Also known as the Stone Fort Treaty,
Treaty 1 would be the first treaty signed since the 1867 formation of the modern Canadian government and one year after the province of
Manitoba was formed as a part of the
Canadian Confederation.
Goals The treaty was established between
Canadian officials and the local Indigenous communities as both groups desired the security of land and resources. The Anishinaabe and Swampy Cree Nations sought to maintain their traditional lands while gaining security in transitioning to a new form of life with the incoming arrival of settlers. In its process of annexing
the West, the Canadian government sought to assimilate the Indigenous peoples in their movement to settle prior areas of trade.
Negotiations The negotiations of
Treaty 1 spanned over a period of eight days from July 27 to August 3, 1871. Led by governor Archibald and his commissioner
Wemyss Simpson, the Canadian government invited the Indigenous communities to attend negotiations for a treaty at
Lower Fort Garry (or Stone Fort). Approximately one thousand Indigenous individuals attended including adults and children of all genders, who were led by a number of
chiefs that included Mis-koo-kenew or Red Eagle (also known as
Henry Prince). In his opening comments that would later cause lasting confusion, Archibald referenced
Queen Victoria as the "Great Mother [who] wanted to deal fairly" with the Indigenous peoples, supporting their needs, and hoping they would adopt agricultural practises. The governor then went on to lay out both his and the Canadian government's terms of negotiations, including the introduction to the idea of
reserves. He assured that Indigenous ways of life would be sustained as they would not be forced to adopt agriculture and could choose to live on reserves if they so wished. And in addition, they could continue to use their traditional land as they did in the past for hunting, fishing, and other means of sustaining their lifestyle After listening to Archibald's speech, the Indigenous leaders returned several days later with their list of demands for the treaty that included guaranteeing large areas of land for each individual or family. Archibald and the other Canadian officials, however, believed this demand to be too high, so they negotiated the land rights down to approximately "160 acres of land for a family of five"; which was similar to the land rights outlined in the
Dominion Lands Act for British settlers. After much debating, the two sides came to an agreement and the treaty was signed August 3.
Articles and memorandum of Treaty 1 The final articles of
Treaty 1 were outlined as follows: the Indigenous peoples were to hand over a large portion of land in the southeast and south-central current-day Manitoba to Governor Archibald and the Crown. These lands were to include areas around
Lake Manitoba and
Winnipeg as well as around the
Red River Valley. In return, the Canadian government were to provide each band with a reserve large enough to accommodate each family of five with of land (or a larger or smaller amount based on the size of the family). In addition, each member of these bands were to be given a gratuity of three dollars in accordance with a yearly sum of fifteen dollars based on a family of five. This annual payment could be provided in cash or items such as clothing, blankets, or hunting supplies based upon the desires of the family. The government also could provide and maintain a school on each reserve if one was desired. And the Crown would prohibit the introduction and sale of alcohol on reserves.
The Outside Promises Within a year of the signing of
Treaty 1, word reached Governor Archibald that the
Swampy Cree and
Anishinaabe peoples were declaring that some of the treaty terms were not being fulfilled. Known as the "Outside Promises", numerous items the Indigenous peoples were promised beyond the written text of the treaty had not been provided to them yet. These items included distinguished clothing for Chiefs and their councilors, farming supplies such as ploughs, and animals like oxen and cows for their agricultural needs. While a new commissioner was appointed to deal with the needs of the Indigenous peoples in the area and the issue was brought to court, the federal government did not resolve the "Outside Promises" until April 30, 1875, four years later. It was then the council passed an order that stated that the memorandum of items orally promised to the bands were to be considered a part of Treaty 1 and therefore had to be carried out by the commissioner. Additionally, the annuity of three dollars to each band member was to be raised to five dollars a year. Finally, the order stated that each Chief was to be provided with additional payments of twenty dollars annually as well as be given extra items of clothing in addition to those stated in the memorandum.
Significance of Treaty 1 The signing of
Treaty 1 marked the beginning of a long list of treaties that were to come over the next couple of decades, signifying the Canadian government's growing interest in the West as more than just a trading hub but as a suitable place for developing agriculture and growing populations of settlers; as well as a peaceful means to annex land. For Governor Adams Archibald the treaty would enable him to develop businesses such as mills and farms on the fertile land around Lakes Winnipeg and Manitoba and in the Red River Valley. For the Anishinaabe and Swampy Cree Nations,
Treaty 1 held a much larger significance. They believed it was a way for them to survive and adjust into a new way of living with the drastic changes that were coming to their land and that were already beginning to take shape. Their leaders believed a treaty with the Crown would help give them security when the large groups of settlers would make their way into the land. In addition, the Indigenous peoples believed that the treaty would also help elevate the threat of the serious decline of buffalo populations, which threatened their way of life. Ultimately, in signing the treaty the Indigenous leaders hoped to gain a connection with the "Great White Queen Mother" that would ensure security and benefits for their people. == Controversy ==