Battleford Unveils Art Marking 150 Years of Treaty 6

When Chief Administrative Officer Landon Chambers sits at Battleford's council table now, he sees a powerful reminder that reconciliation isn't a checkbox, it's a journey.

The Town of Battleford, Saskatchewan, commissioned a special piece of artwork from Chris Chipak, an artist from Red Pheasant Cree Nation whose work graces the logos of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Saskatoon Blades. The painting now hangs prominently in the council chambers, marking the 150th anniversary of Treaty 6.

Chipak built the artwork around Battleford's vintage bison flag, weaving in Indigenous perspectives and symbolism. A river flowing through the bison represents the Battle River that gives the community its name and sustains the land.

Six trees form a line across the painting, honoring Treaty 6 territory where Battleford stands. An eagle soaring above the river symbolizes protection and pays tribute to the First Nations communities surrounding the town.

The eagle carries eight feathers, acknowledging eight men hanged in Battleford in 1885, a painful part of the shared history. Chipak divided the image between night and day, reminding viewers that reconciliation takes time and continuous effort.

Why This Inspires

For Chambers, the artwork represents something deeply personal in his own learning journey. "I am reminded that reconciliation is not a destination or single event, it's an ongoing process of listening, learning, acknowledging, and building respectful relationships," he said.

Mayor Ames Leslie called the painting a meaningful gesture to community members and neighbors. He sees it as a sister logo to Battleford's existing emblem, complementing the town's reconciliation work.

Leslie credited Chambers with bringing the idea forward and helping turn it into a way to honor the Treaty 6 milestone. Chipak himself noted that the image tells not just Battleford's story but serves as "a visual to represent reconciliation on the history that we have all inherited."

The artwork now serves as a daily reminder to town leaders and visitors that building respectful relationships across communities is work that never stops, only deepens.