1760 Written Treaties with the Fires of the 7 Nations and the Crown are "Still Intact"

Presented by Konrad Sioui, Former Chief of the Huron - Wendat Nation

In 1982, Georges, Hugues, Régent, and Konrad Sioui were charged and convicted of illegally camping, starting fires, and cutting down trees in Jacques-Cartier Park in Québec. They appealed their case to the Supreme Court of Canada. In R. v. Sioui, also known as the Sioui Decision, the Siouis won a unanimous decision at the Supreme Court of Canada in 1990. The ruling acknowledged that a document known as “the Huron-British Treaty of 1760” signed between British General James Murray and the Huron-Wendat chief was still valid as it was an international agreement entered into between sovereign nations and it protected their right to use the land for ceremonial purposes. During this webinar, former Chief Konrad Sioui discusses the role this formative case played in his life and career and how it changed the way Indigenous treaties are interpreted in Canadian courts of law since then.

This event will be held in French but participants may ask questions in French or English.

About Konrad Sioui, Former Chief of the Huron - Wendat Nation

Konrad Sioui is a hereditary chief of the Bear Clan of the Huron-Wendat Nation, Grand Chief of the Council of his Nation, and has been elected three consecutive times as Regional Chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador. During that time, he represented the region on the Executive Council and acted on numerous occasions as Grand Chief under the leadership of George Erasmus. He was also the official and national spokesperson on constitutional reform issues between 1984 and 1994.

In 1991, we won a landmark, unanimous decision at the Supreme Court of Canada against Quebec and Canada known as the Sioui Decision. This ruling acknowledged that treaties entered into between the Crown and First Nations are international agreements entered into by sovereign nations.

Sioui is a dedicated humanitarian and diplomat and is a respected and skilled negotiator. He pursues a simple and traditional lifestyle with his wife, Linda Rock of the Innu Nation, and his four children on the Huron Reserve at Wendake, Quebec.