The Ferguson Royal Commission is a federal investigation of land dealings in the Prairies. It found that Indian Affairs officials were often engaged in conflicts of interest as it relates to their dealing with reserve land surrenders. The transcript of the debates in the House of Commons refers to the involvement of James A. Smart, Frank Pedley, and William J. White in the sale of three Indian reserves, and it notes that the three “formed a company of some kind to acquire Indian lands” and employed A.C. Bedford-Jones to represent them. The group made a total profit of $84,000 on the sales of the three reserves. Moose Mountain is the only reserve mentioned by name in the debates, but reference to Chakastaypasin and “IR 100” is made in newspaper articles discussing the findings of the Ferguson Commission. As noted previously, the evidence suggests that IR 100A (Cumberland Band and James Smith Cree Nation) was the third reserve in which this syndicate purchased lands.
Summary
Implications
This commission documented the ways in which the process of Indigenous land surrenders and sales were subject to corruption and abuses of power. The government did not, however, cease to engage in problematic land surrenders.
Date
1915-00-00
Theme(s)
Documents
File
event151-2cd20427.pdf1.12 MB
File Description
James Smith Cree Nation IR100A Inquiry