March 11, 2022
Representatives from the City of Edmonton and Enoch Cree Nation gathered today to celebrate the five-year anniversary of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed to support the collaborative, long-term partnership between the jurisdictions.
“In the last five years, we have set the foundation for the next 50 years for Edmonton Enoch future leaders,” said Chief Billy Morin, Enoch Cree Nation. “This MOU highlights the spirit and intent of Treaty Six.”
Members of Edmonton City Council, Enoch Cree Nation Council, City of Edmonton Youth Council and Enoch Youth Advisory Council attended an event at the River Cree resort. It included joint networking and council-to-council meetings, gift exchanges and a community round dance.
“As part of the City of Edmonton’s commitment to truth, reconciliation and Indigenous collaboration, we are eager to continue our work with Enoch Cree Nation,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “Celebrating the five-year anniversary of the MOU acknowledges our deep appreciation for the contributions of Enoch Cree Nation here in Treaty Six territory, and serves as a reminder that we are all Treaty people, working together to build an Edmonton for all of us.”
Beginning formally in 2016, both parties took the first steps to build a new neighbour-to-neighbour relationship, based on mutual respect and focused on collaboration for regional prosperity. In October 2016, an Enoch-Edmonton working group was formed, consisting of City of Edmonton staff and elected officials from both jurisdictions, and continue to meet regularly to identify and advance joint opportunities in areas like recreation, affordable housing and transit services.
Starting in 2021, the City of Edmonton and Enoch Cree Nation, with support from the Government of Alberta, explored the establishment of a new provincial park in Edmonton’s River Valley at Big Island. Both Enoch and the City see the development of an urban provincial park within Edmonton's boundaries as an important act of reconciliation.
The City presented its first Urban Reserves Strategy in June 2021, which provides a framework for eligible First Nations to develop an urban reserve within city boundaries. Enoch Cree Nation was a key proponent of the strategy’s development, sharing valuable insights and information from the perspective of First Nation governments.
Both the City and Enoch Cree Nation recommitted to the terms of the original Memorandum of Understanding signed on March 10, 2017. The agreement is a principle-based arrangement that commits both the City of Edmonton and Enoch Cree Nation to a sustained, long-term working relationship for the social and economic benefit of residents in both jurisdictions.
