Post-Confederation Numbered Treaties

In 1867, the Fathers of Confederation signed the British North America Act, making new treaties necessary. The great Canadian dream was built around the settlement of lands west of the Great Lakes, which were occupied by First Nations and Métis. These lands were appropriated and made available to settlers, who were encouraged to come in large numbers. Free land was offered and was soon followed by a large-scale advertising campaign to attract settlers. At the same time, treaties had to be concluded to ensure that the railway line could be extended to the Rockies.

Eleven major treaties, known as the post-Confederation numbered treaties, were signed over a 50-year period. The map below shows their evolution and the size of the territories concerned.

How could the First Nations of Ontario and the western provinces have ceded their rights to such vast territories? This is what happened. The numbered treaties were generally concluded expeditiously. Government-appointed commissioners usually left Ottawa armed with a pre-drafted document, with little room for any real negotiation. The commissioners travelled lakes and rivers to meet with Aboriginal peoples. If there were no chiefs or council members, they were asked to elect spokespersons who would sign the treaty.

With the assistance of an interpreter and very often through a missionary, the treaty was usually presented on a “take-it-or-leave-it” basis. Very often, Aboriginal peoples were advised that, if they did not sign the treaty, settlers could still invade their lands and they would be deprived of treaty benefits. The chiefs and council members, who were generally illiterate in French or English and hardly aware of the legal scope of the treaty, were invited to affix their signatures – most often by means of an X.