“The upcoming Speech from the Throne presents an opportunity for the Crown to reset and honour the relationship with the first peoples of this land.” – Grand Chief Jerry Daniels
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 26, 2025
ANISHINAABE AND DAKOTA TERRITORY, MB — On behalf of the Southern Chiefs’ Organization, Grand Chief Jerry Daniels acknowledges the upcoming Speech from The Throne, which will be delivered by His Majesty, King Charles III, on May 27, 2025, in the unceded traditional territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation.
It is historic and monumental that His Majesty, King Charles III, will deliver the upcoming Speech from the Throne.
Grand Chief Jerry Daniels will attend the speech; prepared to seize this significant opportunity to advocate for the rights and interests of the 32 Anishinaabe and Dakota Nations that SCO represents, and to call for a genuinely renewed relationship with The Crown.
Grand Chief Daniels states:
“We recognize the significance of the Speech from the Throne being delivered by His Majesty, King Charles III. I hope to witness a renewed relationship and acknowledgement of the wrongdoings of the past, setting the stage for a transformed future.
The relationship with the settlers who came to our territories has long been one of profound complexity, marked by sacred agreements and damaging betrayals.
First Nations came into these relationships embodying our traditional ways and customs. With differing views and ways of being, we were met with relationships that lacked respect and honour of our practices as the first peoples of this land.
The actions of past Kings, and the governments that followed, brought forward intentions that dispossessed our ancestral homelands and set a precedent for centuries of colonial policies designed to attempt to assimilate and control our people.
As First Nations, against all odds, we remain resilient. Mindful of the legacy left by past interactions with Monarchs and governments, we approach future relationships and the Speech from the Throne with necessary caution. Yet, it is our traditional values and our unwavering spirit built upon the foundations laid by our ancestors, that continue to direct our path.
We are living in a remarkable time and our country faces significant threats. It is essential that we see a fundamental reset in our relationship with the Crown. At the opening of the 45th Parliament of Canada,
I hope to witness a foundation set for our future generations to thrive through a genuinely renewed and equitable relationship.
This cannot occur by small, incremental changes to the systems that sought to break us, but by forging a new path collectively as First Nations and settlers cohabiting this land given to us by Creator.
It is imperative to dismantle colonial structures and fully implement the Treaties in their true spirit and intent. This process must be led by mutual respect and the foundational recognition of our self-determination, our sovereignty over our lands and resources, and our authority to govern ourselves according to our own traditional ways.”
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The Southern Chiefs’ Organization represents 32 First Nations and more than 87,000 citizens in what is now called southern Manitoba. SCO is an independent political organization that protects, preserves, promotes, and enhances First Nations peoples’ inherent rights, languages, customs, and traditions through the application and implementation of the spirit and intent of the Treaty-making process.
For media inquiries:
Email: Media@scoinc.mb.ca