Treaties

The president of the North American Indian Brotherhood, Andrew Paull, made a presentation of its recommendations to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Indian Affairs. The group's recommendations focused on breaches of treaty rights, the Department's ability to add and remove band members, the need for federal and provincial tax exemptions and the abolition of all denominational schools on reserves. They also suggested the decentralization of the Department of Indian Affairs.

In 1871 a peace treaty brought an end to the long running war between the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the Nehiyaw (Cree). This was also known as the Assiniboine alliance. The roots of this conflict can be traced back to the height of the fur trade and competition over the dwindling bison herds. In the fall of 1870 the Niitsitapi won a crucial victory over 600-800 Cree, Assiniboine, and Saulteaux warriors in a battle at Belly River (near present day Lethbridge, AB). Following the Niitsitapi victory both sides acknowledged the futility of inter-aboriginal warfare, especially with the increasingly chaotic 'Whoop-Up' trade moving northward from America, and agreed to a peace treaty to end hostilities.

Despite the tension between government officials and First Nations people in the West during 1884, Assistant Superintendent of Indian Affairs Lawrence Vankoughnet told North West Territories Lieutenant Governor Edgar Dewdney that rations needed to be reduced and given only to those who worked. Due to the tension that existed between government officials and First Nations peoples Dewdney defended the necessity of providing rations. Dewdney blamed the economic troubles and tension in the West on the "work for rations" program itself.

On the fourth day of Treaty 4 talks with Alexander Morris and other government delegates at Fort Qu’Appelle, The Gambler speaking on behalf of the Salteaux peoples present articulated his unhappiness about Morris failing to shake the hand of a Metis when he was introduced. Additionally, on the sixth day of talks Kamooses requested that hunting rights be extended to the Metis Morris replied similarly to both delegates, assuring them that the Queen would treat the Metis fairly and generously.

Mistahimusqua (Big Bear) initially opposed adhering to Treaty 6 out of concern that his people would lose their freedom and identified insufficient terms as insufficient to ensure his people's well being. In 1882, Mistahimusqua signed an adhesion to the treaty when his community was faced with starvation due to the disappearance of the bison among other factors. He did this reluctantly, continuing to demand alterations to the treaty terms.

At the treaty talks at Fort Pitt, Chief Big Bear (Mistahimaskwa) indicated that he could not sign the treaty because many of the people he represented were not present at the treaty discussions. He used a metaphor to describe his predicament, one that would be commonly understood by Indigenous people at the time. By stating "save me from what I most dread . . . the rope to be about my neck", he was indicating that he did not want to lose his freedom, as a wild horse does when he/she is captured (by a rope around his/her neck). The word which had been used by Chief Big Bear (which meant "lead by the neck" in Cree) was mistranslated by the interpreter, who instead said "hang by the neck" (in English). Lieutenant-Governor Morris and other Canadian delegates, not understanding either Cree or the cultural context from which Chief Big Bear spoke, took this statement to mean that Chief Big Bear did not want to die by hanging. Thus, they feared the future actions which might lead him to such an end, and viewed his words as a threat. From this point forward, Chief Big Bear was mislabelled as a trouble-maker by the federal government.

Big Bear met with Lieutenant Governor David Laird at Sounding Lake. He explained that treaty payments did not provide enough for Aboriginal people to live off of, and requested further aid.

This council was a follow-up to the council held at Carlton earlier that summer. Beardy called Carlton signatories to Duck Lake and drew up eight promises that had not been fulfilled in treaty making.

When Chief Beardy traveled to Prince Albert to attain rations for the hungry population of his band, he was refused. Middleton justified this decision based on the ‘involvement’ of Beardy's reserve in the North-West Resistance. Only a few individuals from the reserve participated and Beardy himself had remained outside of the conflict at the time. In response, Beardy returned his Treaty 6 medal, saying that he would receive it back from Middleton when Middleton believed his innocence. After Beardy returned his medal Middleton threatened to destroy Beardy's settlement and his people.

After the signing of Treaties 4 and 6 many Plains Cree moved to the Cypress Hills region of Saskatchewan establishing a string of connected Cree reserves in the late 1870s. These reserves allowed for a strong, united Cree presence impeding the Canadian government’s control. As a result, Indian Commissioner Edgar Dewdney aspired to disrupt this string of reserves. He used the Cree disarmament and hunger crisis to drive the Cree out of Cypress Hills, withholding rations from Indigenous people who remained in the area in a decision called the Starvation Polic.y