Memo Recommends Abolishment of Tribal System

Following the 1885 resistance, Assistant Commissioner Hayter Reed issued a memo that classified bands into “loyal” and “disloyal,” corresponding with a system of reward and punishment for loyalty or disloyalty. The memo also advocated for the abolishment of the tribal system for all bands, loyal or disloyal - when Reed became the Indian Commissioner in 1888, he put his policy of tribal system abolishment – “severalty” – into place on a large scale. This policy contributed to the political disintegration of First Nations.