Treaties and the Indian Act

Land Treaties and The Indian Act of 1876

Settling Land Claims

• Settlers were moving onto First Nations land.• This led to many conflicts between the

migrants/immigrants and First Nations over who the land belonged to.

• Remember, going back to the Red River Rebellion, the First Nations did not own any government issued confirmation that the land they live on belongs to them.

Settling Land Claims- continued

• The ongoing conflicts forced the government to clearly state who owned what land.

• The government was able to do this by purchasing land from the First Nations for a cheap price and then selling the land to settlers for a larger price.

Land Treaties

• From 1871 to 1877 there were seven major treaties between the government and First Nations.

• All treaties had signatures from both sides and set out who would own what sections of land.

• First Nations people were not happy with the treaties and believed they got the short end of the stick.

Land Treaties- continued

• In return for selling their land, First Nation tribes (such as the Ojibwa and Blackfoot) had to move on to reserves.

• A reserve is a section of land, with distinct boundaries where First Nation tribes can practice their culture and religion but are still governed by the federal government.

• The First Nations no longer had the freedom to live wherever they wanted.

Land Treaties- continued

• At the time however, a reserve was not the worst idea for some natives.

• Some First Nations could no longer take care of themselves.

• The Bison (a main source for food and fur) were almost gone which led to starvation, many had traded away their belongings to whiskey traders.

• The reserve provided food for those who needed it.

Indian Act of 1876

• The Act set out a process to move all First Nations people onto reserves and to set up a way of governing them.

• The government wanted the First Nations people to give up their traditions, customs, language and culture.

• The government wanted the First Nations living on the reserves to adopt Canadian traditions, customs, language and culture.

Indian Act 1876- continued

• Children were taken away from their parents and sent to residential schools where they would learn the Canadian way of life. The teachers would at times try and beat the students tribal culture out of them through physical, emotional and psychological abuse.

Status Indian or Non-Status Indian

• Those who signed the treaties were called “status Indians” while those who did not sign the treaties were known as “non-status Indians” by the government.

• Status Indians received reserve land, special yearly payments, the right to medical care, food and education but had to follow the rules set out by the government on the reserves.

• Non-status Indians received nothing because they did not live on the reserve, however, they were able to keep their traditions, customs, language and culture.

Question

• If you were a part of a First Nation group, would you choose to live on the reserve and give up your traditions, customs, language and culture and become a status Indian or would you refuse to live on the reserve and keep your traditions, customs, language and culture as a non-status Indian? Why?

• Must be at least half a page and will be marked.