The Office of the Treaty Commissioner
(Saskatchewan)

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner (“OTC”) was created in 1989 by Canada and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (with the support of the Province of Saskatchewan), with an original mandate to review treaty land entitlement and education.

In 1996, the OTC was renewed and re-mandated for a five-year period. The current Treaty Commissioner is Judge David Arnot. The OTC operates with the Treaty Commissioner and a staff of five people.

Under its current mandate, the OTC describes itself as follows:

The OTC is an independent and impartial office. Its mandate is to facilitate exploratory discussions between the FSIN and the Government of Canada on the nature of the treaty relationship as well as on specific treaty issues which include child welfare; education; health; justice; treaty annuities; hunting, fishing, trapping, and gathering; and lands and resources.

The exploratory discussions facilitated by the OTC have led to a series of “common understandings” reflecting consensus on treaty issues arising out of extensive dialogue between Saskatchewan First Nations and representatives of Canada and of the Province.

The OTC has also been very active in public education and treaty awareness. The 1999-2000 Annual Report notes:

The OTC has taken a multi- pronged approach aimed at engendering a better understanding of the treaties in both their historical and contemporary context. The dissemination of information through public speaking, print, video and educational materials was the key to the OTC’s public education strategy.

Education Initiatives of the OTC:

• A Treaty Awareness Speakers Bureau;
• A series of newspaper articles written and provided to members of the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association; Development of Teachers guides and lesson plans for teaching treaties in the classroom (currently under review by Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations and the Province of Saskatchewan);
• OTC publications, which includes Bounty and benevolence: A history of Saskatchewan Treaties and Treaty Elders of Saskatchewan

Website: http://www.otc.ca/