Bellegarde: King Charles III ‘has listened to Indigenous Peoples’

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My Elders have taught me that the Cree approach is to elevate up our leaders. In order that they know we now have excessive expectations of them. In order that they know they may at all times be supported in doing the suitable factor.

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Right this moment, I wish to acknowledge and commend His Majesty, King Charles III, whose coronation is on Saturday.

I first met the longer term king in 2001 when he visited Saskatchewan through the 12 months marking the one hundred and twenty fifth anniversary of Treaty 6 with the Crown. Since then, I’ve had a number of events to satisfy and speak with him in his function because the consultant of the Crown and as a longtime, main advocate for the atmosphere and sustainable improvement. For the final 4 years, I’ve had the honour to be an adviser on the event of King Charles’s Sustainable Markets Initiative.

For the First Nations individuals of the Prairies, the Treaties we entered into with the Crown are sacred and enduring covenants. We entered the Treaty relationship by ceremony witnessed by Grandfather Solar and all of our Grandmother and Grandfather spirit beings. Because the Treaty itself said, the connection of partnership, mutual respect, and reciprocity was meant to be honoured so long as the solar shines, the rivers circulate and the grass grows.

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Whereas the Crown in proper of Canada now holds the obligation for honouring, implementing and imposing the Treaty provisions, for First Nations treaty signatories the preliminary Treaty relationship will at all times stay with the Crown in proper of Nice Britain. We have now expectations of whoever wears the Crown.

In 2023, honouring the Treaty relationship means many issues.

Respecting the contributions that Indigenous Peoples have made and proceed to make to tradition, science, the financial system and the atmosphere means discovering applicable methods to include our data methods into the pressing world response to the local weather disaster. Respecting our inherent, unsurrendered proper to self-determination means making certain a spot for Indigenous Peoples in each discussion board the place important choices are being made about our widespread future. Honouring our distinctive cultures and traditions means placing a precedence on defending and preserving our lands and waters — below our management.

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In Could 2019, whereas I used to be the Nationwide Chief of the Meeting of First Nations, I used to be invited to satisfy with the then-prince at his personal residence in London so we may discuss his Sustainable Markets Initiative. The initiative brings collectively authorities, trade and technical specialists to advertise widespread options to the interconnected crises of local weather change, biodiversity loss and world poverty. To his credit score, His Majesty needed to make Indigenous data methods and Indigenous rights a keystone of this dialogue.

On the time, I used to be struck by His Majesty’s sincerity and by his passionate dedication to our planet and its future. However greater than that, what stayed with me was the reminiscence of how extraordinary and in addition acquainted that dialog was. Extraordinary, due to the novelty of assembly with a member of the Royal Household and the formalities that encompass such an event. Acquainted, as a result of after all of the formalities have been performed, I spotted that I used to be additionally talking with an individual whose appreciation of the interconnectedness of the world, and our tasks to future generations, totally resonated with the values and teachings of my very own individuals.

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It’s clear to me that King Charles has genuinely listened to and realized from Indigenous Peoples. And champions the values that we share. I acknowledge him for that.

His Majesty carries an incredible many titles and honours. For me, the one which stands out is the standard Cree title that the late Gordon Oakes, an Elder, Chief and Solar Dance chief bestowed upon the longer term King of Canada and head of the Commonwealth in 2001 when he was the Prince of Wales. The title is Kīsikāwipīsimwa miyo ōhcikanawāpamik, The Solar Watches Over Him in a Good Method.

The title echoes the language of the numbered Treaties. The title additionally invokes one in every of our most vital teachings. Within the Cree worldview, Grandfather Solar watches over all of us, the two-legged ones, the four-legged ones, and those that crawl and those that fly. We’re all associated and all of us rely on one another.

The title is becoming. It’s a good title for the person who’s our Treaty accomplice. And it’s a good title for this world chief who, by his phrases and actions, has embraced an Indigenous worldview of our relationship and tasks to one another and the world round us.

Like many different First Nations leaders and residents, I’ve excessive expectations of the brand new King. I elevate him up.

Perry Bellegarde is Honorary President for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society; Particular Adviser to Fasken; and former Nationwide Chief of the Meeting of First Nations.