaty processes, generously agreed to share these lands with those who came to these lands from far away. As a commitment to living in good relations with one another, the university added the Treaty 6 and Métis flags to the official flag plaza on North Campus, where they now fly alongside the flags of Canada and Alberta.
雅伎著 President Bill Flanagan speaking at the event.
Together, these flags will remind us of our shared history and reaffirm the university’s commitment to a joint future — where the contributions of Indigenous Peoples, knowledge systems, and communities are visibly recognized as an integral part of the campus community.
The raising of these flags is a step forward in the 雅伎著’s commitment to thoughtful, respectful, meaningful and sustainable responses to the Calls to Action issued by the TRC and to upholding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples more broadly.
It was a privilege to participate in this event, which blended reflection, introspection, and celebration, and featured moving performances by Northern Cree and Brianna Lizotte.
I would like to thank the many staff members and volunteers who made the event possible, including the events team and Florence Glanfield, who was instrumental in helping coordinate the program for this important day at the 雅伎著.
Bill Flanagan
President and vice-chancellor