The First Nations were a proud and strong people but were facing an uncertain future. It is ours and we will take what we want. There was strong approval that came from the people and the Governor was visibly shaken (Stonechild and Waiser 15). [3] Sweet Grass and Big Bear had formed a war party for this exact purpose as stated previously. It remained to be seen whether it was a bad omen. Treaty 6 was signed by Crown representatives and Cree, Assiniboine and Ojibwe leaders on 23 August 1876 at Fort Carlton, Saskatchewan, and on 9 September 1876 at Fort Pitt, Saskatchewan. While the convention was initially held to modify the existing Articles of Confederation, the eventual consensus was the drafting of a new constitution. At this point, Young Sweet Grass would lead a fragment of the band to join with other Cree, who had signed Treaty 6. The written treaty ceded roughly 130,000 km of land from the Rocky Mountains to the west, the Cypress Hills to the east, the Red Deer River to the north, and the US border to the south. Although there was much dissension from a number of First Nations, it was Ahtahkakoop and Mistawasis whoasked the representatives of the Crown what they could offer the people if they did not agree to Treaty. [19] The most vital contributions of a chief was to keep the peace during the day to day living by settling arguments between the other members of the band. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". People die with maori race were relationships compromised by shared incredulity, treaty was the of written essay plans . (Dodson 19), Honourable Alexander Morris, Lieutenent -Governor of Manitoba, North-WestTerritories (later Saskatchewan and Alberta) and Keewatin. The Chiefs asked that firewater (alcohol) not be sold to them and be banned from their reserves. What benefits did the newcomers receive through treaty six? The Chiefs asked that firewater (alcohol) not be sold to them and be banned from their reserves. These include the storage of a medicine chest at the Indian agents house, more agricultural implements than provided for in earlier treaties and a famine and pestilence clause, which promised to protect the Indigenous peoples from such problems. The bearer of the sacred stem Wah-wee-kah-nich-ka-oh-tah-mah-hote (the man you strike on the back) carried the decorated pipe stem, and walked slowly along the semi circle of people to the front. We want you to stop the Americans from coming to trade on our lands, and giving firewater, ammunition, and arms to our enemies the Blackfeet. In 1870 Sweetgrass allowed himself to be baptized and was given the name Abraham.[28]. In 1882, Young Sweet Grass and seventeen followers joined Wah-wee-kah-oo-tah-mah-hote (Strikes him on the back), who had signed Treaty 6 at Fort Carlton on August 28, 1876. They had sent a war party to a Blackfoot camp and killed 18 Blackfeet in addition to stealing horses. They created an iron alliance that enabled them to expand across the northern plains. Thank you for helping us make the university website better. [36] To be fair to Big Bear, he was mindful of what the government promised as he was not invited to the original negotiation and signing of Treaty 6. At the time when Sweet Grass was Chief, The Canadian government had pictured what the Indigenous communities were and never changed them. He was succeeded by his son, Apseenes (Young Sweet Grass); he was unable to hold the band together, which began to splinter. He reminded them that the buffalo were disappearing and that they would have to learn to farm to feed themselves. (Dodson 14). In another instance, Sweet Grass had invited the Blackfoot into his camp in an attempt to begin a long-standing peace with them. [35] Sweet Grass beliefs clashed with that of Big Bear who believed that a Confederacy needed to be formed as a united front in order to get the best terms for all. Wah-wee-kah-oo-tah-mah-hote was chief from 1876 to 1883: but he was deposed in 1884 and Young Sweet Grass became chief. The Constitution established a presidential system with separation of . Big Bear refused to accept Treaty, arguing the terms were insufficient and that forcing the Cree Nation onto reserves was like pulling a rope around a persons neck, denying them freedom on their land. 6 was signed on August 23, 1876 at Fort Carlton in Saskatchewan. The treaty boundaries extend across central portions of present-day Alberta and Saskatchewan. Are catch-up contributions subject to ADP testing. In Canada, Aboriginal title describes the rights of Indigenous peoples to land based on long-standing land use and occupancy. The buffalo was the plains First Nations livelihood: their source of food, shelter, clothing, and trading goods. This propelled him to work with the Canadian and eventually sign Treaty Six. 6 Recognition Day in 2013. This became one of many classic misinterpretations of the Treaty process as viewed in history. There were also village elders and warriors. Included would be a medicine chest kept at the Indian Agents homes for the use of the First Nations but at the discretion of the Indian Agent. The band was to serve as a model for group Indigenous enfranchisement. (Christensen 234), Once everyone was assembled at the Council tent, the pipe stem ceremony began with all the Chiefs, headmen, singers, and drummers. The Treaty of Waitangi Claudia Orange Google Books. All nations kept the rights to use the land for hunting. Released early due to a health breakdown, Big Bear sought sanctuary amongst the remnants of his tribe of the Poundmakers and Little Pine Reserve. Death. In 1881, there was only a couple hundred Buffalo left within the plains. Our team will be reviewing your submission and get back to you with any further questions. They felt the treaty did not do enough to protect the Cree 'way of life' and forced assimilation into European culture and 'way of life'. Under the leadership of Young Sweet Grass, the band began to fall apart due to internal conflict. Chief Sweetgrass (Weekaskookwasayin) signed Treaty 6 on September 9, 1876, with the Fort Pitt Indians but was killed about six months later. [15] Sweet Grass spiritual helper was the mosquito, which he would often seek for guidance. The following is the inscription on the Big Bear monument at Poundmaker First Nation: "The Great Cree leader, Chief Big Bear has entered the history books as one of Canadas most feared, yet profoundly misunderstood, First Nations Leader. (Mtis fur trader and politician), as well as translators, assistants and NWMP escorts. It remained to be seen whether it was a bad omen. To the Canadian delegation, the only legally binding contracts were what was written into the treaty. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. James Rodger Miller, Compact, Contract, Covenant: Aboriginal Treaty-making in Canada (2009). Signed in 1876, Treaty 6 was the agreement between the government of Canada and the Indigenous people living in parts of modern-day Saskatchewan and Alberta. Big Bear stands tall in the memory of the Cree Nation as a proud and truly visionary leader who fought against the forces of Canadian colonialism and ultimately suffered for his Nation. On January 11, 1877, Sweet Grass had an argument with his brother after the signing of treaty six. We heard our lands were sold and we did not like it; we dont want to sell our lands; it is our property, and no one has the right to sell them. We had a great starvation the past winter, and the smallpox took away many of our people, the old, young, and children. In the summer of 1875, messengers from the Canadian government came to Cree territory to inform them that the government would be coming to negotiate a Treaty with them the following summer of 1876. Four days later, Morris met with the Duck Lake band. Kehewin Cree Nation Chief Vernon Watchmaker is the Grand Chief for Confederacy of Treaty No. They were unaware of the negotiations at Fort Carlton and thought they would not be coming for another month or so. While a chief, Sweet Grass noticed the starvation and economic hardship the Cree were facing. During discussions, Gov. It does not store any personal data. He was sentenced to three years at Stony Mountain Penitentiary in Manitoba and converted to Christianity during imprisonment. The fort was heavily stocked with provisions, which angered the staving Cree. [22] Although it is not impossible, it is highly unlikely that the Cree escaped from their entrapment with as few casualties as they claimed. Beardy was not granted his request to have the treaty payments made at the site he had envisioned, Morris did not want to accommodate Beardy and viewed his lack of participation in the negotiations as an inconvenience to the process (Stonechild and Waiser 22). What is the difference between Treaty 6 and Treaty 7? [48] The Canadian government could hold out for longer than any of the Cree groups who were slowly dying from starvation and disease. He died January 17, 1888 and is buried in the Poundmaker cemetery. A few months after the Pitt meeting, Chief Sweetgrass was shot and killed by accident with the gun presented to him as a treaty gift, at the hands of his best friend. How did Treaty 6 affect the First Nations? The peak of the conflict came in 1861 when the Blackfoot had threatened to kill any Cree, Metis, or white man whom they stumbled upon. That is all.. How long does it take to become a CNA in Tennessee? According to the notes of the commissions secretary, M.G. First Nations had practiced their own governance and other systems for thousands of years. After resisting sending children into the Canadian school system, the Cree living on the reserve received no food rations, until they capitulated. Alexander Morris spoke to those present, promising to offer the same terms as at Fort Carlton. Treaty 6 encompasses 17 First Nations in central Alberta including the Dene Sulin, Cree, Nakota Sioux and Saulteaux peoples. [52] In Cree cultural the chiefs do not always hold the legal right to make choices for the entire band. [2] Approaching the pasture, he hid in a bush and as a man advanced towards him, he took out his bow, killed and scalped him; proceeding to raid the pasture to return forty horses to his tribe. Indigenous people were forced to choose between living on reserves, receiving a fixed amount of money every year for the rest of their lives and trying to assimilate and lose their status. Historians have divided them into six geographical groups: Woodland First Nations, who occupy forested areas of eastern Canada; Iroquoian First Nations (also known as the Haudenosaunee) in the fertile southern part of the country; Plains First Nations in the Prairies; Plateau First Nations, who live throughout Canadas . The ceremony ended with dancing, drums, and singing of the men and women in the background (Christensen 235). He agreed that in the first three years of settlement on their reserves, the government would help in the sum of one thousand dollars to assist in planting their farms. Newcomers would receive a peaceful co-existence with First Nations people, access to lands for settlement, farming, railways, and future industrial development. He attempted to take Sweet Grasss pistol and it accidentally discharged, resulting in his death. We invite you to come and see us and to speak with us. The treaty annuities are annual cash payments distributed by the Government of Canada to the descendants of the Indigenous peoples who signed the RobinsonSuperior and RobinsonHuron treaties and the Numbered Treaties. This is unlikely, especially considering there is no specific mention of this in the commissioners notes and because this concept would have been completely foreign to the Plains Indigenous peoples, who had a different understanding of land ownership than the commissioners (see Indigenous Territory). Sweet Grass believed that working alongside the government was one of the only solutions to the daily hardship the Cree were faced with. He was succeeded by his son, Apseenes (Young Sweet Grass). While the signing of the treaty can be seen as selling away indigenous rights, it did bring much-needed medication and food to the Cree who had insufficient options. After the ceremony, Morris explained that the government sent him to Fort Carlton to create an agreement with the Cree that would endure as long as that sun shines and yonder river flows. In order to do so, however, he required all of the chiefs and community leaders in the area to be present. This has led to conflict over the clauses of the agreement. a. As early as 1871, Plains Indigenous peoples expressed interest in negotiating a treaty with the Crown that would protect them from the settlement of outsiders on their lands, including the Mtis, white settlers and surveyors. Morris was determined to have Chief Beardy to sign the Treaty even though he was not present at the negotiations and sent a messenger with tobacco and provisions for Beardy to meet him after he left Fort Carlton. Not only did smallpox devastate the First Nations populations but the buffalo herds were declining rapidly. Sweet Grass through both policy and action would have a lasting impact on the Plains Cree. First Nations started hearing rumors that their lands were being sold without their consent. It is the unique collective right to use of, and jurisdiction over, ancestral territory and is separate from the rights of non-Aboriginal Canadian citizens under common law. His goal was to spread the Roman Catholic faith to the Western parts of Canada. In exchange for Indigenous title to their land (see Indigenous Territory), Treaty 6 provided: an annual cash payment of $25 per chief; $15 per headman and $5 for all other band members; a one-time cash payment of $12 for each band member; and reserve lands in the amount of one mile2 (about 2.5 km2) per family of five. The manager of the HBC post at Fort Carlton, Lawrence Clarke, wrote to government officials that same summer, alerting them that the Cree had also threatened to turn back telegraph workers who were trying to construct a line from Winnipeg to Edmonton. The Treaty promised to give the Tlicho annual payments and services, like medical care, education and old age care. Thank you to the University of Regina Press for providing these resources to share with the community. Beardys main concern was the rapid loss of the buffalo and he could not see how the treaty provisions would be able to compensate for such a loss and way of life for the Plains First Nations. He was unable to hold the band together, which began to splinter. Indigenous peoples are subject to the same tax rules as any other resident in Canada unless their income is eligible for the tax exemption under section 87 of the Indian Act. The negotiations began at a traditional camping area the Crees called pehonanik or the waiting place, located a mile and half from the Fort (Stonechild and Waiser 12). When the Metis under Louis Riel started the Northwest-Rebellion in 1885, Wandering Spirit would lead a group of Cree to raid the Frog Lake Settlement. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. What benefits did the Newcomers receive through Treaty Six? [49] After signing the treaty, some of the Cree remained unsatisfied with the situation they had been forced into. Sweet Grass was born with the name Okimasis, which translates to He-who-has-no-name, and Little Chief, which was related to his small size. In the end, Chief Beardy agreed with the terms of the Treaty and signed it. [15] However, this almighty creator appeared to individuals through various sprits such as the bear and horse. Dickieson, Mistahimaskwa referred to the treaty as a dreaded rope to be about my neck. Mistahimaskwa was not referring to a literal hanging (which is what some government officials had believed), but to the loss of his and his peoples freedom, and Indigenous loss of control over land and resources. Sweet Grass converted to Christianity in 1870, [25] being baptized into Catholicism with the name Abraham. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. What is the difference between Treaty 6 and Treaty 7? Website Development Studio. Sweet Grass (also Sweetgrass or Wikaskokiseyin or Wihaskokiseyin) (c.1815 on or shortly before January 11, 1877) was a chief of the Cree in the 1860s and 1870s in western Canada. [17] The soul was able to leave the body during visions where it would accompany their spiritual helper. [33] They also wanted the government to be held accountable for the depleted food supplies within the indigenous territories. Other Nations held them in fear(Stonechild and Waiser 5). When the North-West broke out in 1885, Wandering Spirit, a war Chief took over Frog Lake and most of the white inhabitants were killed. A representative from Chief Beardys group suggested they rent the land while others suggested they refuse the Treaty altogether. The ceremony ended with dancing, drums, and singing of the men and women in the background (. [33] This land was not the HBC's to sell which is a problem that would occur several times to indigenous groups all over Canada. Chief Sweetgrass (Weekaskookwasayin) signed Treaty 6 on September 9, 1876, with the Fort Pitt Indians but was killed about six months later. He related that the First Nations Chiefs wanted to know if it was true that their lands were being sold. Included would be a medicine chest kept at the Indian Agents homes for the use of the First Nations but at the discretion of the Indian Agent. Treaty promised to give the Tlicho annual payments and services, like medical care, and., Covenant: Aboriginal Treaty-making in Canada, Aboriginal title describes the rights of Indigenous peoples to based... To expand across the northern plains the convention was initially held to modify the what was the outcome of chief sweetgrass signing treaty 6 of., Lieutenent -Governor of Manitoba, North-WestTerritories ( later Saskatchewan and Alberta ) and Keewatin name Abraham [! 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