Documentary about Treaty 8 to be screened in Fort St. John

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A screening of a documentary about of the history of Treaty 8 will be in Fort St. John later this month.

The film, ‘Spirit of Treaty 8’ will have two showings on Sunday, June 21st, at the North Peace Cultural Centre. 

The date coincides with the 125th anniversary of the signing of Treaty 8, which took place in June 1899 and was signed by the Crown and bands in the Lesser Slave Lake area of modern-day Alberta.

Geographically, the area of Treaty 8 covers 840,000 kilometres, stretching from northern Saskatchewan to the Northwest Territories. 

The project was announced in 2025 as a collaboration between the city of Fort St. John and the Treaty 8 Tribal Association, and was produced by InnoNative, an Indigenous film company.

“[The film takes] audiences on a journey across Canada’s great north, exploring the past, present, and future of Treaty 8 through the voices of Indigenous communities,” says a website about the film.

Funding for the production came from the Commemorate Canada fund by the Department of Canadian Heritage, a funding program that “commemorates historical figures, events and accomplishments of national significance,” according to a government website. 

The event will have an afternoon screening and an evening screening. 

In between screenings, a barbecue, courtesy of R360 Environmental Solutions, will take place on the greenspace at 100th Avenue and 100th Street.

Both showings are free, according to a Facebook post promoting the event.

The film is directed by Patrick Shannon, an Indigenous director and member of the Haida Nation of the islands of Haida Gwaii.

The 37-year-old’s credits include the 2025 documentary ‘Saints and Warriors’ about a team from the Haida Gwaii islands at the All-Native Basketball Tournament.

The screenings will take place at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 21st, at the North Peace Cultural Centre at 10015 100th Avenue in Fort St. John.
Energeticcity.ca has reached out to Treaty 8 Tribal Association representatives, the City of Fort St. John and Shannon for further comment about the film.