Historic treaty signed among 10 First Nations and tribes in Banff

Since the founding of Canada, the common practice is for treaties to be signed between First Nations and the federal government, but that wasn't always the case.

On Thursday, First Nations from both sides of the Canada-U.S. border gathered in Banff to welcome the Stoney Nakoda and the Samson Cree as signatories to a treaty that harkens back to a time when these kinds of agreements were more common.

The Buffalo Treaty, as it's called, creates an alliance amongthe 10 groups, aimed at:

• Engaging tribes and First Nations in continuing dialogue on bison conservation
• Uniting the political power of the tribes and First Nations of the Northern Great Plains
• Advancing an international call for the restoration of the bison
• Engaging youth in the treaty process
• Strengthening and renewing ancient cultural and spiritual relationships with bison and grasslands in the Northern Great Plains

The agreement stemmed from proposals to bring free-ranging bison back to the areas like Banff National Park and aims to restore links that existed when bison roamed free throughout the territories of the signatories.

"For me, it's historic," says Chief Ernest Wesley of the Wesley First Nation(StoneyNakoda).

"We've become brothers again with the buffalo."

An open treaty

The Buffalo Treaty was first signed in September 2014 in Montana by eight nations:

• The Blackfeet Nation
• Blood Tribe
• SiksikaNation
• PiikaniNation
• TheAssiniboineandGrosVentreTribes of FortBelknapIndian Reservation
• TheAssiniboineand Sioux Tribes of Fort Peck Indian Reservation
• TheSalishandKootenaiTribes of the ConfederatedSalishandKootenaiIndian Reservation
• TsuuT'inaNation

More signatories are welcome to join.

"The treaty is open," said Leroy Little Bear, who organized the Banff ceremony. "Other nations can sign on."

Samson Cree Nation's tipi stolen

One visiting First Nation had a bad surprise on the morning of the signingthe canvas surrounding the poles of the Samson Cree Nation's tipi was stolen.

Most nations set up camps the day before on the Indian Grounds to combine the signature ceremony with the Stoney Nakoda Family Camp event.

The First Nation fromMaskwacis, Alta., had brought a brand new white canvas to mark the signing of the treaty, but it disappeared overnight.

"To turn a negative into a positive, our chief said that we are in Treaty 7 territory, and our traditional practice is to gift. So we have gifted our tipi to somebody who really wanted it," said Beverly Crier.