A History of Treaty-Making in Canada
A treaty is defined as a formal agreement between two or more states in reference to peace, alliance, commerce, or other international relations. In the history of Canada, treaties have played an important role in its colonization and evolution. Most of the settled lands of Canada were transferred from First Nations to the Crown (the Government) through treaties. Today, 70 historic treaties are located in nine provinces and three territories, covering nearly 50% of Canada's land mass, with approximately 366 of 617 First Nations are Treaty First Nations (59%) (1).
The following treaties are illustrated in the map above (1):
Douglas Treaties (1850-1854): British Columbia.
Numbered Treaties (1871-1921): Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario
Robinson Treaties (1850), Williams Treaties (1923), and Upper Canada Land Surrenders (1781-1862): Ontario.
The Maritime Peace and Friendship Treaties (1725-1779): Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Peace and Neutrality Treaties (1701-1760) are not represented on the map as there is no defined geographic extend for the Peace and Neutrality Treaties.
For more information, this article written by the Government of Canada’s Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada Sector covers the history of treaty formation through Canada. Beginning with the early 18th century, and covering key historical events such as the Royal Proclamation of Canada and the Indian Act, this article is a great knowledge base to gain a historical progression on the history of Indigenous Peoples (2).
It is important to note that though representatives of the Crown and First Nations were at the same meetings, listened to the same (translated) speeches and signed the same pieces of paper, there were and often still are differences in perspectives of the treaties (3). The differences in understanding are rooted in two different world views, two different concepts of land ownership, and two colliding purposes. This website informally outlines the points of view and cultural perceptions of treaties.
Resources:
Pre-1975 Treaties and Treaty First Nations in Canada Infographic [Internet]. Aadnc-aandc.gc.ca. 2017 [cited 2 October 2017]. Available from: http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1380223988016/1380224163492
A History of Treaty-Making in Canada [Internet]. Aadnc-aandc.gc.ca. 2017 [cited 2 October 2017]. Available from: https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1314977704533/1314977734895
The Treaties: Two Different Views [Internet]. Firstpeoplesofcanada.com. 2017 [cited 2 October 2017]. Available from: http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_treaties/fp_treaties_two_views.html