Pass system (Canadian history) facts for kids

The pass system (1885–1951) was a strict rule in Canada that lasted for many years. It was put in place by the Canadian government's Department of Indian Affairs (DIA). This system forced Indigenous people to stay on their reserves. They could not leave without a special paper called a "pass." This pass had to be signed by a government official.

The pass system started in 1885, especially in the prairie provinces, after the North-West Rebellion. It was meant to be a temporary rule to control First Nations. But it became a permanent policy. Even important government leaders like John A. Macdonald knew it wasn't fair or legal. They knew it broke the promises made in the Numbered Treaties.

This system was never actually a law. It was just a policy. It stayed in place until the 1940s, and in some places, even into the 1950s. Its main goal was to keep Indigenous people separate from the many new settlers arriving in the prairies. The government believed this separation was "for their own good." The pass system was mostly used in areas covered by Treaty 4, Treaty 6, and Treaty 7.

Local government officials called Indian Agents made sure the pass system was followed. They had a lot of power over First Nations people's lives. If an Indigenous person was found off their reserve without a pass, they could be arrested by the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP). They would often be sent back to their reserve or even put in jail.

In 1941, the government sent a letter telling all Indian Agents to destroy the passes and stop the system. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) later said that the pass system, along with reserves and residential schools, was part of a plan to force Indigenous people to give up their culture.

Why the Pass System Started

Mainly affected First Nations on Treaties 4, 6, 7 lands

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) calls the time from 1764 to 1969 a period of "Displacement and Assimilation." This means Indigenous people were moved from their lands and forced to adopt new ways of life.

In the 1870s and 1880s, more and more farms were built across the prairies. The Canadian government signed treaties and created reserves. They also encouraged First Nations to become farmers.

Around the 1880s, the number of bison (buffalo) dropped sharply. Bison were a main food source for First Nations. This led to a terrible famine, meaning people had no food. Also, smallpox epidemics had already made many Indigenous communities very sick. Because of these hardships, First Nations had little choice but to accept the government's rules. The TRC said these rules, including the reserve system, residential schools, and the pass system, were all about "aggressive assimilation."

What the Pass System Did

The pass system was a very strong way to control Indigenous people. It was part of many rules that kept them on their reserves. This helped non-Indigenous settlers take over more land.

If someone on a reserve wanted to leave, they needed a written pass from their Indian Agent. This was true for many reasons, like:

• Visiting family or friends in a nearby village.
• Checking on their children at a residential school.
• Going to a celebration or cultural event.
• Leaving to hunt, fish, or gather resources.
• Finding a job.
• Traveling to cities.
• Or leaving the reserve for any other reason.

The pass system was mainly used in the prairie areas of Treaty 4, Treaty 6, and Treaty 7.

Key Government Leaders (1879–1890s)

Three main government officials shaped the policies for Indigenous people during this time. They were John A. Macdonald, Edgar Dewdney, and Hayter Reed.

Macdonald was Canada's first Prime Minister. He wanted to build a railway across Canada. This railway, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), was finished in 1885. While many celebrated the railway, it also meant Indigenous people were moved from their traditional lands. For example, about 5,000 Indigenous people were forced out of the Cypress Hills in the 1880s. Sometimes, Indian Agents would even stop giving food to groups who didn't cooperate.

A scholar named James Daschuk wrote that the pass system, which kept First Nations on reserves, also helped spread diseases. Another official, Lawrence Vankoughnet, first suggested a pass system in 1884. He thought it would stop Indigenous people from camping near white settlements.

Edgar Dewdney became the Superintendent of Indian Affairs in 1879. He later hired Hayter Reed as his Assistant Commissioner. Reed believed that Indigenous people needed to be "amalgamated" (mixed) with the white population to benefit the country.

Role of Local Indian Agents

In the 1870s, local Indian Agents were put in charge of First Nations groups. Their job was to control and change Indigenous ways of life. In 1885, their power grew even more. They could act like a judge in legal matters. They could also use the pass system to keep Indigenous people on their reserves. These agents could even recommend removing a Chief or forcing children into residential schools.

Resistance and After the Rebellion

In the mid-1880s, the Treaty 6 Cree people, led by Mistahimaskwa (Big Bear), were starving because the bison were gone. Big Bear protested the treaty agreements. In 1885, the Métis also fought against the Canadian government. These events are known as the North-West Resistance of 1885. The government quickly stopped these uprisings. After this, the government faced little resistance to its plans for expansion, new settlers, and railway building.

Hayter Reed, who was an Indian Agent, asked Macdonald to limit the movement of Indigenous people. He said it was for the safety of the country and settlers. The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) started to stop Indigenous leaders from traveling to meetings. They also used food supplies to force Plains peoples to obey.

After the 1885 Rebellion, Macdonald's government brought in very strict rules. Their goal was to break up the traditional tribal system and force First Nations people to become like settlers. The pass system was one of the most well-known of these rules.

Reed wrote a plan called "Memorandum on the Future Management of Indians." This plan suggested harsh punishments for those who rebelled. It also called for ending the tribal system, stopping traditional dances, and keeping all "rebels" on their reserves using a pass system. Reed admitted that the pass system was "hardly supportable by any legal enactment." This means he knew it wasn't legal. But he felt it was for the "general good."

Forced Assimilation: Reserves, Residential Schools, and the Pass System

Qu'Appelle Indian Residential School (1884–1969)

The pass system was part of a larger plan to make Indigenous people adopt the ways of Canadian society. This plan also included the reserve system and the residential school system. Residential schools were created to teach Indigenous children to be more like non-Indigenous Canadians.

In the 1880s and 1890s, the Canadian government created policies that separated Indigenous people from the rest of society. This happened even though the government said it wanted to help Indigenous people fit in.

Many First Nations people became successful farmers and ranchers on their reserves. But non-Indigenous farmers felt this was unfair competition. They thought First Nations farmers were getting too much help. This was one reason the pass system was put in place. It limited what First Nations farmers could sell.

Pass System Had No Legal Basis

The pass system was never made into a law. It was just a policy. But it gave Indian Agents the power to control how long and why Indigenous people could leave their reserves. They did this by making passes required.

If someone didn't have a pass, they could be charged under laws about vagrancy (wandering without a home). Many police officers knew that First Nations people couldn't easily fight these charges in court.

Prime Minister Macdonald himself said there was "never any legal authority" to force Indigenous people back to their reserves. He knew the pass system broke the promises made in the treaties. The only way it worked was because Indian Agents had so much power over First Nations people.

Lasting Impact of the Pass System

The numbered treaties gave the Canadian government large areas of land. First Nations, who had once been allies to the British, became like "wards" (children under protection) of the new Canadian nation. The government wanted to make First Nations people more like "white rural farmers." Reserves and residential schools were meant to be places for this training.

The pass system had a terrible and lasting impact. First Nations people were cut off from their children in residential schools and from other relatives. They lost the freedom to hunt, fish, and trade. This caused huge financial problems and human suffering. They couldn't trade or do business. They were also isolated from Canadian society.

The pass system and other laws stopped First Nations people from taking part in the larger economy, except as labourers. For example, selling farm products was very limited by these rules.

The pass system affected hunting, trade, and cultural ceremonies. First Nations people visiting other reserves needed a pass, even if the reserves were close. There are stories of people being arrested and treated poorly for not having a pass.

The pass system also stopped important cultural events like the Sun Dance. Sun Dances allowed First Nations from different groups to travel and gather. But the pass system made this inter-community travel impossible. Hunting also became much harder under the pass system.

The pass system was later studied by a group from South Africa in 1902. They looked at it as a way to control people, similar to their own system of racial segregation.

End of the Pass System

In the 1890s, First Nations farmers protested the pass system. Some Indian Agents and farm instructors even supported them. But these officials were often fired for speaking out. The pass system continued until the 1940s, and in some areas, into the 1950s.

Even the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) raised concerns in 1893. Commissioner William Herchmer told his officers to *ask*, not order, First Nations people to return to their reserves. He knew the pass system wasn't a real law. But Hayter Reed disagreed. He thought if the NWMP stopped ordering, Indigenous people would realize the police couldn't force them.

The pass system officially ended after a letter was sent on July 11, 1941. This letter ordered all passes to be sent to Ottawa to be destroyed. The pass system was formally removed in 1951.

Missing Records

The pass system is the subject of a 2015 documentary film called The Pass System. The filmmaker, Alex Williams, spent five years looking for proof of the system. He searched archives and spoke with communities.

It was hard to find records because the federal government admitted that some documents about the pass system were destroyed. This happened before anyone knew how important they were for history. The 1941 order to destroy all passbooks is still a mystery.

Williams found one original pass from 1897. It was given to an adult named Sawphawpahkayo to get married. Williams also gathered stories from elders who lived under the system. These stories helped piece together this hidden history.

By 1974, when a study was done to see if the pass system had even existed, many historical passes had already been destroyed. A museum director said it was "absolutely astonishing" that the government had to rely on outside sources to study its own policy.

Today, many people, even First Nations people, know very little about the pass system.

The Pass System in Stories

In a 1973 book called "Voices of the Plains Cree," a character named Old Kayam talked about how every man on the reserve had to beg for permits. Kayam said he would rather starve than beg for a permit to sell something small like hay.

See also

• Bureau of Indian Affairs' Pass System in the United States during the same era
• Pass laws, a similar system in South Africa
• Israeli permit regime in the West Bank