THE QU'APPELLE TREATY, OR NUMBER FOUR
This treaty, is, so generally called, from having been made at
the Qu'Appelle Lakes, in the North-West Territories. The Indians
treated with, were a portion of the Cree and Saulteaux Tribes, and
under its operations, about 75,000 square miles of territory were
surrendered. This treaty, was the first step towards bringing
the Indians of the Fertile Belt into closer relations with the
Government of Canada, and was a much needed one. In the year 1871,
Major Butler was sent into the North-West Territories by the
Government of Canada, to examine into and report, with regard to
the state of affairs there. He reported, to Lieutenant-Governor
Archibald, that "law and order are wholly unknown in the region
of the Saskatchewan, in so much, as the country is without any
executive organization, and destitute of any means of enforcing
the law." Towards remedying this serious state of affairs, the
Dominion placed the North-West Territories under the rule of
the Lieutenant-Governor and Council of the Territories, the
Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba, being, ex officio, Governor of the
Territories. This body, composed of representative men, possessed
executive functions, and legislative powers. They entered upon
their duties with zeal, and discharged them with efficiency.
Amongst other measures, they passed a prohibitory liquor law, which
subsequently was practically adopted by a Statute of the Dominion.
They proposed the establishment of a Mounted Police Force, a
suggestion which was given force to by the Dominion Cabinet, and
they recommended, that, treaties should be made, with the Indians
at Forts Qu'Appelle, Carlton and Pitt, recommendations, which, were
all, eventually, carried out. In the report of the Minister of
the Interior, for the year 1875, he states "that it is due to the
Council to record the fact, that the legislation and valuable
suggestions, submitted to your Excellency, from time to time,
through their official head, Governor Morris, aided the Government
not a little in the good work of laying the foundations of law
and order, in the North-West, in securing the good will of the
Indian tribes, and in establishing the prestige of the Dominion
Government, throughout that vast country." In accordance with these
suggestions, the Government of the Dominion, decided, on effecting
a treaty, with the plain Indians, Crees and Chippawas, who inhabit
the country, of which, Fort Qu'Appelle, was a convenient centre,
and entrusted the duty, to the Hon. Alexander Morris then
Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba and the North-West Territories,
the Hon. David Laird, then Minister of the Interior, and now
Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Territories, and the Hon. W.
J. Christie, a retired factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, and a
gentleman of large experience, among the Indian tribes.
In pursuance of this mission, these gentlemen left Fort Garry in
August, 1874, and journeyed to Lake Qu'Appelle (the calling or
echoing lake), where they met the assembled Indians, in September.
The Commissioners, had an escort of militia, under the command of
Lieut.-Col. Osborne Smith, C.M.G. This force marched to and from
Qu'Appelle, acquitted themselves with signal propriety, and proved
of essential service. Their return march was made in excellent
time. The distance, three hundred and fifty miles having been
accomplished in sixteen and a half days.
The Commissioners encountered great difficulties, arising, from the
excessive demands of the Indians, and from the jealousies, existing
between the two Nations, Crees and Chippawas, but by perseverance,
firmness and tact, they succeeded in overcoming the obstacles, they
had to encounter, and eventually effected a treaty, whereby the
Indian title was extinguished in a tract of country, embracing
75,000 square miles of territory. After long and animated
discussions the Indians, asked to be granted the same terms as were
accorded to the Indians of Treaty Number Three, at the North-West
Angle, hereinbefore mentioned. The Commissioners assented to their
request and the treaty was signed accordingly.
On the return, of the Commissioners to Fort Ellice, they met there,
the Chippawas of that vicinage, and made a supplementary treaty
with them. These Indians were included in the boundaries of Treaty
Number Two, but had not been treated with, owing to their distance
from Manitoba House, where that treaty was made. In 1875, the Hon.
W. J. Christie, and Mr. M. G. Dickieson, then of the Department of
the Interior, and subsequently, Assistant Superintendent of Indian
affairs, in the North-West Territories, were appointed to make the
payments of annuities, to the Indians, embraced in the Treaty
Number Four, and obtain the adhesion of other bands, which had
not been present at Qu'Appelle, the previous year. They met, the
Indians, at Qu'Appelle (where six Chiefs who had been absent,
accepted the terms of the treaty) and at Fort Pelly and at Shoal
River, where two other Chiefs, with their bands, came into the
treaty stipulations. A gratifying feature connected with the making
of this, and the other, North-Western Treaties, has been the
readiness, with which the Indians, who were absent, afterwards
accepted the terms which had been settled for them, by those, who
were able to attend. I close these observations, by annexing,
the reports of Lieutenant-Governor Morris, to the Honorable the
Secretary of State of Canada, of date 17th October, 1874, giving,
an account, of the making of the treaties at Qu'Appelle and
Fort Ellice, and an extract, from that of Messrs. Christie and
Dickieson, dated 7th October, 1875, describing its further
completion, and I also insert, accurate short-hand reports of the
proceedings at Qu'Appelle and Fort Ellice, which, were made, at
the time, by Mr. Dickieson, who, was present, at the treaty, as
secretary to the Commissioners. These will be found to be both
interesting and instructive.
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
FORT GARRY, MANITOBA, October 17, 1874.
Sir,--I have the honor to inform you that in compliance with the
request of the Government, I proceeded to Lake Qu'Appelle in
company with the Hon. David Laird, in order to act with him and W.
J. Christie, Esq., as Commissioners to negotiate a treaty with the
tribes of Indians in that region.
Mr. Laird and I left Fort Garry on the 26th of August, and arrived
at Lake Qu'Appelle on the 8th of September, Mr. Christie having
gone in advance of us to Fort Pelly.
We were accompanied on arriving by the escort of militia under the
command of Lieut.-Col. W. Osborne Smith, who had preceded us, but
whom we had overtaken.
The escort took up their encampment at a very desirable situation
on the edge of the lake, the Indians being encamped at some
distance.
The Commissioners were kindly provided with apartments by W. J.
McLean, Esq., the officer in charge of the Hudson Bay Company's
Post.
After our arrival, the Commissioners caused the Indians to be
summoned, to meet them, in a marquee tent adjoining the encampment
of the militia.
The Crees came headed by their principal Chief "Loud Voice," and
a number of Saulteaux followed, without their Chief, Cote. The
Commissioners, having decided that it was desirable that there
should be only one speaker on behalf of the Commissioners,
requested me owing to my previous experience with the Indian tribes
and my official position as Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West
Territories, to undertake the duty, which I agreed to do.
Accordingly, I told the Indians the object of our coming and
invited them to present to us their Chiefs and headmen. "Loud
Voice" stated that they were not yet ready and asked for a delay
till next day, to which we assented.
On the 9th, four Indian soldiers were sent to the Commissioners to
ask for two days delay, but we replied that when they met us in
conference they could prefer any reasonable request, but that we
expected them to meet us as agreed on the previous day, and further
that the Saulteaux had not conducted themselves with proper respect
to the Commissioners, as representatives of the Crown, as their
principal Chief Cote had not met us. Eventually, both the Crees and
the Saulteaux met us, with their Chiefs, when I addressed them.
They asked time to deliberate and we appointed the 11th at ten
o'clock for the next conference.
The Crees then left the tent suddenly, under constraint of the
Indian soldiers, who compelled the Chiefs to go.
On the 11th we sent a bugler round to summon the Indians to the
appointed conference, but they did not come.
Instead the Saulteaux sent word that they could not meet us except
in their own soldiers tent, distant about a mile from the militia
encampment, but we refused to do so.
The Crees were ready to proceed to the marquee, but were prevented
by the Saulteaux, a section of whom displayed a turbulent
disposition and were numerically the strongest party. We sent our
interpreter Charles Pratt, a Cree Indian, who was educated at
St. John's College here, and who is a catechist of the Church of
England, to tell the Indians that they must meet us as agreed upon.
In consequence, about four o'clock in the afternoon the Crees led
by "Loud Voice," came to the conference but the Saulteaux kept
away, though a number were sent to hear and report. On behalf of
the Commissioners, I then explained to the Crees the object of our
mission and made our proposals for a treaty, but as they were not
ready to reply, we asked them to return to their tents and meet us
next day.
On the 12th the Crees and Saulteaux sent four men from the soldiers
tent or council, which they had organized, to ask that the
encampment of the militia and the conference tents should be
removed half way, towards their encampment.
In consequence, we requested Lieut.-Col. Smith to proceed to the
Indian encampment and ascertain the meaning of this demand
authorizing him, if necessary, to arrange for the pitching of the
conference tent nearer the Indians, if that would give them any
satisfaction.
He reported, on his return, that the Indians wished the militia to
encamp with them, and that they objected to meet us anywhere on
the reserve of the Hudson Bay Company, as they said they could not
speak freely there.
He refused to remove the militia camp, as it was a very desirable
place where it had been placed, but with the assent of the Indians
selected a spot adjoining the reserve and at a suitable distance
from the Indian tents, on which the conference tent was to be daily
erected, but to be removed after the conferences closed.
We then summoned the Indians to meet us at one o'clock which they
did at the appointed place.
After the formal hand shaking, which ceremony they repeat at the
beginning and close of every interview the Commissioners submitted
their terms for a treaty, which were in effect similar to those
granted at the North-West Angle, except that the money present
offered was eight dollars per head, instead of twelve dollars as
there.
The Indians declined, however, to talk about these proposals, as
they said there was something in the way. They objected to the
reserve having been surveyed for the Hudson Bay Company, without
their first having been consulted, and claimed that the L300,000
paid to the Company should be paid to them. They also objected to
the Company's trading in the Territory, except only at their posts.
The Commissioners refused to comply with their demands, and
explained to them how the Company had become entitled to the
reserve in question, and the nature of the arrangement, that had
resulted in the payment by the Government of Canada of the
L300,000.
The conference adjourned to Monday the 14th, on which day the
Commissioners again met them, but the Cree Chief "Loud Voice" asked
for another day to consider the matter, and "Cote" or "Meemay" the
Saulteaux Chief, from Fort Pelly, asked to be treated with, at his
own place. They demanded, that the Company should only be allowed
to trade at their own posts, and not to send out traders into the
Territory--which was of course refused, it being explained to them
that all Her Majesty's subjects had equal right of trading. The
Commissioners then agreed to grant a final delay of another day,
for further consideration. Up to this period the position was very
unsatisfactory.
The Crees were from the first ready to treat, as were the Saulteaux
from Fort Pelly, but the Saulteaux of the Qu'Appelle District were
not disposed to do so and attempted to coerce the other Indians.
They kept the Chiefs "Loud Voice" and "Cote" under close
surveillance, they being either confined to their tents or else
watched by "soldiers," and threatened if they should make any
overtures to us.
The Saulteaux cut down the tent over the head of one of the Cree
Chiefs and conducted themselves in such a manner, that "Loud Voice"
applied to the Commissioners for protection, and the Crees
purchased knives and armed themselves.
The Saulteaux, one day went the length of placing six "soldiers,"
armed with rifles and revolvers, in the conference tent to
intimidate the other Indians, a step which was promptly counteracted
by Lieut.-Col. Smith, calling in six of the militiamen who were
stationed in the tent. In this connection, I must take the
opportunity of stating that the results proved the wisdom of the
course taken by the Commissioners in obtaining the escort of the
militia, as their presence exerted great moral influence, and I am
persuaded, prevented the jealousies and ancient feud between the
Crees and Saulteaux culminating in acts of violence.
The conduct of the whole force was excellent and, whether on the
march or in the encampment ground, they conducted themselves in a
most creditable manner.
Resuming, however, my narrative, on the 15th of September, the
Commissioners again met the Indians at eleven o'clock in the
forenoon.
The Crees had, in the interval, decided to treat with us
independently, and the Saulteaux, finding this, came to a similar
conclusion. After a protracted interview, the Indians asked to be
granted the same terms as were given at the North-West Angle. The
Commissioners took time to consider and adjourned the conference
until three o'clock.
In the interval, the Commissioners, being persuaded that a treaty
could not otherwise be made, determined on acceding to the request
of the Indians.
The Indians, having again met the Commissioners in the afternoon,
presented their Chiefs to them, when they asked to be informed what
the terms granted at the North-West Angle were. These were fully
and carefully explained to them, but after a request that all the
Indians owed to the Hudson Bay Company should be wiped out and a
refusal of the Commissioners to entertain their demands, they then
asked that they should be paid fifteen dollars per annum per head,
which was refused, and they were informed that the proposals of the
Commissioners were final, and could not be changed.
The Chiefs then agreed to accept the terms offered and to sign
the treaty, having first asked that the Half-breeds should be
allowed to hunt, and having been assured that the population in
the North-West would be treated fairly and justly, the treaty was
signed by the Commissioners and the Chiefs, having been first fully
explained to them by the interpreter.
Arrangements were then made to commence the payment and distribution
of the presents the next day, a duty which was discharged by Mr.
Christie and Mr. Dickieson, Private Secretary of the Hon. Mr. Laird.
I forward you to form an appendix to this despatch, a report
marked "A" and "B" extended from notes taken in short hand, by Mr.
Dickieson, of the various conferences and of the utterances of the
Commissioners and the Indians.
It is obvious that such a record will prove valuable, as it enables
any misunderstanding on the part of the Indians, as to what was
said at the conference, to be corrected, and it, moreover, will
enable the council better to appreciate the character of the
difficulties that have to be encountered in negotiating with the
Indians.
On the 17th I left for Fort Ellice, in company with Mr. Laird, Mr.
Christie and Mr. Dickieson remaining to complete the payments,
which were satisfactorily disposed of.
Before leaving, the Chiefs "Loud Voice" and Cote called on us to
tender their good wishes, and to assure us that they would teach
their people to respect the treaty.
The Commissioners received every assistance in their power from
Mr. McDonald of Fort Ellice, in charge of the Hudson Bay Company
District of Swan River, and from Mr. McLean, in charge of the
Qu'Appelle Post,--I also add, that the Half-breed population were I
believe generally desirous of seeing the treaty concluded and used
the influence of their connection with the Indians in its favor.
I forward in another despatch a copy of an address I received from
the Metis, or Half-breeds, together with my reply thereto.
The treaty was taken charge of by the Hon. Mr. Laird, and will be
by him placed on record in his Department and submitted to council
for approval.
I enclose herewith, however, a printed copy of it, marked "C," to
accompany this despatch.
The supplementary treaty made at Fort Ellice will form the subject
of another despatch.
Trusting that the efforts of the Commissioners to secure a
satisfactory understanding with the Western Indians will result in
benefit to the race, advantage to the Dominion, and meet the
approval of the Privy Council,
I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
ALEXANDER MORRIS,
Lieut.-Gov. N. W. T.
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
FORT GARRY, MANITOBA, October 17th, 1874.
Sir,--Referring to my despatch of the 17th inst., (No. 211) I have
the honor to report that Mr. Laird and I arrived at Fort Ellice
from Qu'Appelle Lakes, on Saturday the 19th of September.
On Monday, we met the band of Saulteaux Indians, who make their
headquarters at Fort Ellice, and who had remained there, instead of
going to Qu'Appelle at our request.
This band have been in the habit of migrating between the region
covered by the Second Treaty and that comprehended in the Fourth,
but had not been treated with.
We proposed to them to give their adhesion to the Qu'Appelle Treaty
and surrender their claim to lands, wherever situated, in the
North-West Territories, on being given a reserve and being granted
the terms on which the treaty in question was made. We explained
fully these terms and asked the Indians to present to us their
Chief and headmen. As some of the band were absent, whom the
Indians desired to be recognized as headmen, only the Chief and one
headman were presented. These, on behalf of the Indians accepted
the terms and thanked the Queen and the Commissioners for their
care of the Indian people. A supplement to the treaty was then
submitted and fully explained to them, by our acting interpreter,
Joseph Robillard, after which it was signed by Mr. Laird and
myself, and by the Chief and head man.
The original of the supplementary treaty will be submitted for
approval by Mr. Laird, but I annex a printed copy of it, as an
appendix to this despatch.
I also annex, notes of the conference with these Indians, extended
from the short hand report taken of the proceedings by Mr.
Dickieson, Private Secretary to the Hon. Mr. Laird.
In the afternoon, Mr. Christie and Mr. Dickieson arrived from Lake
Qu'Appelle, and shortly afterwards proceeded to make the payments
to the Indians, under the treaty.
It was satisfactory to have this band dealt with, as they asserted
claims in the region covered by the Manitoba Post Treaty, but had
not been represented at the time it was made.
On the 22nd of September the Commissioners left Fort Ellice and
arrived at Fort Garry on the afternoon of the 26th of that month,
having been absent a little over a month.
I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
ALEXANDER MORRIS,
Lieut.-Gov. N. W. T.
THE HONORABLE
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE PROVINCES,
Ottawa.
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, 7th October, 1875.
Sir,--We have now the honor to submit, for your information, our
final report in connection with our missions to the Indians
included in Treaty No 4.
As former reports have made you fully acquainted with the
arrangements that had been entered into previous to our departure
from this place, any further reference to them is unnecessary.
Having left Winnipeg on the 19th August, we arrived at Fort Ellice
on the 24th, the day appointed for the meeting the Indians of
that place. The same evening we had an interview with, and fully
explained the terms and conditions of the treaty to some of the
Indians who were not present when the treaty was concluded last
year. Next morning, by appointment, we met all the Indians
and explained to them the object of our mission, and, after
considerable discussion, made arrangements to commence paying the
annuities next day. This, however, was prevented by heavy rains,
which continued more or less to retard our operations on the
two following days, the 27th and 28th, but everything was
satisfactorily concluded with this band on the evening of the
latter day, and on the following morning we started for the
Qu'Appelle Lakes, accompanied by an escort of fifteen men of the
Mounted Police Force, under the command of Sub-Inspector McIllree,
which had arrived at Fort Ellice on the evening of the 26th, and
reached our destination on the forenoon of the 2nd September.
As you are aware, we had heard before leaving Winnipeg, that the
number of Indians assembled at the Qu'Appelle Lakes would be very
large, but we did not anticipate that so many as we found (nearly
five hundred lodges) would be congregated.
We at once saw that the funds at our disposal to pay the annuities
and gratuities would be inadequate, and availed ourselves of the
opportunity presented by the return of Major Irvine to Winnipeg,
to forward a telegram on the 5th September, requesting a further
amount of six thousand dollars to be placed to our credit; and we
may state here, though out of the order of time, as we found after
the first two days payments that we had still underestimated the
number of Indians present, we transmitted a telegram to Winnipeg by
special messenger, on the 9th September, for a further credit of
fifteen thousand dollars.
On the 3rd September we met the Indians and explained the object
of our mission, and, for the benefit of those who were absent last
year, the terms and conditions of the treaty, and stated that
we were now ready to fulfil so many of the obligations therein
contained as the Government were bound to execute this year. The
Indians declined saying anything on this occasion, but wished to
meet and confer with in the following day, as they had something
they wished to speak about. They accordingly met us on the 4th,
and made several demands, one of which was that the annuities be
increased to twelve dollars per head. We replied that the treaty
concluded last year was a covenant between them and the Government,
and it was impossible to comply with their demands; that all we had
to do was to carry out the terms of the treaty in so far as the
obligations of the same required. An idea seemed prevalent among
the Indians who were absent last year that no treaty had been
concluded then; that all which had been done at that time was
merely preliminary to the making of the treaty in reality, which
they thought was to be performed this year. The prevalence of this
opinion amongst them operated very prejudicially to the furthering
of our business, and we saw that until this was done away with it
would be impossible to do anything towards accomplishing the real
object of our mission. After a great deal of talking on their
part, and explanation on ours, the meeting adjourned until Monday
morning, as it was necessary that provisions should be issued to
the different bands that evening for the following day.
On Monday (the 6th) we again met the Indians, and as they evidently
wished to have another day's talking to urge the same demands they
had made on Saturday, we assured them all further discussion on the
subject was useless; that if they declined to accept the terms of
the treaty we must return and report to the Government that they
had broken the promise made last year. They then asked that we
should report to the Government what they had demanded. This we
agreed to do. After some further explanation to those Chiefs who
had not signed the treaty, the payment of the annuities and
gratuities was commenced and continued by Messrs. Dickieson and
Forsyth on this and the three following days until completed,
during which time Mr. Christie conferred with the Chiefs as to
the locality of their reserves.
Six Chiefs who had not been present last year when the treaty was
concluded, agreed to accept the terms of the same, and signed their
adhesion previous to being paid. The instruments thus signed by
them are transmitted herewith.
The suits of clothes, flags, medals and copies of the treaty were
given to the Chiefs and headmen as they were paid, and on the 10th
the ammunition and twine were distributed, also provisions to each
band for the return journey to their hunting grounds. * * * * * *
We have the honor to be, Sir,
Your obedient servants,
W. J. CHRISTIE,
Indian Commissioner.
M. G. DICKIESON.
Report of the proceedings at the Conference between the Hon.
Alexander Morris, Lieut.-Governor of the North-West Territories,
the Hon. David Laird, Minister of the Interior, and W. J. Christie,
Esq., the Commissioners appointed by Order in Council to treat with
the Indians inhabiting the country described in the said Order in
Council, the first conference having been held at Qu'Appelle,
September 8th, 1874:
FIRST DAY'S CONFERENCE
At four o'clock the Commissioners entered the marquee erected for
the accommodation of themselves, and the Indians, who in in a short
time arrived, shook hands with the Commissioners, the officers of
the guard, and other gentlemen who were in the tent, and took their
seats.
It having been noticed that Cote, "the Pigeon," a leading Chief of
the Saulteaux tribe, had not arrived but that several of his band
were present and claimed that they had been sent to represent him,
His Honor the Lieut.-Governor instructed the (acting) interpreter,
William Daniel, to enquire why their Chief had not come to meet the
Commissioners, the white chiefs?
To this question they answered, that he had given no reason.
His Honor, through the interpreter, told them that the Queen had
sent him and the other Commissioners to see their Chief and their
nation, and that the least a loyal subject could do would be to
meet the messengers of the Queen.
His Honor then addressed the Crees as follows: "The Commissioners
having agreed that as Lieut.-Governor he should speak to them, as
we are sent here by the Queen, by the Great Mother--the Queen has
chosen me to be one of her Councillors, and has sent me here to
represent her and has made me Governor of all her Territories
in the North-West. She has sent another of her Councillors who
has come all the way from Ottawa. She has also sent with us Mr.
Christie, whom you all know, who has lived for a long time in this
country, but who had gone away from it to live in another part of
the Dominion of Canada. The Queen loves her Red children; she has
always been friends with them; she knows that it is hard for them
to live, and she has always tried to help them in the other parts
of the Dominion. Last year she sent me to see her children at the
Lake of the Woods. I took her children there by the hand, and the
white man and the red man made friends for ever. We have come here
with a message from the Queen and want to tell you all her mind. We
want to speak to you about the land and what the Queen is willing
to do for you, but before we tell you, we want you to tell us, who
your Chiefs and headmen are who will speak for you, while we speak
for the Queen, and we want to know what bands of Crees are here and
who will speak for them. We wish to know if the Crees are ready to
speak with us now?"
RA-KU-SHI-WAY, THE LOUD VOICE,--Said in reply: "I do not wish to
tell a lie. I cannot say who will speak for us; it will only be
known after consultation."
HIS HONOR THE LIEUT.-GOV.--"By to-morrow you will probably have
chosen whom you will have to speak for you and the Commissioners
will be glad to meet you after you have chosen your spokesmen, and
will meet you at ten o'clock. We want you to tell us openly what
you want and we will speak to you for the Queen in the same way.
The Colonel will send a man round to sound a bugle at ten o'clock
to let you know."
To the Saulteaux His Honor said: "We are here with a message from
the Great Mother and want you to open my mouth so that I can tell
you what I have to say. If you and your Chiefs will meet together
in council and talk it over we will be glad to meet you, if you
bring your Chief to-morrow. You must also choose your speakers who
will come with your Chief and speak for you."
LOUD VOICE--"I will tell the message that is given me to tell. I
have one thing to say, the first word that came to them was for the
Saulteaux tribe to choose a place to pitch their tents."
HIS HONOR--"This place was chosen because it is a good place for
my men--for the soldiers--there is plenty of water and grass, and
I will meet you here to-morrow. That is all at present."
After the departure of the main body of Cree Indians, Saulteaux,
from the Cypress Hills, entered the tent saying that they had no
Chief, and did not want to go with the main body of the nation,
that they had plenty of friends on the plains.
His Honor said they would hear the Queen's message with the rest of
the Indians.
SECOND DAY'S CONFERENCE
September 9, 1874.
The Indians, both Crees, Saulteaux and their Chiefs having arrived,
His Honor Lieut.-Governor Morris said: "I am glad to see so many
of the Queen's red children here this morning. I told those I
saw yesterday that I was one of the Queen's councillors, and had
another councillor with me from Ottawa and that the Queen had sent
Mr. Christie who used to live amongst you to help us. Yesterday the
Cree nation with their Chief were here, the Saulteaux did not come
to meet the Queen's servants, their Chief was not here. I thought
that the Saulteaux could not have understood that the Queen had
sent her servants to see them, or they would have come to meet
them. If Loud Voice or any other Chief came down to Fort Garry to
see me, and I sent one of my servants to meet them instead of
shaking hands with them, would they be pleased? I wanted you to
meet me here to-day because I wanted to speak to you before the
Great Spirit and before the world. I want both Crees and Saulteaux
to know what I say. I told those who were here yesterday that we
had a message from the Queen to them. Last year I made a treaty
with the Indians, 4,000 in number, at the Lake of the Woods. To-day
the Queen sends us here. I told you yesterday that she loves her
red children, and they have always respected her and obeyed her
laws. I asked you yesterday, and ask you now, to tell me who would
speak for you, and how many bands of each nation are represented
here. I have heard that you are not ready to speak to me yet but do
not know it, and I want you to say anything you have to say before
all, and I will speak in the same way. What I have to talk about
concerns you, your children and their children, who are yet unborn,
and you must think well over it, as the Queen has thought well over
it. What I want, is for you to take the Queen's hand, through mine,
and shake hands with her for ever, and now I want, before I say any
more, to hear from the Chiefs if they are ready with their men to
speak for them, and if they are not ready if they will be ready
to-morrow."
CAN-A-HAH-CHA-PEW, THE MAN OF THE BOW,--"We are not ready yet, we
have not gathered together yet. That is all I have to say."
PEI-CHE-TO'S SON--O-TA-HA-O-MAN, THE GAMBLER--"My dear friends,
do you want me to speak for you to these great men?" (the Indians
signified their consent). "I heard you were to come here, that was
the reason that all the camps were collected together, I heard
before-hand too where the camp was to be placed, but I tell you
that I am not ready yet. Every day there are other Indians coming
and we are not all together. Where I was told to pitch my tent that
is where I expected to see the great men in the camp. That is all."
HIS HONOR--"With regard to the camp, the Queen sent one of her
chief men of our soldiers with us, and he selected the best place
for the men, the place where we are now, and I think it is a good
place. At first he thought to have encamped across the river, but
he thought this was better ground and chose it. I think it just as
well that our tents should be at a little distance from your braves
and your camp. I want to say to the Indian children of the Queen
that if their people are coming in, that our men have walked a long
way here, and must go back again to Fort Garry, and I have other
things to do. Mr. Laird has to go back again to look after other
things for the Queen at Ottawa. I want to ask the Chiefs when they
will be ready to meet us to-morrow."
PEI-CHE-TO'S SON--"I have said before, we are not ready."
HIS HONOR--"Let them send me word through their Chiefs when they
are ready."
THIRD DAY'S CONFERENCE
September 11, 1874.
The Crees and their Chiefs met the Commissioners. The Saulteaux
Chief was not present, though most of the tribe were present.
An Indian, "the Crow," advised the assembled Crees, the Saulteaux
not having arrived, to listen attentively to what words he said.
His Honor the Lieut.-Governor then arose and said: "I am glad to
meet you here to-day. We have waited long and began to wonder
whether the Queen's red children were not coming to meet her
messengers. All the ground here is the Queen's and you are free to
speak your mind fully. We want you to speak to me face to face. I
am ready now with my friends here to give you the Queen's message.
Are your ears open to hear? Have you chosen your speakers?"
THE LOUD VOICE--"There is no one to answer."
HIS HONOR--"You have had time enough to select your men to answer
and I will give you the Queen's message. The Queen knows that you
are poor; the Queen knows that it is hard to find food for
yourselves and children; she knows that the winters are cold, and
your children are often hungry; she has always cared for her red
children as much as for her white. Out of her generous heart and
liberal hand she wants to do something for you, so that when the
buffalo get scarcer, and they are scarce enough now, you may be
able to do something for yourselves."
THE LOUD VOICE (to the Indians)--"I wonder very much at your
conduct. You understand what is said and you understand what is
right and good. You ought to listen to that and answer it, every
one of you. What is bad you cannot answer."
HIS HONOR--"What the Queen and her Councillors would like is this,
she would like you to learn something of the cunning of the white
man. When fish are scarce and the buffalo are not plentiful she
would like to help you to put something in the land, she would like
that you should have some money every year to buy things that you
need. If any of you would settle down on the land, she would give
you cattle to help you; she would like you to have some seed to
plant. She would like to give you every year, for twenty years,
some powder, shot, and twine to make nets of. I see you here before
me to-day. I will pass away and you will pass away. I will go where
my fathers have gone and you also, but after me and after you will
come our children. The Queen cares for you and for your children,
and she cares for the children that are yet to be born. She would
like to take you by the hand and do as I did for her at the Lake of
the Woods last year. We promised them and we are ready to promise
now to give five dollars to every man, woman and child, as long as
the sun shines and water flows. We are ready to promise to give
$1,000 every year, for twenty years, to buy powder and shot and
twine, by the end of which time I hope you will have your little
farms. If you will settle down we would lay off land for you, a
square mile for every family of five. Whenever you go to a Reserve,
the Queen will be ready to give you a school and schoolmaster, and
the Government will try to prevent fire-water from being sent among
you. If you shake hands with us and make a treaty, we are ready to
make a present at the end of the treaty, of eight dollars for every
man, woman and child in your nations. We are ready also to give
calico, clothing and other presents. We are ready to give every
recognized Chief, a present of twenty-five dollars, a medal, and a
suit of clothing. We are also ready to give the Chief's soldiers,
not exceeding four in each band, a present of ten dollars, and next
year and every year after, each chief will be paid twenty-five
dollars, and his chief soldiers not exceeding four in each band,
will receive ten dollars. Now I think that you see that that the
Queen loves her red children, that she wants to do you good, and
you ought to show that you think so. I cannot believe that you will
be the first Indians, the Queen's subjects, who will not take her
by the hand. The Queen sent one of her councillors from Ottawa, and
me, her Governor, to tell you her mind. I have opened my hands and
heart to you. It is for you to think of the future of those who are
with you now, of those who are coming after you, and may the Great
Spirit guide you to do what is right. I have only one word more to
say. The last time I saw you I was not allowed to say all I wanted
to say until you went away. What I wanted to say is this, I have
put before you our message, I want you to go back to your tents and
think over what I have said and come and meet me to-morrow.
Recollect that we cannot stay very long here. I have said all."
FOURTH DAY'S CONFERENCE
September 12, 1874.
In the morning four Indians, two Crees and two Saulteaux, waited on
the Commissioners and asked that they should meet the Indians half
way, and off the Company's reserve, and that the soldiers should
remove their camps beside the Indian encampment, that they would
meet the Commissioners then and confer with them; that there was
something in the way of their speaking openly where the marquee had
been pitched. Their request was complied with as regarded the place
of meeting only, and the spot for the conference selected by Col.
Smith and the Indians.
The meeting was opened by the Lieut.-Governor, who said, "Crees and
Saulteaux,--I have asked you to meet us here to-day. We have been
asking you for many days to meet us and this is the first time you
have all met us. If it was not my duty and if the Queen did not
wish it, I would not have taken so much trouble to speak to you. We
are sent a long way to give you her message. Yesterday I told the
Crees her message, and I know that the Saulteaux know what it was,
but that there may be no mistake, I will tell it to you again and I
will tell you more. When I have given my message understand that
you will have to answer it, as I and my friends will have to leave
you. You are the subjects of the Queen, you are her children, and
you are only a little band to all her other children. She has
children all over the world, and she does right with them all. She
cares as much for you as she cares for her white children, and the
proof of it is that wherever her name is spoken her people whether
they be red or white, love her name and are ready to die for it,
because she is always just and true. What she promises never
changes. She knows the condition of her people here; you are not
her only red children; where I come from, in Ontario and in Quebec,
she has many red children, and away beyond the mountains she has
other red children, and she wants to care for them all. Last year I
was among the Saulteaux; we have the Saulteaux where I came from.
They were my friends. I was the son of a white Chief who had a high
place among them, they told him they would do his work, they called
him Shekeisheik. I learned from him to love the red man, and it was
a pleasant duty and good to my heart when the Queen told me to come
among her Saulteaux children and I expect the Crees and the
Saulteaux to take my hand as they did last year. In our hands they
feel the Queen's, and if they take them the hands of the white and
red man will never unclasp. In other lands the white and red man
are not such friends as we have always been, and why? Because the
Queen always keeps her word, always protects her red men. She
learned last winter that bad men from the United States had come
into her country and had killed some of her red children, What did
she say? This must not be, I will send my men and will not suffer
these bad men to hurt my red children, their lives are very dear to
me. And now I will tell you our message. The Queen knows that her
red children often find it hard to live. She knows that her red
children, their wives and children, are often hungry, and that the
buffalo will not last for ever and she desires to do something for
them. More than a hundred years ago, the Queen's father said to the
red men living in Quebec and Ontario, I will give you land and
cattle and set apart Reserves for you, and will teach you. What has
been the result? There the red men are happy; instead of getting
fewer in number by sickness they are growing in number; their
children have plenty. The Queen wishes you to enjoy the same
blessings, and so I am here to tell you all the Queen's mind, but
recollect this, the Queen's High Councillor here from Ottawa, and
I, her Governor, are not traders; we do not come here in the spirit
of traders; we come here to tell you openly, without hiding
anything, just what the Queen will do for you, just what she thinks
is good for you, and I want you to look me in the face, eye to eye,
and open your hearts to me as children would to a father, as
children ought to do to a father, and as you ought to the servants
of the great mother of us all. I told my friends yesterday that
things changed here, that we are here to-day and that in a few
years it may be we will not be here, but after us will come our
children. The Queen thinks of the children yet unborn. I know that
there are some red men as well as white men who think only of
to-day and never think of to-morrow. The Queen has to think of what
will come long after to-day. Therefore, the promises we have to
make to you are not for to-day only but for to-morrow, not only for
you but for your children born and unborn, and the promises we make
will be carried out as long as the sun shines above and the water
flows in the ocean. When you are ready to plant seed the Queen's
men will lay off Reserves so as to give a square mile to every
family of five persons, and on commencing to farm the Queen will
give to every family cultivating the soil two hoes, one spade, one
scythe for cutting the grain, one axe and plough, enough of seed
wheat, barley, oats and potatoes to plant the land they get ready.
The Queen wishes her red children to learn the cunning of the white
man and when they are ready for it she will send schoolmasters on
every Reserve and pay them. We have come through the country for
many days and we have seen hills and but little wood and in many
places little water, and it may be a long time before there are
many white men settled upon this land, and you will have the right
of hunting and fishing just as you have now until the land is
actually taken up. (His Honor repeated the offers which had been
given to the Saulteaux on the previous day.) I think I have told
you all that the Queen is willing to do for you. It ought to show
you that she has thought more about you than you have about her. I
will be glad now to have those whom you have selected speak for you
and I again ask you to keep nothing back. This is the first time
you have had white chiefs, officers of the Queen, so high in her
Councils, so trusted by her among you. We have no object but your
good at heart, and therefore we ask you to speak out to us, to open
your minds to us, and believe that we are your true and best
friends, who will never advise you badly, who will never whisper
bad words in your ears, who only care for your good and that of
your children. I have told you the truth, the whole truth, and now
we expect to hear from the two nations and any other tribe who may
be represented here. My friend Mr. Laird reminds me that he has
come from an Island in the far off sea, that he has go back to
Ottawa and then go to his own home, that he was asked specially to
help me in speaking to you and advising me. He is obliged to go
away as I am, and therefore we want you to answer us."
COTE, or MEE-MAY (Saulteaux Chief)--"I cannot say anything to you.
It is that man (pointing to Loud Voice) will speak."
LOUD VOICE (Cree Chief)--"If I could speak, if I could manage to
utter my feelings there is reason why I should answer you back; but
there is something in my way, and that is all I can tell you. This
man (the Gambler) will tell you."
O-TA-KA-O-NAN, OR THE GAMBLER.--"This morning I saw the chief of
the soldiers, who asked me what is in your way that you cannot come
and meet the Queen's messengers; then I told him what was in the
way. And now that I am come in, what do I see? You were rather slow
in giving your hand. You said that the Queen spoke through you and
spoke very plainly, but I cannot speak about what you said at
present; the thing that is in the way that is what I am working
at."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"We have come here for the purpose of knowing
what is in your mind. I held out my hand but you did not do as your
nation did at the Angle. When I arrived there the Chief and his men
came and gave me the pipe of peace and paid me every honor. Why?
Because I was the servant of the queen. I was not slow in offering
my hand, I gave it freely and from my heart, and whenever we found
I could please you by coming here, we sent the chief of the
soldiers to select a suitable place to meet you. You tell me there
is something in your mind. If there is anything standing between
us, how can we take it away or answer you unless we know what it
is?"
THE GAMBLER--"I told the soldier master you did not set your camp
in order, you came and staid beyond over there, that is the reason
I did not run in over there. Now when you have come here, you see
sitting out there a mixture of Half-breeds, Crees, Saulteaux and
Stonies, all are one, and you were slow in taking the hand of a
Half-breed. All these things are many things that are in my way. I
cannot speak about them."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"Why are you here to-day? because we asked you
to come, because it was a good place to speak with them the reason
we wished to see them. I am now quite willing to tell you all about
Fort Pelly. The Queen heard that Americans had come into the
country and were treating her Indian children badly. I myself sent
her word that twenty-five of her Indian children, men, women and
children, had been shot down by the American traders, then she
resolved to protect her red children, for that reason she has
determined to have a body of men on horses as policemen to keep all
bad people, white or red, in order. She will not allow her red
children to be made drunk and shot down again as some of them were
a few months ago. Now you ought to be glad that you have a Queen
who takes such an interest in you. What are they doing now up at
Fort Pelly? The men must have some place to live in this winter,
they cannot live out of doors, and some men have gone to Fort Pelly
to build houses for them, and the Queen expects that you will do
all you can to help them because they are your friends. There was a
treaty before and Indians are paid under it, but we were told as we
passed Fort Ellice that there were a few Indians there who were not
included in that treaty, and had never been paid, and they agreed
to meet us when we go back, I do not quite understand another
point. We have here Crees, Saulteaux, Assiniboines and other
Indians, they are all one, and we have another people, the
Half-breeds, they are of your blood and my blood. The Queen cares
for them, one of them is here an officer with a Queen's coat on his
back. At the Lake of the Woods last winter every Half-Breed who was
there with me was helping me, and I was proud of it, and glad to
take the word back to the Queen, and her servants, and you may rest
easy, you may leave the Half-breeds in the hands of the Queen who
will deal generously and justly with them. There was a Half-breed
came forward to the table. He was only one of many here. I simply
wanted to know whether he was authorized by you to take any part in
the Council, as it is the Indians alone we are here to meet. He
told me you wanted him here as a witness. We have plenty of
witnesses here, but when I heard that, I welcomed him as I had done
you, and shook hands with him, and he ought to have told you that.
I have given our answer and I have always found this that it is
good for men to try to understand each other, and to speak openly,
if they do that and both are earnest, if their hearts are pure,
they will and can understand each other."
THE GAMBLER--"I have understood plainly before what he (the Hudson
Bay Company) told me about the Queen. This country that he (H. B.
Co.) bought from the Indians let him complete that. It is that
which is in the way. I cannot manage to speak upon anything else,
when the land was staked off it was all the Company's work. That is
the reason I cannot speak of other things."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"We don't understand what you mean. Will you
explain?"
THE GAMBLER--"I know what I have to tell you. Who surveyed this
land? Was it done by the Company? This is the reason I speak of the
Company, why are you staying in the Company's house?"
LIEUT.-GOVERNOR MORRIS--"The Company have a right to have certain
lands granted them by the Queen, who will do what is fair and just
for the Company, for the Indians, for the Half-breeds, and for the
whites. She will make no distinction. Whatever she promises she
will carry out. The Company are are nothing to her except that they
are carrying on trade in this country, and that they are subjects
to her just as you are. You ask then why I went to the Company's
house? I came here not at my own pleasure. I am not so strong as
you are. I never slept in a tent in my life before and was only too
glad to find a home to go to."
The Gambler--"I understand now. And now this Company man. This is
the Company man (pointing to Mr. McDonald). This is the thing I
cannot speak of. The Cree does not know, the Saulteaux does not
know. It was never known when this was surveyed, neither by the
Cree nor the Saulteaux."
Lieut.-Gov. Morris--"The Company are trading in this country and
they require to have places to carry out their trade. If the Queen
gives them land to hold under her she has a perfect right to do it,
just as she will have a perfect right to lay off lands for you if
you agree to settle on them. I am sorry for you; I am afraid you
have been listening to bad voices who have not the interests of the
Indians at heart. If because of these things you will not speak to
us we will go away with hearts sorry for you and for your children,
who thus throw back in our faces the hand of the Queen that she has
held out to you."
The Gambler--"It is very plain who speaks; the Crees are not
speaking, and the Saulteaux is speaking, if the Queen's men came
here to survey the land. I am telling you plainly. I cannot speak
any other thing till this is cleared up. Look at these children
that are sitting around here and also at the tents, who are just
the image of my kindness. There are different kinds of grass
growing here that is just like those sitting around here. There is
no difference. Even from the American land they are here, but we
love them all the same, and when the white skin comes here from far
away I love him all the same. I am telling you what our love and
kindness is. This is what I did when the white man came, but when
he came back he paid no regard to me how he carried on."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I did not know till I came here that any
survey had been made because I had nothing to do with it; but my
friend, one of the Queen's Councillors, tells me it was done by the
authority of the Queen."
THE GAMBLER--"I want to tell you the right story. I waited very
much for the Queen's messenger when I saw what the Company did.
Perhaps he may know why he did so. Perhaps if I were to ask him now
he would say. That is what I would think. This is the reason. I am
so pleased at what I see here I cannot manage to speak because of
the Company."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"We cannot see why you cannot speak to the
Queen's messengers because of the Company. The Company is no
greater in her sight than one of those little children is in yours,
and whatever she promises, either to the Company or the little
child, she will do. The Company ought not to be a wall between you
and us; you will make a mistake if you send us away with a wall
between us, when there should be none."
THE GAMBLER--"I do not send you away; for all this I am glad. I
know this is not the Queen's work. He (H. B. Co.) is the head; he
does whatever he thinks all around here, that is the reason I
cannot say anything."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I am very sorry that you cannot answer."
THE GAMBLER--"The Company have stolen our land. I heard that at
first. I hear it is true. The Queen's messengers never came here,
and now I see the soldiers and the settlers and the policemen. I
know it is not the Queen's work, only the Company has come and they
are the head, they are foremost; I do not hold it back. Let this be
put to rights; when this is righted I will answer the other."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"The Company have not brought their soldiers
here. This man is not an officer of the Company. I am not an
officer of the Company. We did not come at the request of the
Company, but at that of the Queen. I told you that the Queen had
sent her policemen here. You see the flag there, then know that we
are the Queen's servants, and not the Company's, and it is for you
to decide on the message I have delivered to you."
THE GAMBLER--"When one Indian takes anything from another we call
it stealing, and when we see the present we say pay us. It is the
Company I mean."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"What did the Company steal from you?"
THE GAMBLER--"The earth, trees, grass, stones, all that which I see
with my eyes."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"Who made the earth, the grass, the stone, and
the wood? The Great Spirit. He made them for all his children to
use, and it is not stealing to use the gift of the Great Spirit.
The lands are the Queen's under the Great Spirit. The Chippewas
were not always here. They come from the East. There were other
Indians here and the Chippewas came here, and they used the wood
and the land, the gifts of the Great Spirit to all, and we want to
try and induce you to believe that we are asking for the good of
all. We do not know how the division between us is to be taken
away. We do not know of any lands that were stolen from you, and if
you do not open your mouths we cannot get the wall taken away. You
can open your mouths if you will; we are patient but we cannot
remain here always."
THE GAMBLER--"I cannot manage to speak of anything else. It is this
I am speaking. All the Indians know how the Company set their land
in order long ago. The Company is making it more and that is the
reason I am speaking."
LIEUT.-GOVERNOR MORRIS--"Many, many years ago, before we were born,
one of the Kings gave the Company certain rights to trade in this
country. The Queen thought that this was not just neither to the
white nor the red man. She considered that all should be equal; but
when the Queen's father's father's hand had been given she could
not take it back without the Company's consent; therefore she told
the Company that the time had come when they should no longer be
the great power in this country, that she would plant her own flag,
that she would send her own Governor and soldiers, and that they
must cease to have the only right to trade here (and I am glad to
know that some of you are good traders), the Queen then told the
Company that she would govern the country herself, and she told
them she would give them some land. They had their forts, their
places of trade where they raised cattle and grain, and she told
them they could keep them, and she will no more break with them
than she will with you. There is no reason why you should not talk
to us. The Company have no more power, no more authority to govern
this country than you have, it rests with the Queen."
THE GAMBLER--"This is the reason I waited for the Queen's
messengers to come here because I knew the Company was strong and
powerful, and I knew they would set every thing in order. Truly
since the Company came here they have brought me many things which
are good, but the Company's work is in my way and I cannot utter my
words."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"What do you complain of? I can not tell."
THE GAMBLER--"The survey. This one (pointing to an Indian) did not
say so, and this Saulteaux and he was never told about it. He
should have been told beforehand that this was to have been done
and it would not have been so, and I want to know why the Company
have done so. This is the reason I am talking so much about it."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I have told you before that the Queen had
promised to give the Company certain lands around the forts and
she gave them land around this fort. I have told you that what she
promised she will do. She has taken all the lands in this country
to manage; they were hers; they were her fathers; if she gives you
reserves they will be yours and she will let no one take them from
you unless you want to sell them yourselves. It will be a sorry
thing if this nation and that nation scattered all over the country
are to suffer because of this little piece of land I see around me.
What good is it going to do to raise up a question of this kind
and block the way to our understanding each other when the Queen's
hand, full of love and generosity is held out to you? The blame
rests with you; it is time for you to talk, to open your mouth,
because I cannot take away what shuts it, you must do it yourselves."
THE GAMBLER--"This is my chief, the Queen never told this man. If
this had been told him, I would not have said what I said just now.
The Company's store was only there at first. I do not push back the
Queen's hand. Let this be cleared up."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"Once for all we tell you, whatever number of
acres the Queen has promised to the Company at this post, they will
receive no more and no less. We will ascertain what was promised,
and will take care to see that what was promised and that only will
be performed with regard to the land around this Fort. We can give
you no other answer."
THE GAMBLER--"I am telling you and reporting what I had to tell.
The Company have no right to this earth, but when they are spoken
to they do not desist, but do it in spite of you. He is the head
and foremost. These Indians you see sitting around report that they
only allowed the store to be put up. That is the reason I was very
glad when I heard you were coming. The Indians were not told of the
reserves at all. I hear now, it was the Queen gave the land. The
Indians thought it was they who gave it to the Company, who are now
all over the country. The Indians did not know when the land was
given."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I am weary hearing about the country. You
might understand me now. You are stronger than that little boy over
there, and the Company is stronger than a single trader, but the
Company has its master, the Queen, and will have to obey the laws
as well as all others. We have nothing to do with the Company. We
are here to talk with you about the land, I tell you what we wish
to do for your good, but if you will talk about the Company I
cannot hinder you, I think it is time now you should talk about
what concerns you all."
THE GAMBLER--"That is the reason I waited so long. I cannot speak
of anything else, my mind is resting on nothing else I know that
you will have power and good rules and this is why I am glad to
tell you what is troubling me."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I have told you before and tell you again that
the Queen cannot and will not undo what she has done. I have told
you that we will see that the Company shall obey what she has
ordered, and get no more and no less than she has promised. We
might talk here all the year and I could not give you any other
answer, and I put it to you now face to face--speak to me about
your message, don't put it aside, if you do the responsibility will
rest upon your nation, and during the winter that is coming, many
a poor woman and child will be saying, how was it that our
councillors and our braves shut their ears to the mouth of the
Queen's messengers and refused to tell them their words. This
Company, I have told you is nothing to us, it is nothing to the
Queen, but their rights have to be respected just as much as those
of the meanest child in the country. The Queen will do right
between you and them I can say no more than what I have said and
if the Indians will not speak to us we cannot help it, and if the
Indians won't answer our message, we must go back and tell the
Queen that we came here and did everything we could to show the
Indians we were in earnest in proving her love for them and that
when there was a little difficulty, I came at once to meet them
half way. What prevents you from coming out and speaking openly. I
cannot take away the difficulty you speak of, and if you will not
answer us, there is no use in talking."
THE GAMBLER--"I told the chief of the soldiers what was in our way,
what was troubling us and now we are telling you. It is that I am
working at."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"What is troubling you?"
PIS-QUA (the plain) pointing to Mr. McDonald, of the Hudson's Bay
Company--"You told me you had sold your land for so much money,
L300,000. We want that money."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I wish our Indian brother had spoken before
what was in his mind. He has been going here and there, and we
never knew what he meant. I told you that many years ago the
Queen's father's father gave the Company the right to trade in the
country from the frozen ocean to the United States boundary line,
and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. The Company grew strong
and wanted no one to trade in the country but themselves. The
Queen's people said, "no, the land is not yours, the Queen's
father's father gave you rights to trade, it is time those rights
should stop." You may go on and trade like any other merchant, but
as it was worth money to you to say to this trader you shall not
buy furs at any post, the Queen would not act unjustly to the
Company. She would not take rights away from them any more than
from you; and to settle the question, she took all the lands into
her own hands and gave the Company a sum of money in place of the
rights which she had taken from them. She is ready to deal with you
justly. We are here to-day to make to you her good offers. We have
nothing to hide, nothing to conceal. The Queen acts in daylight. I
think it is time you are going to talk with us about the offers we
have made."
THE GAMBLER--"I have made up about no other article. I suppose,
indeed, I would make the thing very little and very small. When I
get back I will think over it."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I have a word to say to you. In our land we
worship the Great Spirit, and do not work on Sunday. I am glad to
see that you are going back into council, and I will only ask you
to think of these things with single hearts desiring only to do
what is right and trusting my words. On Monday morning we will be
glad to meet you here and hope we will find then that your heart
has come to ours, that you will see that it is for your children's
good, to take our hands and the promises we have given. As I told
you before we would be glad to stay longer with you, but we are
obliged to go away. We ask you then to meet us on Monday morning
and Mr. Pratt will tell you so that there may be no mistake as to
what we have promised. He has it written down so that it may not be
rubbed out."
The conference then ended.
FIFTH DAY'S CONFERENCE
September 14.
Both nations, Crees and Saulteaux, having assembled, His Honor
Lieut.-Governor Morris again addressed them:--
"Children of our Great Mother, I am glad to see you again after
another day. How have you come to meet us? I hope you have come to
us with good thoughts, and hearts ready to meet ours. I have one or
two words to say to you. It is twenty days to-day since we left the
Red River. We want to turn our faces homewards. You told me on
Saturday that some of you could eat a great deal. I have something
to say to you about that. There are Indians who live here, they
have their wives and children around them. It is good for them to
be here, and have plenty to eat, but they ought to think of their
brothers; they ought to think that there are men here who have come
from a distance, from Fort Pelly and beyond, whose wives and
children are not here to eat, and they want to be at home with
them. It is time now that we began to understand each other, and
when there is something troubles us, I believe in telling it. When
you told us you were troubled about the situation of this tent, we
had it moved. Now we want you to take away our trouble, or tell us
what you mean. We are troubled about this. We are servants of the
Queen; we have been here many days giving you our message, and we
have not yet heard the voice of the nations. We have two nations
here. We have the Crees, who were here first, and we have the
Ojibbeways, who came from our country not many suns ago. We find
them here; we won't say they stole the land and the stones and the
trees; no, but we will say this, that we believe their brothers,
the Crees, said to them when they came in here: "The land is wide,
it is wide, it is big enough for us both; let us live here like
brothers;" and that is what you say, as you told us on Saturday, as
to the Half-breeds that I see around. You say that you are one with
them; now we want all to be one. We know no difference between
Crees and Ojibbeways. Now we want to ask you are you wiser, do you
know more, than the Ojibbeway people that I met last year? You are
a handful compared with them; they came to me from the Lake of the
Woods, from Rainy Lake, from the Kaministiquia, and from the Great
Lake. I told them my message, as I have told you; they heard my
words and they said they were good, and they took my hand and I
gave them mine and the presents; but that is not all. There was a
band of Ojibbeways who lived at Lake Seul, to the north of the Lake
of the Woods, 400 in number, and just before we came away we sent
our messenger to them. He told them I had shaken hands for the
Queen with all the Ojibbeways down to the Great Lake. He told them
what we had done for these, and asked them if they found it good to
take the Queen's hand through our messenger; they were pleased;
they signed the treaty; they put their names to it, saying, We take
what you promised to the other Saulteaux; and our messenger gave
them the money, just as our messengers will give your brothers who
are not here the money if we understand each other. Now, we ask you
again, are you wiser than your brothers that I have seen before? I
do not think that you will say you are, but we want you to take
away our last trouble. What I find strange is this: we are Chiefs;
we have delivered the message of our great Queen, whose words never
change, whose tongue and the tongues of whose messengers are never
forked; and how is it that we have not heard any voice back from
the Crees or Saulteaux, or from their Chiefs? I see before me two
Chiefs; we know them to be Chiefs, because we see you put them
before you to shake hands with us. They must have been made Chiefs,
not for anything we are talking about to-day, not for any presents
we are offering to you, not because of the land; then why are they
chiefs? Because I see they are old men; the winds of many winters
have whistled through their branches. I think they must have
learned wisdom; the words of the old are wise; why then, we ask
ourselves--and this is our trouble--Why are your Chiefs dumb? They
can speak. One of them is called "Loud Voice." He must have been
heard in the councils of the nation. Then I ask myself, why do they
not answer? It cannot be that you are afraid; you are not women. In
this country, now, no man need be afraid. If a white man does wrong
to an Indian, the Queen will punish them. The other day at Fort
Ellice, a white man, it is said, stole some furs from an Indian.
The Queen's policemen took him at once; sent him down to Red River,
and he is lying in jail now; and if the Indians prove that he did
wrong, he will be punished. You see then that if the white man does
wrong to the Indian he will punished; and it will be the same if
the Indian does wrong to the white man. The red and white man must
live together, and be good friends, and the Indians must live
together like brothers with each other and the white man. I am
afraid you are weary of my talking. Why do I talk so much? Because
I have only your good at heart. I do not want to go away with my
head down, to send word to the Queen, "Your red children could not
see that your heart was good towards them; could not see as you see
that it was for the good of themselves and their children's
children to accept the good things you mean for them." I have done.
Let us hear the voice of the people. Let us hear the voice of your
old wise men."
COTE--"The same man that has spoken will speak yet."
KA-KIE-SHE-WAY (Loud Voice)--"This is the one who will speak; after
he speaks I will show what I have to say."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"Understand me, what I want to know is, does he
speak for the nations. If you prefer to speak by the voice of an
orator I am glad. All we want is to hear the voice of the people,
and I asked you at first to choose among yourselves those who would
speak for you; therefore I am glad to hear the man you have chosen,
and I am glad to hear that after he has done the Chief will speak
to us."
THE GAMBLER--"Saturday we met, we spoke to each other, we met at
such a time as this time, and again we said we would tell each
other something; now, then, we will report to each other a little
again. This Company man that we were speaking about, I do not hate
him; as I loved him before I love him still, and I also want that
the way he loved me at first he should love me the same; still, I
wish that the Company would keep at his work the same as he did;
that I want to be signed on the paper. I want you to put it with
your own hands. After he puts that there it is given to the
Indians, then there will be another article to speak about. The
Indians want the Company to keep at their post and nothing beyond.
After that is signed they will talk about something else."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I told you on Saturday that I had nothing to
do with the Company. The Company have a right to trade. I cannot
make them buy goods and bring them here, or stop them from bringing
them. I dare say some of you are traders; you do not ask me whether
you shall buy goods and sell them again, and I do not stop you. It
is the same way with the Company. If they make money in bringing
goods here they will bring them just as they used to do; and I want
you to understand it fully, the Company may have a little more
money than the white traders, or the Half-breeds, or the Indians,
but they have no more right, they have no more privileges, to trade
than the Indians, or the Half-breeds, or the whites; and that is
written with a higher hand than ours, and we have no power to write
anything, or to add anything, to what is written and remains in the
Queen's house beyond the sea."
THE GAMBLER--"I do not want to drive the Company anywhere. What I
said is, that they are to remain here at their house. Supposing you
wanted to take them away, I would not let them go. I want them to
remain here to have nothing but the trade. I do not hate them; we
always exchange with them, and would die if they went away."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I do not know whether we rightly understand or
not. I think you have spoken wise words; the Company helps you to
live, and they have a right to sell goods as other traders. I do
not know that I understand you rightly, that you do not want them
to sell goods anywhere except at the posts; to keep at their posts
there. If that is what you mean, I cannot say yes to that; they
have the same right to sell goods anywhere that you have. They are
no longer as they were once. The Government of the country, I think
I told you that before--understand me distinctly--the Government
have nothing to do with the Company, but the Company and all their
servants are subjects of the Queen and love and obey her laws. The
day has gone past when they made the laws. They have to hear the
laws the Queen makes, and like good subjects submit to them."
THE GAMBLER--"The Company is not to carry anything out into the
country, but are to trade in the Fort. That is what we want signed
on the paper; then we will talk on other subjects." LIEUT.-GOV.
MORRIS--"I have told you before, and I tell you again, that the
Company as traders have the right to sell goods anywhere they
please, just as you have, just as the whites have, just as the
Half-breeds have, and we have no power to take it away from them.
If the Company were to ask me to say to you that you were not to
trade anywhere except in their Fort by the lake, you would think it
very hard, and I would say to the Company, No, you shall not
interfere with the Indians throughout our land. I would like to
give you pleasure but I cannot do wrong; we won't deceive you with
smooth words. We will tell you the simple truth what we can do and
what we cannot do, but we cannot interfere as you ask us."
THE GAMBLER--"Cannot you sign such a paper?"
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"No; the Queen has signed the great paper, and
the Company have no more rights than any one else, but they have
the same."
KA-KIE-SHE-WAY (Loud Voice)--"I would not be at a loss, but I am,
because we are not united--the Crees and the Saulteaux--this is
troubling me. I am trying to bring all together in one mind, and
this is delaying us. If we could put that in order, if we were all
joined together and everything was right I would like it, I would
like to part well satisfied and pleased. I hear that His Excellency
is unwell, and I wish that everything would be easy in his mind. It
is this that annoys me, that things do not come together. I wish
for one day more, and after that there would not be much in my
way."
COTE--"You wanted me to come here and I came here. I find nothing,
and I do not think anything will go right. I know what you want; I
cannot speak of anything here concerning my own land until I go to
my own land. Whenever you desire to see me I will tell you what you
are asking me here. Now I want to return."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"We asked the Chief to come here. He has as much
right to be here as another Indian. We cannot go there and ask the
people of the two great tribes to meet in one place as they have
done when they were asked to meet us. You have had many days to talk
together. If the Saulteaux are determined that they want an agreement
to prevent the Company from trading, it cannot be given. I think the
Chief here spoke wisely. He says he is in trouble because you do not
understand each other. Why are you not of one mind? Have you tried to
be of one mind? Must we go back and say we have had you here so many
days, and that you had not the minds of men--that you were not able
to understand each other? Must we go back and tell the Queen that we
held out our hands for her, and her red children put them back again?
If that be the message that your conduct to-day is going to make us
carry back, I am sorry for you, and fear it will be a long day before
you again see the Queen's Councillors here to try to do you good.
The Queen and her Councillors may think that you do not want to be
friends, that you do not want your little ones to be taught, that you
do not want when the food is getting scarce to have a hand in yours
stronger than yours to help you. Surely you will think again before
you turn your backs on the offers; you will not let so little a
question as this about the Company, without whom you tell me you
could not live, stop the good we mean to do. I hope that I am
perfectly understood; when we asked the chief here we wanted to speak
with him about his lands at his place; when we asked "Loud Voice"
here we wanted to speak with him about the land at his place; so when
we asked the other chiefs here we wanted to speak with them about the
lands at their places. Why? because we did not want to do anything
that you would not all know about, that there might be no bad
feelings amongst you. We wanted you to be of one mind and heart in
this matter, and that is the reason you are here to-day. Now it rests
with you; we have done all we could. Have you anything more to say to
us, or are we to turn our backs upon you, and go away with sorry
hearts for you and your children? It remains for you to say."
THE GAMBLER--"We do not understand you and what you are talking
about. I do not keep it from you; we have not chosen our Chiefs; we
have not appointed our soldiers and councillors; we have not looked
around us yet, and chosen our land, which I understand you to
tell us to choose. We do not want to play with you, but we cannot
appoint our Chiefs and head men quickly; that is in the way. Now it
is near mid-day, and we cannot appoint our Chiefs. This Chief who
got up last--the Queen's name was used when he was appointed to be
Chief--he wants to know where his land is to be and see it, what
like it is to be, and to find the number of his children; that is
what is in his mind. He says he came from afar, he had a good mind
for coming, and he takes the same good mind away with him. I have
not heard him say to the Saulteaux to keep back their land."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I think I understand you. We do not want to
separate in bad feeling, or to avoid any trouble in coming to an
understanding with you; because I do not believe that if we do not
agree it will ever be my good fortune to endeavor to do so again.
"Loud Voice," the Chief, has told us he wants a day to think it
over. The Chief "Cote," from the north, would like to go home, but
I am sure he will stop a day and try to understand his brothers,
and agree as the others did at the Lake of the Woods. I put my
name, and the Chiefs and the head men put theirs, and I gave the
Chief a copy, and I told him when I went home to Red River I would
have it all written out, a true copy made on skin, that could not
be rubbed out, that I would send a copy to his people so that
when we were dead and gone the letter would be there to speak for
itself, to show everything that was promised; and that was the
right way to do. I did so, and sent a copy of the treaty written
in letters of blue, gold, and black to the Chief "Maw-do-pe-nais,"
whom the people had told to keep it for them. He who speaks for the
Saulteaux tells us they have not made up their minds yet about the
land--he tells us they have not decided to refuse our hands. I am
glad to hear him say that, and if it will please my Indian brethren
here we will be glad to wait another day and meet them here
to-morrow morning, if they will promise me with the words of men
that they will look this matter straight in the face; that they
will lay aside every feeling except the good of their people, and
try to see what is right, and that they will come back and say, 'We
have done our best, we have tried to be of one mind, and considered
what was best for now, and to-morrow, and the years that are to
come when we have all passed away. This is our answer. We are very
much in earnest about this matter.' The Chief said I was not very
well, yet I am here. Why? Because the duty was laid upon me I was
afraid of the journey, but when a Chief has a duty to do he tries
to do it, and I felt that if I could do you any good, as I believed
I could, I ought to be here. I tell you this, trust my words, they
come from the heart of one who loves the Indian people, and who is
charged by his Queen to tell them the words of truth."
SIXTH DAY'S CONFERENCE
The Crees having come and shaken hands, His Honor Lieut.-Gov.
Morris rose and said:
"My friends, I have talked much; I would like to hear your voices,
I would like to hear what you say."
KA-KU-ISH-MAY, (Loud Voice--a principal chief of the Crees)--"I am
very much pleased with that, to listen to my friends, for certainly
it is good to report to each other what is for the benefit of each
other. We see the good you wish to show us. If you like what we lay
before you we will like it too. Let us join together and make the
Treaty; when both join together it is very good."
The Saulteaux arrived at this juncture, when the Lieut.-Governor
said:
"I will say to the two tribes what I said to the Crees before the
Saulteaux came. You have heard my voice for many days, you know its
sound. You have looked in my face, you have seen my mind through my
face, and you know my words are true and that they do not change.
But I am not here to talk to-day, I am here to listen. You have had
our message, you have had the Queen's words. It is time now that
you spoke. I am here to listen, my ears are open. It is for you to
speak."
KAMOOSES--"Brothers, I have one word and a small one, that is the
reason I cannot finish anything that is large. You do not see the
whole number of my tribe which is away at my back, that is the
reason I am so slow in making ready."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I want to hear the voice of those who are
here, they can speak for themselves and for those who are away."
CHE-E-KUK (the Worthy One)--"My ears are open to what you say. Just
now the Great Spirit is watching over us; it is good. He who has
strength and power is overlooking our doings. I want very much to
be good in what we are going to talk about, and our Chiefs will
take you by the hand just now."
The Chiefs now rose and shook hands with the Commissioners.
KA-HA-OO-KUS-KA-TOO (he who walks on four claws)--"It is very good
to meet together on a fine day, father. When my father used to
bring me anything I used to go and meet him, and when my father had
given it to me I gave it to my mother to cook it. When we come to
join together one half at least will come."
CHE-E-KUK (the Worthy)--"Now I am going to tell you, and you say
your ears are open. You see the Qu'Appelle Lake Indians that you
wished to see, you hear me speak but there are many far away, and
that is the reason I cannot speak for these my children who are
away trying to get something to eat; the Crees my child is not
here, the Saulteaux my child is not here, the Young Dogs are not
here, the Stonies my children are not here, this is not the number
that you see; I am only telling you this, I think I have opened my
mind."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I know you are not all here. We never could
get you all together, but you know what is good for you and for
your children. When I met the Saulteaux last year we had not 4,000
there, but there were men like you who knew what was good for
themselves, for their wives, for their children, and those not
born. I give to those who were there, and they took my hand and
took what was in it, and I sent to those who were away, and I did
for them just as I did for those who were present. It is the same
to-day. What we are ready to give you will be given to those who
are not here. What is good for you, what you think will be good for
you will be good for them. It is for you to say, not for us; we
have done all that men who love their red brothers can do, it is
for you now to act, on you rests the duty of saying whether you
believe our message or not, whether you want the Queen to help you
or not, whether or not you will go away and let the days and the
years go on, and let the food grow scarcer, and let your children
grow up and do nothing to keep off the hunger and the cold that is
before them. It is for you to say that, not for us; if we had not
your good at heart we would not have been here, and we would not
have labored these many days, if our hearts were not warm towards
you, and if we did not believe what we are doing, would be for your
good as children of our Queen. I have said all."
KAN-OO-SES--"Is it true you are bringing the Queen's kindness? Is
it true you are bringing the Queen's messenger's kindness? Is it
true you are going to give my child what he may use? Is it true you
are going to give the different bands the Queen's kindness? Is it
true that you bring the Queen's hand? Is it true you are bringing
the Queen's power?"
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"Yes, to those who are here and those who are
absent, such as she has given us."
KAMOOSES--"Is it true that my child will not be troubled for what
you are bringing him?"
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"The Queen's power will be around him."
KAMOOSES--"Now, I am going to ask you that the debt that has been
lying in the Company's store, I want that to be wiped out. I ask it
from the great men of the Queen."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I told you before we have nothing to do with
the Company, we have nothing to do with its debts. I have told you
what we will do for you, what the Queen will do for you forever.
But the money that the Indian owes the Company is just like the
money that the Indians owe to each other or to any trader and is
not due to the Queen. We have no power to put money in your hands
and your children's to pay your debts, and it would not be right
for the Queen to come in and take away either what is between you
and the Company, or what is between you and the traders, or what
is between you and each other. If one of you owes the Chief is it
right that the Queen should wipe it out? I would be very glad if we
had it in our power to wipe out your debts, but it is not in our
power. All we can do is to put money in your hands and promise to
put money in the hands of those who are away, and give you money
every year afterwards, and help you to make a living when the food
is scarce. I have told you from the first that whether my words
please you or not I will tell you only the truth, and I will only
speak as far as the Queen has given us power."
(He who walks on four claws)--"Whenever you give to these my
children what they desire, then you will get what you want."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"We will give them what we have power to give.
We are ready to hear."
KAMOOSES--"Yes, I understand and my heart also, but it is not
large, it is small, and my understanding is small; that is the word
I tell you."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I have told you what we are ready to do for
you. Your understanding is large enough to know what is good for
you. We have talked these many days, and I ask you now to talk
straight, to tell me your mind, to tell me whether you wish to take
our offers or not, it is for you to say."
KEE-E-KUK--"Twenty dollars we want to be put in our hand every
year, this we have heard from the others. Twenty-five dollars to
each chief."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"If I understand you aright you are mistaken.
The Saulteaux did not get twenty-five dollars per head. They get
five dollars every year. We promised them five dollars every year,
and a messenger was sent this year to pay them that sum. I may tell
you that my children at the Lake of the Woods had big hearts to
ask. You say you have small. I told them that if the Queen gave
them all they asked I would have to ask her to allow me to become
an Indian, but I told them I could not give them what they asked,
and when they understood that, and understood the full breadth and
width of the Queen's goodness, they took what I offered, and I
think if you are wise you will do the same."
(A proposition was made here by an Indian that they should receive
five dollars per head every second year for fifty years, but he
must have done so without authority as it was not acceded to by the
other Indians who expressed their dissent strongly as soon as the
offer was made.)
KAMOOSES--"I am going to speak for Loud Voice and for the other
chiefs. Some chiefs are not here, they are absent, hereafter you
will see them. I myself will tell them, and my child that is at my
back will tell them also. Will you receive that which I am asking?
I want to clear up what the Indians and I want to try and put it
right, what my child will say. Well, can you give me that. We want
the same Treaty you have given to the North-West Angle. This I am
asking for."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"Who are you speaking for? Is it for the whole
of the Indians? (They expressed their assent.) Are you ready to
carry it out? (They again assented.) Are your chiefs ready to sign
this afternoon if we grant you these terms? (The Indians assented
unanimously.) It is now after twelve, we will speak to you this
afternoon."
The Conference here ended to allow the Commissioners time to
consult.
AFTERNOON CONFERENCE
The Indians having assembled, presented the Chiefs, whose names
appear on the Treaty to the Commissioners as their Chiefs.
KAMOOSES--"To-day we are met together here and our minds are open.
We want to know the terms of the North-West Angle Treaty."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"Do we understand that you want the same terms
which were given at the Lake of the Woods (The Indians assented.) I
have the Treaty here in a book. You must know that the steamboats
had been running through their waters, and our soldiers had been
marching through their country, and for that reason we offered the
Ojibbeways a larger sum than we offered you. Last year it was a
present, covering five years; with you it was a present for this
year only. I paid the Indians there a present in money down of
twelve dollars per head. I have told you why we offered you less,
and you will see there were reasons for it. That is the greatest
difference between what we offered you and what was paid them, but
on the other hand there were some things promised you that were not
given at the Lake of the Woods. (His Honor then explained the terms
granted in that Treaty.) We promised there that the Queen would
spend $1,500 per year to buy shot and powder, ball and twine. There
were 4,000 of them. I offered you $1,000 although you are only
one-half the number, as I do not think you number more than 2,000.
Your proportionate share would be $750 which you shall receive.
Then at the Lake of the Woods each Chief had their head men; we
have said you would have four who shall have fifteen dollars each
per year, and as at the Lake of the Woods each Chief and head man
will receive a suit of clothing once in three years, and each Chief
on signing the treaty will receive a medal and the promise of a
flag. We cannot give you the flag now, as there were none to be
bought at Red River, but we have the medals here. Now I have told
you the terms we gave at the North-West Angle of the Lake of the
Woods, and you will see that the only difference of any consequence
between there and what we offered you is in the money payment that
we give as a present, and I have told you why we made the
difference, and you will see that it was just. We had to speak with
them for four years that had gone away. We speak to you only for
four days. It was not that we came in the spirit of traders, but
because we were trying to do what was just between you and the
Queen, and the other Indians who would say that we had treated you
better than we had treated them because we put the children of this
year on the same footing as these children through whose land we
had been passing and running our steamboats for four years. You see
when you ask us to tell you everything, we show you all that has
been done, and I have to tell you again that the Ojibbeways at Lake
Seul who number 400, when I sent a messenger this spring with a
copy of those terms made at the North-West Angle with their nation,
took the Queen's hand by my messenger and made the same treaty. I
think I have told you all you want to know, and our ears are open
again."
KAMOOSES--"I want to put it a little light for all my children
around me, something more on the top. For my chief thirty dollars,
for my four chief head men twenty dollars, and each of my young
children fifteen dollars a year."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I am afraid you are not talking to us
straight; when we went away you asked us to give you the terms
given at the Lake of the Woods; you asked to know what they were,
and the moment I told you, you ask three times as much for your
children as I gave them. That would not be right; and it is well
that you should know that we have not power to do so; we can give
you no more than we gave them. We hope you are satisfied. I have
one word more to say, we are in the last hours of the day you asked
us for and we must leave you. The utmost we can do, the furthest we
can go or that we ought to go is, to do what you asked, to give you
the terms granted last year at the Lake of the Woods. We can do no
more, and you have our last words. It is for you to say whether you
are satisfied or not."
KAMOOSES--"We ask that we may have cattle."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"We offered you cattle on the first day, we
offered your Chief cattle for the use of his band--not for himself,
but for the use of his band; we gave the same at the Lake of the
Woods. We can give no more here."
KAMOOSES--"We want some food to take us home."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"When you sign the treaty, provisions will be
given to take you home. Now I ask you, are you ready to accept the
offer, the last offer we can make, you will see we have put you on
the same footing as the Indians at the Lake of the Woods, and we
think it is more than we ought to give, but rather than not close
the matter we have given it, we have talked long enough about this.
It is time we did something. Now I would ask, are the Crees and the
Saulteaux and the other Indians ready to make the treaty with us.
Since we went away we have had the treaty written out, and we are
ready to have it signed, and we will leave a copy with any Chief
you may select and after we leave we will have a copy written out
on skin that cannot be rubbed out and put up in a tin box, so that
it cannot be wet, so that you can keep it among yourselves so that
when we are dead our children will know what was written."
KAMOOSES--"Yes, we want each Chief to have a copy of the treaty, we
ask that the Half-breeds may have the right of hunting."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"We will send a copy to each Chief. As to the
Half-breeds, you need not be afraid; the Queen will deal justly,
fairly and generously with all her children."
The Chiefs then signed the treaty, after having been assured that
they would never be made ashamed of what they then did.
One of the Chiefs on being asked to do so signed; the second called
on said he was promised the money when he signed, and returned to
his seat without doing so. The Lieutenant-Governor called him
forward--held out his hand to him and said, take my hand; it holds
the money. If you can trust us forever you can do so for half an
hour; sign the treaty. The Chief took the Governor's hands and
touched the pen, and the others followed. As soon as the treaty was
signed the Governor expressed the satisfaction of the Commissioners
with the Indians, and said that Mr. Christie and Mr. Dickieson, the
Private Secretary of the Minister of the Interior, were ready to
advance the money presents, but the Indians requested that the
payment should be postponed till next morning, which was acceded
to. The Chiefs then formally approached the Commissioners and shook
hands with them, after which the conference adjourned, the
Commissioners leaving the place of meeting under escort of the
command of Lieut.-Col. Smith, who had been in daily attendance.
Report of the interview at Fort Ellice between the Indian
Commissioners and certain Saulteaux Indians not present at
Qu'Appelle, and not included in Treaty Number Two, the Chief being
Way-wa-se-ca-pow, or "the Man proud of standing upright:"
Lieut.-Governor Morris said he had been here before, and since that
time he had met the Crees and Saulteaux nations, and had made a
treaty with them. The Indians there were from Fort Pelly and as far
distant as the Cypress Hills. He wished to know the number of the
Saulteaux to be found in this locality.
The Chief said there were about thirty tents who were not at
Qu'Appelle, and ten who were there.
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"The Commissioners here are representing the
Queen. I made a treaty with the Saulteaux last year at the Lake of
the Woods. They were not a little handful; but there were 4,000 of
them--and now we have made a treaty with the Crees and Saulteaux at
Qu'Appelle. There is not much need to say much--it is good for the
Indians to make treaties with the Queen--good for them and their
wives and children. Game is getting scarce and the Queen is willing
to help her children. Now we are ready to give you what we gave the
Saulteaux at the Lake of the Woods and the Saulteaux and Crees at
Qu'Appelle. It will be for you to say whether you will accept it or
not." His Honor then explained the treaty to them.
"What we offer will be for your good, as it will help you, and not
prevent you from hunting.
"We are not traders. I have told you all we can do and all we will
do. It is for you to say whether you will accept my hand or not. I
cannot wait long. I think you are not wiser than your brothers. Our
ears are open, you can speak to us."
LONG CLAWS--"My father--I shake hands with you, I shake hands with
the Queen."
SHAPONETUNG'S FIRST SON--"I find what was done at Qu'Appelle was
good, does it take in all my children?"
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"Yes."
SHAPONETUNG'S FIRST SON--"I thank you for coming and bringing what
is good for our children."
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I forgot to say that we will be able to give
you a small present, some powder and shot, blankets and calicoes.
Each band must have a Chief and four headmen, but you are not all
here to-day. I want to-day to know the Chief and two headmen.
"Now I want to know will you take my hand and what is in it."
The Indians came up and shook hands in token of acceptance.
LIEUT.-GOV. MORRIS--"I am glad to shake hands with you; the white
man and the red man have shaken hands and are friends. You must be
good subjects to the Queen and obey her laws."
The Indians introduced as their Chief, Way-wa-se-ca-pow; and as
their headmen, Ota-ma-koo-euin and Shaponetung's first son.
His Honor then explained the memorandum to them, when it was
signed.