July 19, 2024
Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild, left, Chief Ralph Cattleman, Montana First Nation, Chief Desmond Bull, Louis Bull Tribe, Confederacy of Treaty 6 Elder, and Cecil Crier, Samson Cree Nation, stand beneath the Treaty 6 flag upon its raising at Wetaskiwin Hospital and Care Centre during a performance by the Mountain Cree Drum Group. Photo by Gayleen Froese.
The Treaty Six flag now flies daily at Wetaskiwin Hospital and Care Centre. Photo supplied.
Story & photo by Gayleen Froese
WETASKIWIN — A new flag is flying over Wetaskiwin Hospital and Care Centre, symbolizing a commitment to a new way forward.
On May 22, the Treaty Six flag was raised to a permanent place in front of the facility, marking the first time a Treaty Six flag has been permanently flown alongside the provincial and Canadian flags at an Alberta Health Services (AHS) facility.
The flag has an important meaning for everyone who visits, or works at, the hospital, says Andrea Thain Liptak, senior operating officer for Rural Acute Care, Allied Health, Primary Care, and Indigenous Health in AHS Central Zone.
“This flag is a sign of welcome to First Nations peoples who require healthcare services, or who come to visit family at the hospital. We are committed to eliminating anti-Indigenous racism and improving the care experience and health outcomes for Indigenous people. Raising the Treaty Six flag is a constant reminder of this commitment for us and for First Nation patients, residents and families.”
A ceremony to celebrate the flag-raising took place on hospital grounds, featuring speeches from leaders, including Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild, an internationally-respected member of the Order of Canada, who was also a commissioner on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Littlechild is also a champion in the development of the United Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“When we raise the Treaty 6 flag here, it is to advance reconciliation,” Littlechild noted in his speech. “It’s an act of reconciliation, recalling what our ancestors agreed to in the past. Not only to have peace and goodwill, but to have good relations going forward. Peaceful co-existence going forward.”
Other speakers included Thain Liptak, Wetaskiwin mayor Tyler Gandam, and members of the leadership of the four Nations at Maskwacis. The ceremony opened with a pipe ceremony and included a traditional Cree flag and honour song.
“This flag represents a response to the health related calls to action outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report,” says Tracy Lee, senior advisor for the Indigenous Wellness Core. “It reaffirms that the Indigenous health experience needs to be improved and further recognizes the need for health equity. Lastly, it recognizes and honours Treaty 6 territory.”
Liptak and Monique Janes, AHS director for Rural Acute Care for Central Zone, agree that the flag-raising ceremony made for a special and exciting day, but that what matters most is every day going forward.
“To properly honour this flag, we need to weave into our daily work a commitment to reconciliation with First Nations peoples,” says Janes.
“Everyone at Alberta Health Services, no matter their role, must do the real and difficult work of reconciliation by acting on what matters to Indigenous patients, families, communities and Nations.”
