Treaties in the Formation of Canada - Case Study Example

Treaties in the Formation of Canada Treaties were very crucial in the formation of Canada as a unified There were many factions in various sections of the country that had racial and ideological differences. Therefore, there was need for the country to unite and operate as one under one government like America which was thriving economically at the time. The parties involved include European settlers, the natives and the Métis, a new race comprising a mix of European and Indian bloods. Other smaller groups involved include European companies which preceded the settlers and catholic and Presbyterian denominations. A compromise had to be reached to bring an end to the tension between the groups. Treaties were extremely important for the aboriginal people as they forged a special relationship between the parties involved. These treaties were accompanied by ceremonies and rituals such as smoking of calumet or the sacred pipe or exchange of wampum belts. These ceremonies were continuously practiced to bind the parties further and also act as confirmation to the Indian chiefs that there was no bad blood brewing between them (Miller, 137). Through treaties, the natives welcomed French traders and began a healthy trade relationship between them that lasted for many years until the interruption of the crown. The foreign traders were absorbed into the native customs and given Indian brides. These intermarriages resulted in to the Métis race (Miller, 135). After France pulled out of the country, the British took full control of the east. British authorities were faced with the problem of uniting with the western territories which were under the Indian rule. The British crown was in need of the western territory for settlement of her people and also for agriculture as the land had vast belts suitable for agriculture. The major problem was native Indians would not readily accept foreigners to possess their lands. It is worth noting that the close relationship between Indians and French traders was closely linked to the fur trade. The natives directly benefited from the trade through acquisition of ironware that was unavailable to them. Agriculture was therefore not beneficial to them as they hunted and fished for meat while grains were obtained from wild wheat. Another major problem the British encountered were the French settlers in the west. As a strategy to unite the two sides of the divide, the crown represented by a political faction known as Clear Grit advocated for the assimilation of French settlers. Eastern and western Canada was therefore united into a single colony with each section having equal representation in the legislative assembly. French Canadians were opposed to this (Miller, 126). However, the French countered the British union that was supposed to assimilate them through a political movement known as the Les Bleus and as a result, their language and religion were safeguarded. Moreover, the church-state ideology further enhanced the rift between the east and the west. In the east, the government supported catholic and protestant schools while in the west legislators were opposed to state involvement in religious matters. Furthermore, the west preferred non-denominational schools to church-based schools that were prevalent in the east. Another problem arose when eastern legislators expanded separate school rights for catholic through a vote while neglecting the Protestants. The English protestant majority based in the west were not happy with this move. (Miller, 127) Additionally, economic tensions polarized the two factions even further. The east favored Montreal to be the economic hub of the colony. Apart from that, they also presented a slew of other demands like complete support for the bank of Montreal and financial contributions from both sides towards the construction of the Grand Trunk Railway from Montreal to Chicago. The west was opposed to all these demands due to several reasons. First of all, they were the primary agricultural producers and they needed the railway network to America more than the east. Furthermore, they had an alternative way of transporting their products and would not be coerced to fund the railway network that was set to benefit the east more. Moreover, a Montreal-based economic system will shift more power to the east. (Miller, 128) These conditions made the coalition government very unstable. With equal representation from both sides, no legislations were passed and as result there were constant fallout among the members. To break this deadlock, a treaty between the two had to be forged. From 1864 to 1867, members from both sides convened series of meetings that eventually led to the creation of the Dominion of Canada under the British North America Act. This union had four provinces namely: Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick that were to be governed under a centralized parliament. New territories were included in the new union as measure to reduce instances of deadlock. They include: Rupert’s Land, British Columbia and the North-western territory. (Miller, 129) Even though this treaty ended the conflict between the settlers, it also brought to them the toughest challenge they never expected. One of the clauses in the British North American Act gave them power to rule the native Indians and control their land. The leaders also decided to possess lands owned by Hudson Bay Company in order to settle farmers (Miller, 130). The company had established a bonding relationship with the natives and enjoyed several privileges including, ownership of Indian land and monopoly in the fur trade as per the agreement (Miller, 123). However, this does not mean that the company had any powers over the Indians. All the company’s operations had to be in line with the treaty they signed. While the move to acquire Hudson Bay land was not met with any physical resistance, the Canadians who settled there became unpopular among the aboriginals. This was because they were racial and had less regards for the customs and dignity of the aboriginal people. At first, Hudson Bay was not willing to work with agriculturalists who were in the process of snatching its land. However, the company became instrumental in various treaties between Canadians and the natives. A point of conflict between the company and the Indians came when the former decided to abandon shipping as the mode of transport for its goods in favor of advanced lake steamers and railway lines from America. Indians had therefore lost seasonal source of employment as they were always hired to work in canoe brigades. (Miller, 133) Furthermore, through new leadership the company shifted dramatically from fur trade to land development, construction of railway lines, mining and settlement of farmers. The fur trade was extremely important for both the Indians and the Métis as they served as hunters, transporters and boatmen for the Hudson Bay Company. In exchange for their services they would obtain tobacco, alcohol, tea and ammunitions. Indians were a loyal people who only traded with people who recognized and respected their customs. It is due to this fact that the Hudson Company was used by Canadians to come to terms with the aboriginal people. Unlike their counterparts who maintained close relations with the company, the young Métis began resenting both the company and settlers. This was because the Métis were the most affected by the company’s shift from the fur trade, and the racial discrimination they faced from the settlers (Miller, 140). Though the Métis were generally accepted by the natives, they were physically different. Most were able to speak both the native tongues and the dialect of their European fathers. Moreover, they practiced Christianity; the Anglophone Métis were predominantly Anglicans while the francophone merits were Catholics (Miller, 136). Tension was further aggravated by the fact that white settlers preferred Métis women to aboriginal women. In addition to all these factors, there was extreme reliance on the bison as the main source of food by both the native aboriginals and the Métis. This resource was further reduced by the increased demand for buffalo skins in America. This eventually sparked to a conflict between the two which ultimately led to inter-tribal wars that were later referred to as Buffalo Wars (Miller, 140). The two Indian groups were compelled to go to enemy territories in search of bison meat and the invasions resulted in military warfare that further reduced their numbers. It was only a matter of time before the natives began questioning the occupation of their land by foreigners. Coincidentally, this was the time that the Canadian government chose to possess Hudson Bay land. The treaty involving the land was hurriedly done without the inclusion of very important parties- the natives and the Métis. The French, catholic Métis were the first to show signs of opposition. Under the leadership of Louis Riel, a group of Métis men chased away government surveyors who had come to inspect land for a road construction plan that was underway. (Miller, 142) This incident however did not deter the government from getting ownership of the land. William McDougall, who had been appointed to head the new territory, was blocked from entering the land by Riel and his comrades. Surprisingly, McDougall was able to sneak in at night and declared his appointment as the lieutenant-governor and the transfer of Rupert’s land to the Canadian government. After continuously pestering the government for six months, Riel decided to form a provisional government in the area without the approval of the central government. He was able to pull this off because he was a son of a leader, was very bright and learned and had unwavering support from his tribesmen. (Miller, 144) His demands for the Red River district to be inducted into the union as the Manitoba province were sharply opposed by the Ontarians who quickly coerced the government to send a military expedition that ousted Riel from his seat. Even though the resistance was squashed easily, it played a major role in the treaties that were later formulated. After all the problems the Indians faced, they were extremely weakened and had nothing to bring to the table to bargain for their land. Luckily for them, the Canadian parliament passed the Manitoba Act in 1870. This act gave them sole control of the Red River lots. The Métis were also awarded with 1.4 million acres of public land that was kept aside for their future generations. (Miller, 145) In addition to the privileges above, a clause was made to include the natives in the negotiations of transferring Rupert’s land from Hudson to the Canadian government. The Canadian people also learnt that the aboriginals were extremely loyal when treated with respect, but also dangerous when taken for granted. The Indians were opposed to the free movement of soldiers in their land without the consent and consultation of their chiefs. As Wemyss S. Simpson, an emissary of the government later learnt, a pact with these tribes is not sufficient enough to guarantee them full immunity from the tribe. The chiefs had to be gifted each time they met, plus ceremonies and rituals had to be conducted in order for these people to know that there was no bad blood between them. (Miller, 146) After successfully securing the loyalty of the aboriginals, the government had one major problem facing them- coming to a pact with the residents of British Colombian islands. Unlike the Indians who participated in treaty making as soon as the first foreigners set foot in their land, there were no instances of treaty making among the Kwagiult and Salish groups. So, instead of the government officials approaching them with aboriginal treaties, they presented them with a treaty between the New Zealand Company and the Maori tribe (Miller, 147). When asked whether they preferred annual or one time payments, the chiefs of these two groups chose to be remunerated once; this was a sharp contrast to the other natives. This marked the last instance of treaty making in the region as the colonial government and the Canadian government were indifferent as to who was supposed to pay these tribes. To sum all these points up, Canada as we know it today came up as a result of very many treaties. There were treaties involving settlers from different factions, there were treaties involving the Canadian government and mainland Indians and also those involving the government and the islanders in British Colombia. The treaties brought peace and put an end to wars between the parties involved. The treaties were therefore important for both the settlers and the native Indians. References 1. “Aboriginal Treaties.” Canadian Encyclopedia. N.d. web. Feb. 10, 2015. < http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/aboriginal-treaties/>. 2. “A History of Treaty-Making in Canada.” Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. N.d. web. Feb. 10, 2015. < https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1314977704533/1314977734895>. 3. Miller, J. R. aboriginal Treaty-Making in Canada. Paperback, 2009. Print. 4. “Selkirk Settlement/ Creation of Manitoba (1811- 1870).” Canada in the Making. N.d. web. Feb. 10, 2015. < http://www.canadiana.ca/citm/themes/pioneers/pioneers5_e.html>. Read More