This land – ᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ, amiskwacîwâskahikan – is a traditional meeting ground, gathering place, and travelling route of the Nêhiyawak (Cree), Anishinaabe (Saulteaux), Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Dene, and Nakota Sioux, whose unique histories, languages, and cultures continue to enrich our shared heritage.
We recognize the long history and contributions of Indigenous Peoples who have cared for this land from time immemorial to the present. In the spirit of truth and reconciliation we work collaboratively to steward the land we share as we plan for a future for all citizens, and we acknowledge that we are all Treaty People, bound to one another by the spirit and intent of Treaty “as long as the sun shines, the grass grows and the river flows.”
Learn more about Indigenous communities in the Region
30% of the total Indigenous population in Alberta live in the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA).
Sharing the land
The Region is home to
EMRB member municipalities are also within Territories of
-
Alexis Nakota Sioux First Nation
(Alexander First Nation) -
Michel First Nation
-
Papaschase Cree Nation
-
Maskepetoon/kiskayos
(four Nations of Maskwacis) -
Nipisikopahk
(Samson Cree Nation) -
Neyaskweyahk
(Ermineskin Cree Nation) -
Akamihk
(Montana First Nation) -
Kisipatinahk
(Louis Bull Tribe) -
Saddle Lake Cree Nation
(Northeast) -
Métis Nation
(North Saskatchewan River Territory Districts)
Building relationships
Historically, the EMRB’s engagement with Indigenous leaders and communities has been cursory. We can, and must, be better. The EMRB has an important role to play in regional governance, and civil society more broadly, to uphold its responsibilities in the Spirit of Treaty and to create an enabling environment that will help further reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples.
Intentional connections
The EMRB is intentional in building relationships with Indigenous leadership, cultivating open lines of communication, providing opportunities to get to know each other better, and fostering trust and mutual respect. We recognize that Indigenous communities have unique perspectives and solutions to offer on much of the work happening at a regional level, which could serve to underpin future collaborations among our communities and lead to better outcomes for all.
As we continue to engage on this path of relationship building and tangible collaborative actions, we are committed to working with Indigenous leadership in developing approaches that will be conducive to Indigenous participation in our work, and that the end result will be a much more inclusive and thriving Region.
Respectful relations will give us the solid foundation we need to create a better future for all our relations for generations to come.
Chief Desmond G. Bull
then-Grand Chief of The Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations
Municipal initiatives
In forging ahead with renewed relationships, the EMRB acknowledges that each member municipality has its own local context and relationships with Indigenous communities.
The municipalities’ relationships, engagement and initiatives with Indigenous communities are more complex and multifaceted than can be succinctly outlined here and those seeking more information are encouraged to reach out to EMRB member municipalities directly.
