[55] Young Sweet Grass would eventually become chief and would name the new group the Sweetgrass First Nation in honour of his father. In Canada, Aboriginal title describes the rights of Indigenous peoples to land based on long-standing land use and occupancy. Even though Big Bear publicly and consistently spoke against sighing treaties, by 1882 starving, he would sign Treaty 6. 1876 - 1883: Wah-wee-kah-oo-tah-mah-hote (Strike him on the back), 1920 - 1924: Harry Atcheynum (Son of Strike him on the back), 1925 - 1964: Sam Swimmer (Son of Yellow Mud) Last hereditary Chief, For a summary for our History in brief, find it on the Battleford's Agency Tribal Chief's Website at www.batc.ca/sweetgrass/, P.O. [3] Sweet Grass was ten years older, so Big Bear recognized him as the superior chief. The peoples of Treaty 6 also argue that the treaty needs to be interpreted in a modern context. One of the requests that Sweet Grass made to the government was to teach the Cree better farming techniques. Morris knew that he was offering more than the government would have wanted, but he felt it necessary to finalize the deal. The First Nations assembled near the Chiefs tents, to the sound of beating drums and the discharge of small arms, singing, dancing, and loud speaking going on at the same time, as told by A.G. Jackes secretary to the Treaty Commisoner. He died January 17, 1888 and is buried in the Poundmaker cemetery. 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. Sweet Grass believed that working alongside the government was one of the only solutions to the daily hardship the Cree were faced with. What is the difference between Treaty 6 and Treaty 7? Many people would leave the reserve due to government policies to limit food rations. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 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. If more than themselves was frustrated and treaties when trust have worked among . [15] However, this almighty creator appeared to individuals through various sprits such as the bear and horse. The Indigenous leaders then held council for the rest of the day. Big Bear was adamant in his request to the government to create laws to regulate the hunting of the buffalo. There were many subsequent adhesions to the treaty by individual bands, well into the 20th century. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We never shed any white mans blood, and we have always been friendly with the whites, and want workmen, carpenters and farmers to assist us when we settle. [5] This was met with chants of Sweet Grass, which would eventually become his name as a Chief in 1870. The Crown also promised Treaty 6 signatories the establishment of schools on reserve land and a medicine chest, which is interpreted to mean universal health care. 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. Chief Sweetgrass, a well respected leader was chosen to be the spokesman for the meeting with Christie (Christensen 148). 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. 10 How did Treaty 6 affect the First Nations? The ceremony ended with dancing, drums, and singing of the men and women in the background (. First Nations were alarmed at the various newcomers coming onto their lands and conducting geological surveys for telegraph lines, the railway, and lands for settlement (Tobias 191). What was the outcome of Chief Sweetgrass signing Treaty 6? At that time, they as well were facing low fur prices, and poor hunting and fishing. Mistahimaskwa was frustrated and surprised that the other chiefs had not waited for him to return before concluding the negotiations. 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. [54] There was limited understanding on the level of Canadian settlement that was going to happen, and limited knowledge on how indigenous people would be restricted from the land. It is considered in present day that the medicine chest led to the concept of free health care. 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. Sweet Grass along with three other Chiefs attempted to get ahead of government control by meeting with the representative of the Canadian government in the west Lieutenant Governor Archibald to petition the Hudson's Bay Company's (HBC) sale of land to the government. Website Design by M.R. Morris statement about reserves was immediately met with resistance by Pitikwahanapiwiyin (Poundmaker), a local leader who became a great chief in the 1880s. 1 What was chief mistawasis Role in Treaty 6? A reserve was surveyed west of Battleford in 1884 for the melded band members, who sold hay & wood and maintained gardens & livestock. Alexander Morris spoke to those present, promising to offer the same terms as at Fort Carlton. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Similarly, clauses promising farming assistance and reserve schools can be interpreted as a promise to provide general economic assistance for Indigenous businesses and access to modern education. Are catch-up contributions subject to ADP testing. . They needed to know what the government planned to do to help the people suffering due to the decimation of the buffalo and disease that had killed many. So they were not present during the negotiations. [7] From this moment on, a special bond was formed between the child and whoever named them. Chief Weekaskookwasayin (Sweet Grass) permitted Morris to explain those terms to the congregation. The band had instead sent a messenger to attend the negotiations. Released early due to a health breakdown, Big Bear sought sanctuary amongst the remnants of his tribe of the Poundmakers and Little Pine Reserve. Children typically lived a carefree and adventurous childhood. 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. Sweet Grass during the signing of the treaty was one of the most well-regarded plains Cree chiefs and was given a position of importance during negotiations. [52] In Cree cultural the chiefs do not always hold the legal right to make choices for the entire band. In 150 we had entered into the Robinson Huron Treaty to protect. It was a tough decision to make. By this time, the only known buffalo herds left were located in the Cypress Hills. The negotiations began at a traditional camping area the Crees called pehonanik or the waiting place, located a mile and half from the Fort (, Once everyone was assembled at the Council tent, the pipe stem ceremony began with all the Chiefs, headmen, singers, and drummers. With encroaching settlers and other indigenous groups, the dwindling of traditional hunting,[45] and disease rampant,[46] Sweet Grass and his band of Cree were desperate for support. In 1871, a delegation of Chiefs went to Fort Edmonton to meet with Chief Factor W.J. The Plains Cree were not always the victims of this conflict. The First Nations were a proud and strong people but were facing an uncertain future. Treaty 6 was signed by Crown representatives and Cree, Assiniboine and Ojibwa leaders on 23 August 1876 at Fort Carlton, Saskatchewan, and on 9 September 1876 at Fort Pitt, Saskatchewan. The perpetrators of the massacre would be apprehended and tried for murder and hung in 1885.[51]. Sweet Grass through both policy and action would have a lasting impact on the Plains Cree. It remained to be seen whether it was a bad omen. Four days later, Morris met with the Duck Lake band. [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. Sweet Grass had also requested that the government provide supplies as needed so that they may sustain themselves when traditional hunting was not an option. They were mostly Woods Cree and Dene and had not been influenced by Christianity and farming as the others who signed Treaty at Fort Carlton (Stonechild and Waiser 22). Prime Minister John A. Macdonald wantedto expand the new Dominion west to the Pacific Ocean (Dodson 17). The Constitution of the United States was drafted and ratified, and it came into force on March 4, 1789. Those who did began to move onto the reserve land and being affected by the agreements made in the treaty. 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. Governor Morris addressed the crowd and asked Erasmus to interpret for him, Erasmus answered back, I act on behalf of the Chiefs; I am not employed by the government. McKay translated but was stopped when Chief Mistawasis stood up and said We are Plains Cree and demand to be spoken to in our language. Then Ballenden proceeded to translate, however, people in the back of the crowd complained they could not hear him, he tried to speak louder, choked and then sat down (Ray, Miller, and Tough 134). Treaty 7 was signed in 1877. They agreed with much of what was being said, however, they wanted to ensure their survival, and that the Great Queen Mother would look after them. The band was to serve as a model for group Indigenous enfranchisement. He related that the First Nations Chiefs wanted to know if it was true that their lands were being sold. In 2013, the City of Edmonton created Treaty No. While there was a Cree verbal translation, the Treaty was made in English. The government wanted tribes to become more democratic in its governing of the reserves and rely less on the chiefs who traditionally were the leaders of the community. what I will promise, and what I believe and hope you will take, is to last as long as the sun shines and yonder rivers flow., Negotiating the Terms: Friday August 18, 1876, For several days the Chiefs met and waited for others to arrive. First Nations had practiced their own governance and other systems for thousands of years. In 1882, Young Sweet Grass & 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. Treaty 6 peoples have also protected their treaty rights through land claims and lawsuits. Chief Sweetgrass (Weekaskookwasayin) signed Treaty 6 on September 9, 1876, with the Fort Pitt Indians but was killed about six months later. 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). He was sentenced to three years at Stony Mountain Penitentiary in Manitoba and converted to Christianity during imprisonment. a. Morris agreed to hear Big Bear out, but the course of the Treaty proceedings with the other First Nations had already concluded and this put Big Bear in a difficult position to be able to negotiate any further. Treaties are the law of the land in the relationship between First Nations and the rest of Canada. 6 Recognition Day to commemorate the signing of the treaty in 1876. Other members of the negotiating team included treaty commissioners William Joseph Christie (an HBC officer) and James McKay (Mtis fur trader and politician), as well as translators, assistants and NWMP escorts. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". We had a great starvation the past winter, and the smallpox took away many of our people, the old, young, and children. [22] Days of fighting ensued however, both chiefs managed to survive.[23]. In the face of survival, the Cree started to assemble and meet with one another to discuss their approach to the government. The treaty boundaries extend across central portions of present-day, On 27 July 1876, Morris left for Fort Carlton to negotiate a treaty with the Plains Indigenous peoples of Saskatchewan. Morris said little to ease the concerns of Beardy and promised that they too would receive the same as the other bands including agricultural assistance for a new way of life. [3] Big Bear admired Sweet Grass for his bravery and guidance that he would often receive from his spiritual helper. Treaty No. Sadly, in the face of starvation and the inevitable settlement of their lands, Little Pine eventually signed an adhesion to Treaty 6 on July 2, 1879. In Morris address he described the governments genuine concern for the welfare of their Indian brothers and sisters and asked them to take his words with much thought and to look to the future, what I will promise, and what I believe and hope you will take, is to last as long as the sun shines and yonder rivers flow. (, During discussions, Gov. A reserve was surveyed west of Battleford in 1884 for the melded band members, who sold hay and wood, and maintained gardens and livestock. 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