Yxe Underground

Educating people of all ages and cultures is what drives Elaine Sutherland. For nearly 25 years, she taught in schools, mostly as a kindergarten teacher, and helped her peers incorporate Indigenous history and teachings education into their classrooms. Today, you can find Elaine at the Office of the Treaty Commissioner where she is the Director of Treaty Education. The history of the Office of the Treaty Commissioner is interesting.It was created in 1989 by the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and the Government of Canada to guide both parties through their differing views on Treaties. For those unfamiliar with Treaties, in Saskatchewan they are the formal agreements between the Crown and First Nations with their expectations and obligations.11 numbered treaties were negotiated after confederation and between 1871 and 1921. They cover the territories from present day Ontario to Alberta as well as parts of British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. In Saskatchewan, there are six treaties: Treaty