Sturgeon County is a place of deep roots and community values. We know our success comes from partnerships, and our communities are made stronger by those who made it home. The First Nations peoples who first marked trails here. The Métis for whom this is an ancestral homeland.
Sturgeon County is committed to exploring Truth and Reconciliation in a municipal context, including in engaging in conversation and meaningful connection with several Indigenous communities, including Alexander First Nation and Michel First Nation.
Review the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action.
On August 23, 2022, Sturgeon County Council directed Administration to continue to advance the County’s efforts toward Truth and Reconciliation and other related actions.
Much of this important work is being guided by the Alexander First Nation – Sturgeon County Collaboration Committee and in conjunction with inputs from other key partners.
The County has already taken several actions to prioritize its relationships with Indigenous Communities, including an initiative on educating County employees on the history of Indigenous peoples and ensuring Indigenous communities gain long-term sustainable benefits from economic development projects.
Learn more about the Sturgeon County ecosystem with Alexander First Nation.
Sturgeon County and Alexander First Nation have also signed a Relationship Agreement, a pivotal document meant to explore how our two communities will work together into the future.
Actions taken in the spirit of the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action Report:
- Updating the organization’s Strategic Plan to identify the desire to form meaningful connections with Indigenous communities.
- Developing a new, personalized Treaty/Land Acknowledgment for Sturgeon County officials.
- Permanently displaying the AFN and Métis Nation No. 4 flags at County Centre.
- Delivery of Mayoral proclamations for National Indigenous Peoples Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Indigenous Veterans Day, and Métis Week.
- Mayoral greetings at external events, such as during National Indigenous Peoples Day
Information and Resources
We have gathered a collection of resources, including websites, books and more, click each drop down to expand.
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Websites
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action
Final report of the TRC Commission recommends 94 Calls to Action as a mechanism to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation.<Indigenous and Treaty Territories
This interactive site explores Indigenous peoples’ traditional territories, Treaty territories, and linguistic territories.The reconciliation journey – The Government of Canada provides materials on building a renewed relationship with Indigenous Peoples based on the recognition of rights, respect, and partnership.
Education for reconciliation | Alberta.ca –
The Alberta Government shares materials for supporting reconciliation by including Indigenous perspectives and experiences through formal education.Online Cree Dictionary
This site is an excellent resource for looking up and learning Cree words. -
Books
21 Things You May Not Know about the Indian Act – Canada’s History
A resource authored by Bob Joseph helping Canadians make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a reality (available as a paperback or audio book).Mighty Women: Stories of Western Canadian Pioneers
Written by Grant MacEwan, Mighty Women profiles thirty-two women pioneers who made their mark on western Canada.The Sun Traveller: The Story of the Callihoos in Alberta
Written by Elizabeth Macpherson, a biography of the Callihoo family from early 1800s to the present.Our Voice of Fire: A Memoir of a Warrior Rising
Written by Brandi Morin, an internationally recognized French/Cree/Iroquois journalist from Alberta set to transform the narrative around Indigenous Peoples. -
Educational Opportunities
Indigenous Canada Course
By the University of Alberta, a 12-lesson Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada.Residential Schools – AFN It’s Our Time Toolkit
By the Assembly of First Nations, learn about the history of the residential school system and its impacts on Indigenous Peoples.Truth and Reconciliation Week 2022 – NCTR
By the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, a free educational program for children in grades 1 through 12 (running from September 26 – 30).
Land Acknowledgement
Sturgeon County recognizes we are on Treaty 6 territory, the traditional homelands of Alexander and Michel First Nations, as well as the Métis Nation of Alberta’s Region 4.
We are all Treaty People; we love and cherish this place we call home and the land that provides for us. A place where our families, friends, and other relations live and grow. We commit ourselves to continually becoming better Treaty people so that this place and those we love continue to thrive as long as the sun shines, the grass grows, and the rivers flow.