Regina Public School Division (RPSD) and the Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC) have signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at strengthening Treaty education and deepening understanding of Indigenous history, culture, and perspectives in Regina public schools.
The agreement was officially signed on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at mâmawêyatitân centre at Scott Collegiate. The partnership is designed to enhance collaboration between the two organizations and support the implementation of the Ministry of Education’s Treaty Outcomes.
Through the MOU, Regina Public Schools and the OTC will work together to guide the division’s strategic plan by expanding the inclusion of Indigenous concepts, histories, cultures, communities, and narratives within classrooms and school programming.
The agreement will also support educational initiatives connected to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls to Justice.
Projects planned under the agreement include exhibits at museums, special off-site displays, and travelling exhibits when possible. Additional initiatives will focus on teacher training, professional development, and expanding Treaty education resources for educators and students.
Dr. Kathy Walker, Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan, said the partnership represents meaningful action toward reconciliation and education.
“The concrete actions being taken to implement Treaty education are for our children and future generations—so they may understand the truth of our shared history,” Walker said. “By creating a partnership with Regina Public Schools, we are strengthening opportunities for students, educators, and communities to learn what it means to live the Treaties. By understanding our shared history and what it means to be a Treaty person, we can create a stronger future for everyone.” Walker noted that students and teachers will benefit from a range of new initiatives over the course of the agreement, including Treaty-focused professional development, educational videos developed in collaboration with the OTC, Treaty-related reporting measures, and the use of an AI Treaty planning tool to help educators incorporate Treaty education across subjects and grade levels.
Mark Haarmann, Director of Education and CEO of Regina Public Schools, said Treaty education is an essential part of learning in Saskatchewan classrooms.
“Regina Public Schools is committed to recognizing and honouring the Indigenous Peoples of Saskatchewan’s Treaty Nations, and a critical part of this is in the classroom,” Haarmann said. “We are grateful for our time engaging with the Office of the Treaty Commissioner and look forward to deeper collaboration on enhancing Indigenous and Treaty education in our schools. We are all Treaty people.”
Vice Chief Fabian Head brought greetings from the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) and demonstrated his support for the MOU. He stressed that there needs to be action around the teaching of Treaties and this new agreement is one step in the right direction towards that action. Lacey Weekes, Vice-Chairperson of the Regina Public School Board, described the agreement as an important milestone on the path toward reconciliation and helping those in schools better understand the history and meaning of the land.
“Indigenous education, Treaty education is core curriculum but not only that, it’s an important step on the journey to reconciliation,” Weekes said. “We are all Treaty people. We all need to learn the responsibilities and commitments that Treaty education brings, and it’s an historic agreement.”
Representatives from both organizations will meet annually to review progress, identify opportunities for improvement, and continue advancing education around Treaty Rights, Indigenous culture, and shared history.
Thank you to Amada Brace, Regina Public Schools Coordinator, for emceeing the event and to the Thom Thunderbears drum group. A framed copy of the signed MOU will be displayed at the Regina Public Schools Division Office.
