Treaty 4: What do we really know about it? Part 2: JayCensored Blog

http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100028689/1100100028690

Many people haven’t reviewed what is in the Treaty 4 document. We perceive it is about ‘gaining rights’ when it is well known prior to that document we had ‘inherent rights’ (didn’t need no one to give us rights that we already had). I am going to break down parts of the treaty document, in a 2 part series, called ‘what do we really know about treaty 4’? It will be quotes from the document itself with commentary followed.

“Any settlers within the bounds of the lands reserved for any band, Her Majesty retains the right to deal with such settlers as She shall deem just, so as not to diminish the extent of land allotted to the Indians”

The Queen was not supposed to lessen the lands given to the bands. However, it is well known via the claims filed by Indigenous bands did have land taken from them (or not given to them). These are now being settled in court and in the comprehensive claims policy. Appears this clause was broken.

“Her Majesty shall cause a census to be taken of all the Indians inhabiting the tract herein before described, and shall, next year, and annually afterwards forever”

Censuses were to be taken ‘forever’ to affirm the amount of Indigenous people in the area. Recently, Harper cancelled the ‘long from’ census that would help confirm Indigenous numbers. Broken promise?

“Yearly and every year She will cause to be distributed among the different bands included in the limits of this treaty powder, shot, ball and twine, in all to the value of seven hundred and fifty dollars”

I am very sure this promise was never kept on a yearly basis – which would be $750.00 worth in 1874. In 2013 this would be worth at least $17,220.08. This is material for hunting.

Another promise of $5.00 annually would now be worth at least $114.80.

The calculations were from 1914 since this was as old a calculation I could find.

“Her Majesty agrees to maintain a school in the reserve allotted to each band as soon as they settle on said reserve and are prepared for a teacher”

When did these bands settle on their reserves? My guess is it was very shortly after this agreement – by at least 1876 (year of the Indian Act). Were there schools set up on each band? The answer is ‘no’. We had the whole residential school fiasco for years after and schools were not set up on each band until we reach the 1980-2000’s. This one is obviously a broken promise.

“Indians shall have right to pursue their avocations of hunting, trapping and fishing throughout the tract surrendered, subject to such regulations as may from time to time be made by the Government of the country”

We did have the right to hunt, fish, and trap – on the lands they gave us – and could be superseded by the Federal Gov’t at any point in time as they deemed necessary. So it is a right, but one not governed by us.

“such tracts as may be required or taken up from time to time for settlement, mining or other purposes, under grant or other right given by Her Majesty’s said Government…due compensation being made to the Indians for the value of any improvements thereon, and an equivalent in land or money for the area of the reserve so appropriated.”

Those same reserve lands contained the clause that they could be usurped for settlers or even people wanting to ‘mine’ them. In this sense, this is the way land was usurped for settlers but it is a statement that actually contradicts an earlier one about ‘not lessening our lands’. Strange contract, why have the first clause then?

– Jay Bird, Jay Censored Blog