Office of the Treaty Commissioner

What Office of the Treaty Commissioner does

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC) is an independent Canadian non-profit organization headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, established in 1989 with Cliff Wright as the first Treaty Commissioner. Operating from offices on Treaty No. 6 Territory, its mandate is to facilitate a bilateral process for discussing treaty and jurisdictional issues among the Crown, federal and provincial governments, and First Nations in Saskatchewan. The OTC delivers Treaty education, commemoration, and reconciliation programming under successive Treaty Commissioners (Cliff Wright, Judge David Arnot, Bill McKnight, George E. Lafond, and currently Dr. Kathy Walker), and is internationally recognized — its 'Teaching Treaties in the Classroom Project' was cited by the UN Special Rapporteur on Racism in 2004 as a model for Canada.

Its core portfolio comprises the Speakers Bureau (30+ appointed Knowledge Keepers operating at cost-recovery), the K-Grade 12 Treaty Resource Kit and the four-day Teaching Treaties in the Classroom PD workshop delivered in partnership with the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (CAD $100 per participant), the annual Treaty Learning Journey: Let's Talk Truth conference, the recurring OTC Speaker Series, the Reconciliation In Action storytelling initiative, a Teacher Resources Portal (web-based, email-authenticated), and deep archival holdings (Historical Biographies across Treaties 4/5/6/8/10, Historical Photographs, and 17+ Annual Reports from 2007-2024). The underlying technology is a content-and-events platform on otc.ca — not a unified software product — supplemented by hybrid event delivery at partner cultural institutions (Western Development Museum, Wanuskewin Heritage Park, Remai Modern) and integrations with third-party Indigenous-protocol apps (Talking Stick, Whose Land).

Its business model is grant-and-institutional-funding-driven, with the OTC classified as a non-profit; presentations are explicitly performed at cost recovery, the $100 PD workshop fee covers materials only, and the bulk of operating support derives from federal, provincial, and partner-institution funding. The OTC has no disclosed revenue or capital structure, no venture funding, and no parent company. Customer segments span K-12 educators across Saskatchewan school divisions, the Saskatchewan public, First Nations and Tribal Councils, cultural institutions, municipalities (e.g., Elbow MOU with FSIN), faith communities, and non-profits pursuing reconciliation mandates.

Name

Office of the Treaty Commissioner

Legal name

Office of the Treaty Commissioner

Website

https://otc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner is a Saskatoon-based non-profit (founded 1989) that delivers Treaty education, reconciliation programming, and commemoration in Saskatchewan through a 30+ Knowledge Keeper Speakers Bureau, K-12 curriculum and teacher certification, an annual Treaty Learning Journey conference, and a historical archive.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Treaty Education and Reconciliation Services

NAICS

American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Governments (92115), American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Governments (921150), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Tribal Online & Distance Learning TCUs (Primarily Online/Hybrid) (EDAHANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Indigenous/Tribal Education Authorities & Boards (EDADABAM), Community/Tribal Two-Year Colleges (Associate Degree–Granting) (EDAHANAA)

Keywords

• Treaty education services
• Reconciliation programming
• Indigenous cultural training
• Professional development workshops
• K-12 curriculum resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Saskatoon

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Speaker's Bureau cost-recovery fees: Presentations provided at cost recovery because OTC is a non-profit; fees vary by type of request (keynote, panel, workshop, lunch-and-learn, other) and a contract must be signed and returned before a speaker is confirmed.
2. Professional development workshop fees: $100 per-participant registration fee (cash or cheque on site) for the four-day Teaching Treaties in the Classroom workshop partnered with the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation; course materials and daily lunch provided.
3. Community engagement grants and partnership funding: Community reconciliation projects (e.g., Silton Orange Shirt Day) are supported by community engagement grants such as those from Prairie Central District for Sport, Culture and Recreation and Saskatchewan Lotteries.
4. Government and institutional funding: As a non-profit public body operating since 1989 with Annual Reports dating from 2007-2024, OTC receives government and institutional support to deliver Treaty education, reconciliation programming, and commemoration events (e.g., Treaty 6 150).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC) is a Saskatchewan-based non-profit organization that delivers Treaty education, reconciliation programming, and Indigenous cultural awareness services. Its core offerings include a Speakers Bureau of 30+ appointed Knowledge Keepers, K-Grade 12 Treaty curriculum resources, multi-day certified teacher training workshops, public speaker series, and commemoration events supporting reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Product overview

The Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC) operates as a non-profit organization in Saskatchewan offering an integrated portfolio of Treaty education, reconciliation, and research programs rather than a single unified software product. Its core offerings include the Speakers Bureau (30+ appointed knowledge keepers), the Treaty Learning Journey: Let's Talk Truth training and annual conference, the K-Grade 12 Treaty Resource Kit and Teaching Treaties in the Classroom Workshop series (which feed the Treaty Catalyst Teacher / Treaty Teacher Leader certification pathway), the recurring OTC Speaker Series, the Reconciliation In Action storytelling initiative, the Teacher Resources Portal, the Treaty Timeline, the OTC Recommended Reads and Resources library, the Historical Biographies and Historical Photographs archives, the OTC Youth in Service program, the Treaty Land Sharing Network partnership, and downloadable Year in Review publications. Together these programs support the OTC's mission to advance Treaty awareness, protection, and implementation in Saskatchewan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Speakers Bureau A bureau of more than 30 appointed knowledge keepers who deliver presentations to schools, workplaces, faith communities, and event organizers on Treaty history, the Treaty relationship, the Indian Act, Indigenous culture, positive race relations, and reconciliation. Speakers are appointed for their knowledge and ability to present material in an engaging, unbiased manner; presentations are offered at cost recovery with fees varying by request type (keynote, speech, panel, workshop facilitation, lunch-and-learn).
• Treaty Learning Journey: Let's Talk Truth A multi-module training journey that walks participants through Canada's true history with First Nations People, from Before Treaty to today. Topics include Indigeneity, numbered Treaties, breaches of Treaty, and contemporary Treaty issues. Offered to individuals, organizations, workplaces, groups, and faith communities, with an annual conference hosted in October.
• Treaty Resource Kit (K-Grade 12) K-Grade 12 educational material used to teach Treaties in Saskatchewan classrooms. Includes Treaty Essential Learnings (TELs), lesson plans, and facilitator resources. The kit underpins the Teaching Treaties in the Classroom workshop series and is permanently embedded in the Saskatchewan curriculum.
• Teaching Treaties in the Classroom Workshop Four-day teacher professional development workshop delivered in partnership with the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation at the STF Building in Saskatoon. Day One covers the History of Treaty Making; Day Two introduces the K-Grade 12 Treaty Resource Kit and Treaty Essential Learnings; Days Three and Four are the Treaty Catalyst Teacher Training. Full completion earns OTC Certification to deliver Days One and Two within schools, Tribal Councils, or School Divisions. $100 per-participant registration fee, payable in cash or cheque on site.
• Treaty Catalyst Teacher / Treaty Teacher Leader Program Train-the-trainer certification pathway that qualifies educators to facilitate Treaty education within their schools, Tribal Councils, or School Divisions. Treaty Teacher Leaders (TTLs) assist teachers as they explore Treaty resources and develop lesson plans for immediate classroom use. Certification is awarded upon completion of the four-day Teaching Treaties in the Classroom workshop.
• OTC Speaker Series Recurring in-person and online hybrid events featuring the current Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan and guest speakers discussing the significance of Treaties, with the 2026 series tied to the Treaty 6 150th commemoration. Held at the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon and via Zoom. Free admission.

Quantifiable outcome

• Exemplary Standing from Accreditation Canada for eight consecutive years (only 5% of Canadian hospitals achieve this) — referenced in OTC-featured All Nations Healing Hospital case study
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Treaty Land Sharing Network (TLSN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic Education at the OTC has partnered with the TLSN (a group of farmers, ranchers, and rural people) to facilitate understanding of roles and responsibilities as Treaty partners. OTC supported the development of a website and the creation of a logo. Mary Culbertson, Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan, endorsed TLSN publicly.
• Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOTC is partnering with the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation to deliver a four-day Teacher Professional Development workshop on 'Teaching Treaties in the Classroom' at the STF Building, 2317 Arlington Avenue, Saskatoon. Successful completion earns OTC Certification to deliver Days 1-2 in schools.
• Parks CanadaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOTC and Parks Canada co-hosted a special public event at Fort Battleford National Historic Site celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day and the 150th anniversary of Treaty 6, bringing together Treaty 6 leadership, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, performers, vendors, and both Saskatchewan and Alberta lieutenant governors.
• Western Development Museum (WDM Saskatoon)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerOTC and WDM jointly host the bi-monthly OTC Speaker Series in-person at WDM Saskatoon (2610 Lorne Avenue), with free admission and a hybrid online Zoom option. WDM also features OTC reconciliation content in its Inclusivity Report on Reconciliation and Diversity.
• Remai ModerncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRemai Modern hosts OTC-listed events such as 'Learn About Quillwork with Dyson Brown' (June 27, 2026, 12:30-2:30pm in the Gallery Lounge near the Dyani White Hawk: Love Language exhibition). Drop-in and free with museum membership or by donation.
• Wanuskewin Heritage ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWanuskewin co-hosts events on the OTC calendar such as the Saskatoon Ecological Restoration Workshop (June 27, 2026, 10am-3:30pm), an interactive one-day workshop featuring prescribed fire demonstration and tour of restoration efforts at the NE Swale, run with the Society for Ecological Restoration.
• Saskatoon Tribal CouncilflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOTC featured partnership with Saskatoon Tribal Council and Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools on a Day of Prayer for Reconciliation, marking a long-term plan to incorporate Indigenous history, Treaties and reconciliation into classrooms.
• Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFSIN was the Treaty partner that Village of Elbow Mayor Rob Hundeby signed an MOU with in spring 2017, acknowledging colonialism, racism and residential schools. FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron has publicly spoken about reconciliation at SUMA conferences, spurring municipal engagement.
• Mennonite Central Committee (Indigenous Neighbours Program)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOTC featured reconciliation work between Leonard Doell's Indigenous Neighbours Program, the Mennonite and Lutheran churches, and the Young Chippewayan First Nation, addressing historical land displacement between Saskatoon and Rosthern. Featured in MCC podcast on reconciliation.
• City of Saskatoon (Office of the Mayor)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCharlie Clark, former Mayor of Saskatoon (2016-2024), is now an OTC Speakers Bureau member exploring how to strengthen relationships between First Nations and Municipal Partners across Saskatchewan.
• The Gathering (educators from North West Community College and University of Regina)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerA group of educators compiling First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) resources adaptable for all students, including The Power of 4 resource. Featured in OTC Reconciliation In Action.
• All Nations Healing Hospital (Touchwood Agency Tribal Council & File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council)coreOthersFeatured in OTC case study on TRC Call to Action 22 (Aboriginal healing practices). Owned by Touchwood Agency Tribal Council and File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council on Treaty 4 land; integrated/holistic health care model with acute, community-based, cultural and traditional services. Accreditated with exemplary standing from Accreditation Canada for 8 consecutive years.
• Girl Guides of Canada — Saskatchewan CouncilminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFeatured partnership where Girl Guides added a Treaty acknowledgement to the Prairie Lily newsletter as the first step in their Saskatchewan Reconciliation journey; received National funding to amplify Guiding in Indigenous Communities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Indspire: National Indigenous-led charity funding Indigenous education and delivering the Indspire Awards (which recognized an OTC Speakers Bureau member in 2015). Operates a broader mandate but overlaps with OTC on Indigenous educator recognition and reconciliation capacity-building.
• Assembly of First Nations (AFN): National advocacy organization representing First Nations governments in Canada. While primarily an advocacy body, AFN engages substantively in treaty education, TRC implementation, and federal policy — overlapping with OTC's mandate at the national level, particularly through its education portfolio.
• National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR): Federally-mandated national centre at the University of Manitoba housing the archives of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Operates at a broader national scale than OTC, with overlapping mandate on reconciliation education, archival stewardship, and TRC Calls to Action implementation.
• Canadian Race Relations Foundation: Federal Crown corporation mandated to advance race relations and reconciliation in Canada — and the organization that awarded OTC the 2005 Award of Excellence for education programs. Operates nationally across many racial equity issues, with OTC's education work as a recognized flagship in the Indigenous stream.

Direct peers

• BC Treaty Commission: Mandated provincial treaty commission for British Columbia responsible for facilitating negotiations among First Nations, the Crown, and Canada. Most directly comparable to OTC as a provincial Crown-mandated treaty body delivering public education and negotiation support, though operating in a different treaty regime (modern treaties vs. numbered Treaties).
• Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba: Manitoba's treaty commission mandated to strengthen treaty relationships, support public education about Treaties, and assist in resolving treaty-related issues. Highly comparable to OTC in mandate, governance structure, and educational programming focus, differing only by jurisdiction.
• First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC): BC-based organization that develops curriculum, resources, and policy for First Nations education, including K-12 materials on First Nations history and Treaties. Closely comparable to OTC's K-Grade 12 Treaty Resource Kit and Teaching Treaties in the Classroom workshop on the educational-product dimension.

Emerging players

• Reconciliation Canada: National non-profit advancing public awareness, education, and dialogue on reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Comparable to OTC on the public-engagement and reconciliation-education axis, but operates without OTC's provincially-mandated Treaty Commissioner authority.
• Legacy of Hope Foundation: National Indigenous-led organization producing education materials on residential schools and their legacies. Comparable to OTC on the K-12 education and reconciliation storytelling dimensions, though more focused on residential school history specifically.

Regional players

• Indian Residential School Survivors Society: BC-based organization providing cultural, emotional, and advocacy support to residential school survivors and their families. Compares to OTC on the reconciliation and Indigenous-support axis, with primary geographic focus in BC and a more survivor-services orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OfficeoftheTreatyCommissioner
• Xx.com/TreatyOfficeSK

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Office of the Treaty Commissioner