FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2025
Treaty Five Territory, Thompson, MB — Grand Chief Garrison Settee of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), representing sovereign Treaty Nations of Northern Manitoba, is calling on His Majesty King Charles III to meet directly with Treaty partners, the First Nations peoples, whose ancestors entered into sacred agreements with the Crown.
“For generations, our people have honoured the Treaties made with the Crown in good faith. These agreements were solemn commitments — to share the land and live together in peace and mutual respect,” said Grand Chief Settee. “The King has yet to meet with the very people who hold these Treaties sacred.”
Chief David Monias of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation said, “When the King comes to our land, he is entering Treaty territory, our ancestral and sovereign homeland. It is only respectful that he announces himself and seeks to meet with the rightful Treaty partners. That is our custom, and that is the way of respect.”
MKO stands in solidarity with Treaty Nations across Turtle Island in demanding that the Crown renew its relationship with First Peoples through meaningful engagement, dialogue, and action — not ceremony alone.
“Presence is a powerful act of respect,” Grand Chief Settee added. “If the Crown values the Treaty relationship, then the monarch must stand among us, not as a ruler, but as a Treaty partner. The Treaties are living commitments, and our people deserve to be heard, seen, and acknowledged at the highest level.”
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Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc. (MKO) is a non-profit, political advocacy organization that has represented 26 First Nation communities in Manitoba’s North since 1981. The MKO represents more than 72,000 First Nations people.
