Summary
Through a 1914 amendment to the Indian Act, First Nations people who wished to travel off-reserve for fairs or stampedes were required to obtain permission from the Indian agent. Throughout the years up to 1918, Department of Indian Affairs officials routinely refused to grant approval for off reserve events. Through the 1920s, officials were more lenient with granting these passes and fair organizers were less inclined to respect the instructions of the DIA.
Implications
Although it was legal for First Nations people to travel off-reserve to participate in settler fairs, Indian Affairs' refusal to grant passes that allowed them to do so was an attempt to surveil and control the activities of Indigenous peoples.
Sources
Resources
Date
1914-00-00