Summary
Two oxen and four cows were supplied to Pasqua’s band, but otherwise no efforts were made by government officials to supply Treaty 4 bands with seed, animals, and implements that were promised to them in the treaty negotiations. Officials based their decisions on racist beliefs that First Nations people could not be trusted with the implements as promised, and therefore opted to only provide the goods to groups who were already working on cultivating their reserve land (many groups had not had reserve land surveyed yet), despite what was said in the treaties.
Implications
Communities that wanted to make the transition to farming were not able to do so, economically disadvantaging them and making them reliant more reliant on government rations. By denying assistance promised under treaty, the Canadian Government could further the subjugation of Indigenous peoples by making them even more reliant on Government assistance. This would allow the government more control over Indigenous peoples, and greater capacity to implement the National Policy of assimilation.
Date
1875-00-00
Community
Theme(s)