Treaty 9 facts for kids
| The James Bay Treaty (Treaty No. 9) | |
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The first page of the written document of The James Bay Treaty (Treaty No. 9).
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| Signed | 12 July 1905 - 28 July 1930 |
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| Language | English |
Treaty No. 9 (also known as The James Bay Treaty) is an important agreement signed between 1905 and 1930. It was made between several Anishinaabe (Algonquin and Ojibway) and Omushkegowuk Cree communities and the Canadian Crown. The Canadian Crown includes both the government of Canada and the province of Ontario. This treaty is called the "James Bay Treaty" because it covers land near James Bay in Northern Ontario.
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Why Was Treaty 9 Created?
In the early 1900s, both the Canadian and Ontario governments wanted to control lands in northern Ontario. These lands were traditionally home to Cree, Oji-Cree, and Ojibway peoples. The governments were interested in the areas around Hudson and James Bay.
Before the treaty was signed, the governments worked on the written agreement. However, the Omushkegowuk and Anishinaabe communities were not involved in writing the terms. They also could not change the terms during the signing meetings. One First Nations community in northwestern Quebec is also part of this treaty. Later additions to the treaty were signed in 1929 and 1937. These included more Ojibway and Swampy Cree communities.
Timeline of Treaty 9 Signings
This timeline shows key dates when different First Nations communities signed Treaty 9:
- 29 June 1905: Duncan C. Scott and Samuel Stewart were chosen as treaty commissioners for Canada. Daniel G. MacMartin was chosen for Ontario. They traveled to meet First Nations communities.
- 3 July 1905: Ontario and the Canadian government agreed to support Treaty 9.
- 12 July 1905: The Osnaburgh community signed.
- 19 July 1905: The Fort Hope community signed.
- 25 July 1905: The Marten Falls community signed.
- 3 August 1905: The Fort Albany community signed.
- 9 August 1905: The Moose Factory community signed.
- 21 August 1905: The New Post (Taykwa Tagamou Nation) community signed.
- 7 June 1906: The Abitibi community signed.
- 20 June 1906: The Matachewan community signed.
- 7 July 1906: The Mattagami community signed.
- 16 July 1906: The Flying Post (Flying Post First Nation) community signed.
- 19 July 1906: The Fort Hope community signed again.
- 25 July 1906: The Brunswick House community signed.
- 9 August 1906: The Long Lake community signed.
- 5 July 1929: The Big Trout Lake community signed.
- 18 July 1930: The Windigo River community signed.
- 25 July 1930: The Fort Severn community signed.
- 28 July 1930: The Winisk (Weenusk First Nation) community signed.
- 1995: Diaries from Daniel G. MacMartin, an Ontario treaty commissioner, were found. They showed that what was said at the signings might not match the written treaty.
First Nations Communities in Treaty 9
Many First Nations communities are part of Treaty 9. Here are some of them:
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Winisk signing
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Challenges and Discoveries About Treaty 9
The personal diaries of Daniel G. MacMartin, a treaty commissioner for Ontario, were found in 1995. These diaries were written over 100 years ago. They supported the oral histories (stories passed down through generations) from Indigenous Elders. These stories said that what the commissioners said at the treaty signings was different from what was written in the official document.
This discovery led to new questions about the treaty. It also led to a legal challenge about mining access on First Nations land. Murray Klippenstein, a lawyer for the Mushkegowuk Council, said that MacMartin's diary suggested "First Nation leaders may have been misled by government negotiators" when they signed Treaty No. 9.
Learning More About Treaty 9
You can learn more about Treaty 9 from different sources. For example, there is a documentary film from 2014 by Alanis Obomsawin. It is called Trick or Treaty?
You can also explore these related topics:
