Perry Bellegarde is a former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations and a citizen of the Little Black Bear First Nation on Treaty Four territory.
Alberta regional chief Marlene Poitras, left, interim Yukon regional chief Kluane Adamek, and National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Perry Bellegarde, along with co-chairs Harold Tarbell, Racelle Kooy, and Tim Catcheway, listen as Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Carolyn Bennett, centre, speaks during the AFN Special Chiefs Assembly in Gatineau, Que., on May 1, 2018.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
On May 27, King Charles III – the King of Canada – will deliver the Speech from the Throne, opening the new session of Canada’s Parliament. The King’s presence in this constitutional role may surprise some Canadians, but for many First Nations across these lands, it reaffirms something we have always known: the Crown is not merely symbolic. It is central to the Treaty relationship that founded Canada.
I am a citizen of Treaty Four and a member of Little Black Bear First Nation. As former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, I have stood alongside Elders and Knowledge Keepers at powwows, feasts, and honourings across Treaty territories. Often, visitors raise their eyebrows to see the Union Jack carried in during the Grand Entry, or they are surprised to hear our Flag Song, which honours Queen Victoria and our sacred relationship with the Crown.
The Crown, of course, represents a history of profound pain and harm for Indigenous Peoples, not only in Canada but around the world. British colonizers took our lands and resources, stole our sacred items, attacked our cultures and left an aftermath of intergenerational trauma for our communities to grapple with to this day. So some may wonder: why maintain allegiance to the Crown, given the harms of colonization? The answer lies in the legal and moral weight of the Treaties. The Crown, as represented today by King Charles III, remains a symbol and guarantor of that original relationship. It is a relationship that First Nations have upheld with dignity, even when Canada has failed to do the same.
After all, Canada only exists today because, in the late 1800s, many First Nations agreed – reluctantly and under great duress – to enter into Treaties with the Crown to share the land, to the depth of a plough for as long as the sun shines, the rivers flow and the grass grows. These were not mere land transactions. They were solemn, nation-to-nation agreements that enabled peaceful settlement and the formation of Canada as a country.
Furthermore, those fiduciary responsibilities did not vanish with Canadian Confederation. They were transferred to Canada as the successor state. That legal obligation remains alive in Canadian law and international law today.
Section 35 of Canada’s Constitution affirms that Aboriginal and Treaty rights are part of the highest law of the land. That means that the Treaties are not historical artifacts. They are living, binding, sacred covenants that must be upheld with honour.
The Treaty relationship is foundational. It predates Canada’s Confederation and will outlast any government of the day. First Nations are not passive stakeholders in Canada’s constitutional order; we are foundational partners in its creation. We remain First Nations, and our consent remains essential to any future vision of this land.
Canada’s future lies not in forgetting our origins, but in living up to them. King Charles’s presence in Parliament serves as a reminder that Canada is a Treaty nation, and that truth must guide every decision about who we are and who we are becoming, amid threats of annexation or even separation within the country.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has invoked powerful symbolism in having King Charles read the Speech from the Throne. I hope that this moment will inspire not only the Prime Minister, but all Parliamentarians to reflect on the Treaty promise and their obligations to bring that promise to life.