A sign marking “Entering Treaty No.8 Territory” near Plamondon, AB on Highway 63 has been vandalised leaving Chief of Treaty No.8 disappointed.
The signs have been going up across the province marking out the physical borders brought forth by the treaty and signed between the Crown and First Nations in 1899.
The sign in question was installed on November 14th, 2014 and was found sliced in half by highway maintenance crews on November 17th 2014.
In a press release Grand Chief Steve Courtoreille mentions his disappointment, “This sign was stating a historical fact, it marked out the actual borders of the Treaty No.8 Territory and is becoming a symbol of pride for people in Treaty No.8, to have someone cut it down is just disrespectful.”
Courtoreille adds that the treaty was meant to bring people together not separate them further, “Our Elders have told us over and over that Treaty No.8 was a Treaty of peace and friendship, to have a sign acknowledging our Traditional Treaty Territory destroyed is not a good way to bring people together.”
No construction or official work is being done in the area and there are no leads to who committed the act of vandalism.
The sign is expected to be erected again shortly.
