Treaty 7 flag raised at Calgary City Hall

In the latest step of reconciliation with First Nations communities, politicians, Indigenous leaders, city staff and members of the public convened at Calgary City Hall Thursday to see the Treaty 7 flag raised.

With drumming and singing in the background, the flag went up next to that for the City of Calgary, where it will stay forever.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi called it a historic day.

“One of our greatest failures as a nation is the inability to include our Indigenous brothers and sisters in the prosperity and growth of a people, and that’s for me what reconciliation is about,” he said. “It’s about acknowledging the mistakes of the past and moving forward together in a way that involves everybody.

“It’s a small gesture, but gestures matter and this is a gesture that says you belong here, to everyone.”

Kainai Blood Tribe Chief Roy Fox said the day signifies the site being the home of both Tsuu T’ina people and all Calgarians.

“We ought to try and build on our commonalities, try and ensure that we at least understand each other, so that we can begin to better our relationships,” he said.

Treaty 7 was the last of the numbered treaties signed between the federal government back in 1877 and the Plains First Nations.

Those included the Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, Stoney-Nakoda, and Tsuu T’ina.

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