"I will, in a short time, give you a mes_The Treaties of Canada with the Indians of Manitoba and the North-West Territories Including the Negotiations on Which They Were Based, and Other Information Relating Thereto

Councillors will tell you that the words are true. Before I do so,

there are so many things I want to say to you that I scarcely know

where to begin. I have been nearly four years Governor of Manitoba

and these territories, and from the day I was sworn, I took the

Indian by the hand, and those who took it have never let it go.

"Three years ago I went to the north-west angle of Lake of the

Woods, and there I met the Chippewa nation, I gave them a message

and they talked with me and when they understood they took my hand.

Some were away, next year I sent messengers to them and I made a

treaty between the Queen and them; there are numbered of those

altogether four thousand. I then went to Lake Qu'Appelle the year

after, and met the Crees and Chippewas there, gave them my message,

and they took my hand. Last summer I went to Lake Winnipeg and gave

the Queen's message to the Swampy Crees and they and I, acting for

the Queen, came together heart to heart; and now that the Indians

of the east understand the Queen and her Councillors, I come to

you. And why is all this done? I will tell you; it is because you

are the subjects of the Queen as I am. She cares as much for one of

you as she does for one of her white subjects. The other day a

party of Iroquois Indians were taken to England across the ocean;

the Queen heard of it and sent to them, saying, 'I want to see my

red children,' took their hands and gave each of them her picture,

and sent them away happy with her goodness.

"Before I came here I was one of the Queen's Councillors at Ottawa.

We have many Indians there as here, but for many years there has

been friendship between the British, and the Indians. We respect

the Indians as brothers and as men. Let me give you a proof it.

Years ago there was war between the British and the Americans;

there was a great battle; there were two brave Chief warriors on

the British side, one wore the red coat, the other dressed as you

do, but they fought side by side as brothers; the one was Brock and

the other was Tecumseth whose memory will never die; the blood of

both watered the ground; the bones of Tecumseth were hid by his

friends; the remains of Brock by his, and now a great pile of stone

stands up toward heaven in his memory. And now the white man is

searching for the remains of Tecumseth, and when found they will

build another monument in honour of the Indian.

"I hope the days of fighting are over, but notwithstanding the

whites are as much your friends in these days of peace, as in war.

"The many Indians in the place that I have left are happy,

prosperous, contented and growing in numbers. A meeting of the

Grand Council of the Six Nation Indians was held a month ago; they

now number six thousand souls. They met to thank the Queen and to

say that they were content, and why are they content? Because many

years ago the Queen's Councillors saw that the Indians that would

come after, must be cared for, they saw that the means of living

were passing away from the Indians, they knew that women and

children were sometimes without food; they sent men to speak to the

Indians, they said your children must be educated, they must be

taught to raise food for themselves. The Indians heard them, the

Councillors gave them seed, land, food, taught their children and

let them feel that they were of one blood with the whites. Now,

what we have found to work so well where I came from we want to

have here in our territories, and I am happy to say that my heart

is gladdened by the way the Indians have met me.

"We are not here as traders, I do not come as to buy or sell horses

or goods, I come to you, children of the Queen, to try to help you;

when I say yes, I mean it, and when I say no, I mean it too.

"I want you to think of my words, I want to tell you that what we

talk about is very important. What I trust and hope we will do is

not for to-day or to-morrow only; what I will promise, and what I

believe and hope you will take, is to last as long as that sun

shines and yonder river flows.

"You have to think of those who will come after you, and it will be

a remembrance for me as long as I live, if I can go away feeling

that I have done well for you. I believe we can understand each

other, if not it will be the first occasion on which the Indians

have not done so. If you are as anxious for your own welfare as I

am, I am certain of what will happen.

"The day is passing. I thank you for the respectful reception you

have given me. I will do here as I have done on former occasions. I

hope you will speak your minds as fully and as plainly as if I was

one of yourselves.

"I wish you to think of what I have said. I wish you to present

your Chiefs to me to-day if you are ready, if not then we will wait

until to-morrow."

Here the Indians requested an adjournment until next day in order

that they might meet in council; this was granted, and the first

day's proceedings terminated.

Late in the evening the escort of Mounted Police was reinforced by

a detachment, accompanied by their band, under command of Col.

Jarvis, making a force of nearly one hundred men and officers.

SECOND DAY

August 19th.

The Lieutenant-Governor and Commissioners, with the Mounted Police

escort, headed by their band, proceeded to the camp to meet the

Indians at 10:30 a.m. The Indians having assembled in regular order

with their two leading Chiefs, Mis-tah-wah-sis and Ah-tuck-ah-coop

seated in front, the Governor said:

"My friends, we have another bright day before us, and I trust that

when it closes our faces will continue as bright as the day before

us. I spoke yesterday as a friend to friends, as a brother to

brothers, as a father to his children. I did not want to hurry you,

I wanted you to think of my words, and now I will be glad if you

will do as I asked you then, present your Chiefs to me, and I shall

be glad to hear the words of the Indians through the voice of their

Chiefs, or whoever they may appoint."

The head men then brought forward Mis-tah-wah-sis, of the Carlton

Indians, representing seventy-six lodges. Ah-tuck-ah-coop, of the Wood

Indians, representing about seventy lodges. These were acknowledged as

the leading Chiefs, after them came James Smith, of the Fort-a-la-Corne

Indians, fifty lodges. John Smith, of the Prince Albert and South

Branch Indians, fifty lodges. The Chip-ee-wayan, of the Plain Indians,

sixty lodges. Yah-yah-tah-kus-kin-un, of the Fishing or Sturgeon lake

Indians, twenty lodges. Pee-yahan-kah-mihk-oo-sit, thirty lodges.

Wah-wee-kah-nich-kah-oh-tah-mah-hote, of the River Indians, fifty

lodges.

Here a messenger came from the Indians under Chief Beardy, camped

at Duck Lake, eight miles from the main camp. He shook hands with

the Governor and said, "I am at a loss at this time what to say,

for the Indians' mind cannot be all the same, that is why I came

to tell the Governor the right of it; with a good heart I plead at

this time, it is not my own work, I would like to know his mind

just now and hear the terms of the treaty."

The Governor said in reply: "If your Chief and his people had been

in their places here, they would have heard with the rest what I

had to say. You refused to meet me here, yet you sent and asked me

to give you provisions, but I refused to do so unless you joined

the others; and now I will not tell my message to this messenger

until I tell all the rest; he can hear with the rest and take back

my words to his chief." The messenger expressed himself satisfied,

and took his seat with the others.

On the Indians expressing themselves ready to hear the message, the

Governor said:

"First I wish to talk to you about what I regard as something

affecting the lives of yourselves and the lives of your children.

Often when I thought of the future of the Indian my heart was sad

within me. I saw that the large game was getting scarcer and

scarcer, and I feared that the Indians would melt away like snow in

spring before the sun. It was my duty as Governor to think of them,

and I wondered if the Indians of the plains and lakes could not do

as their brothers where I came from did. And now, when I think of

it, I see a bright sky before me. I have been nearly four years

working among my Indian brothers, and I am glad indeed to find that

many of them are seeking to have homes of their own, having gardens

and sending their children to school.

"Last spring I went to see some of the Chippewas, this year I went

again and I was glad to see houses built, gardens planted and wood

cut for more houses. Understand me, I do not want to interfere with

your hunting and fishing. I want you to pursue it through the

country, as you have heretofore done; but I would like your

children to be able to find food for themselves and their children

that come after them. Sometimes when you go to hunt you can leave

your wives and children at home to take care of your gardens.

"I am glad to know that some of you have already begun to build and

to plant; and I would like on behalf of the Queen to give each band

that desires it a home of their own; I want to act in this matter

while it is time. The country is wide and you are scattered, other

people will come in. Now unless the places where you would like to

live are secured soon there might be difficulty. The white man

might come and settle on the very place where you would like to be.

Now what I and my brother Commissioners would like to do is this:

we wish to give each band who will accept of it a place where they

may live; we wish to give you as much or more land than you need;

we wish to send a man that surveys the land to mark it off, so you

will know it is your own, and no one will interfere with you. What

I would propose to do is what we have done in other places. For

every family of five a reserve to themselves of one square mile.

Then, as you may not all have made up your minds where you would

like to live, I will tell you how that will be arranged: we would

do as has been done with happiest results at the North-West Angle.

We would send next year a surveyor to agree with you as to the

place you would like.

"There is one thing I would say about the reserves. The land I name

is much more than you will ever be able to farm, and it may be that

you would like to do as your brothers where I came from did.

"They, when they found they had too much land, asked the Queen to

it sell for them; they kept as much as they could want, and the

price for which the remainder was sold was put away to increase for

them, and many bands now have a yearly income from the land.

"But understand me, once the reserve is set aside, it could not be

sold unless with the consent of the Queen and the Indians; as long

as the Indians wish, it will stand there for their good; no one can

take their homes.

"Of course, if when a reserve is chosen, a white man had already

settled there, his rights must be respected. The rights and

interests of the whites and half-breeds are as dear to the Queen as

those of the Indians. She deals justly by all, and I am sure my

Indian brothers would like to deal with others as they would have

others to deal with them. I think you can now understand the

question of homes.

"When the Indians settle on a reserve and have a sufficient number

of children to be taught, the Queen would maintain a school.

Another thing, that affects you all, some of you have temptations

as the white men have, and therefore the fire-water which does so

much harm will not be allowed to be sold or used in the reserve.

Then before I leave the question of reserves I will tell you how we

will help you to make your homes there. We would give to every

family actually cultivating the soil the following articles, viz.,

two hoes, one spade, one scythe, one axe, and then to help in

breaking the land, one plough and two harrows for every ten

families; and to help you to put up houses we give to each Chief

for his band, one chest of carpenter's tools, one cross-cut saw,

five hand saws, one pit saw and files, five augers and one

grindstone. Then if a band settles on its reserves the people will

require something to aid them in breaking the soil. They could not

draw the ploughs themselves, therefore we will give to each Chief

for the use of his band one or two yokes of oxen according to the

number in the band. In order to encourage the keeping of cattle we

would give each band a bull and four cows; having all these things

we would give each band enough potatoes, oats, barley and wheat for

seed to plant the land actually broken. This would be done once for

all to encourage them to grow for themselves.

"Chiefs ought to be respected, they ought to be looked up to by

their people; they ought to have good Councillors; the Chiefs and

Councillors should consult for the good of the people; the Queen

expects Indians and whites to obey her laws; she expects them to

live at peace with other Indians and with the white men; the Chiefs

and Councillors should teach their people so, and once the Queen

approves a Chief or Councillor he cannot be removed unless he

behaves badly.

"The Chiefs and head men are not to be lightly put aside. When a

treaty is made they become servants of the Queen; they are to try

and keep order amongst their people. We will try to keep order in

the whole country.

"A Chief has his braves; you see here the braves of our Queen, and

why are they here? To see that no white man does wrong to the

Indian. To see that none give liquor to the Indian. To see that the

Indians do no harm to each other. Three years ago some Americans

killed some Indians; when the Queen's Councillors heard of it they

said, we will send men there to protect the Indians, the Queen's

subjects shall not be shot down by the Americans; now you

understand why the police force is in this country, and you should

rejoice.

"I have said a Chief was to be respected; I wear a uniform because

I am an officer of the Queen, the officers of the police wear

uniforms as servants of the Queen. So we give to Chiefs and

Councillors good and suitable uniform indicating their office, to

wear on these and other great days.

"We recognize four head men to each large band and two to each

small one.

"I have always been much pleased when Indians came to me and showed

me medals given to their grandfathers and transmitted to them; now

we have with us silver medals that no Chief need be ashamed to

wear, and I have no doubt that when the Chiefs are gone, they will

be passed on to their children. In addition each Chief will be

given a flag to put over his lodge to show that he is a Chief.

"I told you yesterday that I and my brother Commissioners were not

here as traders.

"There is one thing I ought to have mentioned in addition to what I

have already named, that is, if a treaty is made here and at Fort

Pitt, we will give every year to the Indians included in it, one

thousand five hundred dollars' worth of ammunition and twine.

"You think only for yourselves, we have to think of the Indians all

over the country, we cannot treat one better than another, it would

not be just, we will therefore do this, and what I tell you now is

the last.

"When the treaty is closed, if it be closed, we will make a present

to every man, woman and child, of twelve dollars, the money being

paid to the head of a family for his wife, and children not

married.

"To each Chief, instead of twelve, we give twenty-five dollars, and

to each head man fifteen dollars, their wives and children getting

the same as the others. I told you also that what I was promising

was not for to-day or to-morrow only, but should continue as long

as the sun shone and the river flowed. My words will pass away and

so will yours, so I always write down what I promise, that our

children may know what we said and did. Next year I shall send

copies of what is written in the treaty, printed on skin, so that

it cannot rub out nor be destroyed, and one shall be given to each

Chief so that there may be no mistakes.

"Then I promise to do as we have done with all before from Cypress

Hills to Lake Superior, the Queen will agree to pay yearly five

dollars per head for every man, woman and child. I cannot treat you

better than the others, but I am ready to treat you as well.

"A little thing I had forgotten, and I have done. The Chiefs' and

head men's coats will wear out, they are meant to be worn when it

is necessary to show that they are officers of the Queen, and every

third year they will be replaced by new ones.

"And now, Indians of the plains, I thank you for the open ear you

have given me; I hold out my hand to you full of the Queen's bounty

and I hope you will not put it back. We hate no object but to

discharge our duty to the Queen and towards you. Now that my hand

is stretched out to you, it is for you to say whether you will take

it and do as I think you ought--act for the good of your people.

"What I have said has been in the face of the people. These things

will hold good next year for those that are now away. I have done.

What do you say?"

MIS-TAH-WAH-SIS here came forward, shook hands with the Governor,

and said:--"We have heard all he has told us, but I want to tell

him how it is with us as well; when a thing is thought of quietly,

probably that is the best way. I ask this much from him this day

that we go and think of his words."

The Governor and Commissioners agreed to the request and asked the

Indians to meet them Monday morning at ten o'clock with as little

delay as possible.

Before parting, the Governor said to the Indians, "This is a great

day for us all. I have proposed on behalf of the Queen what I

believe to be for your good, and not for yours only, but for that

of your children's children, and when you go away think of my

words. Try to understand what my heart is towards you. I will trust

that we may come together hand to hand and heart to heart again. I

trust that God will bless this bright day for our good, and give

your Chiefs and Councillors wisdom so that you will accept the

words of your Governor. I have said."

Sunday, August 20th.

Divine service, which was largely attended, was held in the square

of Fort Carlton, by the Rev. John McKay, at half-past ten a.m.

At noon a message came from the encampment of Indians requesting

the Rev. Mr. McKay to hold service with them, which he did in the

afternoon, preaching in their own tongue to a congregation of over

two hundred adult Crees.

Monday, August 21st.

The principal Chief sent a message that as the Indians had held no

Council on Sunday, they wished to have Monday to themselves and

would if ready meet the Commissioners on Tuesday morning.

THIRD DAY

August 22nd.

The Governor and Commissioners having proceeded as usual to the camp,

the Indians soon assembled in order, when the Lieutenant-Governor said:

"Indian children of the Queen, it is now a week to-day since I came

here on the day I said I would; I have to go still further after I

leave here, and then a long journey home to Red River.

"I have not hurried you, you have had two days to think; I have

spoken much to you and now I wish to hear you, my ears are open and

I wish to hear the voices of your principal Chiefs or of those

chosen to speak for them. Now I am waiting."

OO-PEE-TOO-KERAH-HAN-AP-EE-WEE-YIN (the Pond-maker) came forward

and said:--"We have heard your words that you had to say to us as

the representative of the Queen. We were glad to hear what you had

to say and have gathered together in council and thought the words

over amongst us, we were glad to hear you tell us how we might live

by our own work. When I commence to settle on the lands to make a

living for myself and my children, I beg of you to assist me in

every way possible--when I am at a loss how to proceed I want the

advice and assistance of the Government; the children yet unborn,

I wish you to treat them in like manner as they advance in

civilization like the white man. This is all I have been told to

say now, if I have not said anything in a right manner I wish to be

excused; this is the voice of the people."

GOVERNOR:--"I have heard the voice of the people; I am glad to

learn that they are looking forward to having their children

civilized, that is the great object of the Government, as is proved

by what I have offered. Those that come after us in the Government

will think of your children as we think of you. The Queen's

Councillors intend to send a man to look after the Indians, to be

chief superintendent of Indian affairs, and under him there will be

two or three others to live in the country, that the Queen's

Councillors may know how the Indians are prospering.

"I cannot promise however, that the Government will feed and support

all the Indians; you are many, and if we were to try to do it, it

would take a great deal of money, and some of you would never do

anything for yourselves. What I have offered does not take away

your living, you will have it then as you have now, and what I

offer now is put on top of it. This I can tell you, the Queen's

Government will always take a deep interest in your living."

THE BADGER--"We want to think of our children; we do not want to be

too greedy; when we commence to settle down on the reserves that we

select, it is there we want your aid, when we cannot help ourselves

and in case of troubles seen and unforeseen in the future."

Sak-ah-moos and several other Indians in order repeated what The

Badger had said.

GOVERNOR--"I have told you that the money I have offered you would

be paid to you and to your children's children. I know that the

sympathy of the Queen, and her assistance, would be given you in

any unforeseen circumstances. You must trust to her generosity.

Last winter when some of the Indians wanted food because the crops

had been destroyed by grasshoppers, although it was not promised

in the treaty, nevertheless the Government sent money to buy them

food, and in the spring when many of them were sick a man was sent

to try and help them. We cannot foresee these things, and all I

can promise is that you will be treated kindly, and in that

extraordinary circumstances you must trust to the generosity of the

Queen. My brother Commissioner, Mr. McKay, will speak to you in

your own language."

MR. McKAY--"My friends, I wish to make you a clear explanation of

some things that it appears you do not understand. It has been said

to you by your Governor that we did not come here to barter or

trade with you for the land. You have made demands on the Governor,

and from the way you have put them a white man would understand

that you asked for daily provisions, also supplies for your hunt

and for your pleasure excursions. Now my reasons for explaining to

you are based on my past experience of treaties, for no sooner will

the Governor and Commissioners turn their backs on you than some of

you will say this thing and that thing was promised and the promise

not fulfilled; that you cannot rely on the Queen's representative,

that even he will not tell the truth, whilst among yourselves are

the falsifiers. Now before we rise from here it must be understood,

and it must be in writing, all that you are promised by the

Governor and Commissioners, and I hope you will not leave until you

have thoroughly understood the meaning of every word that comes

from us. We have not come here to deceive you, we have not come

here to rob you, we have not come here to take away anything that

belongs to you, and we are not here to make peace as we would to

hostile Indians, because you are the children of the Great Queen as

we are, and there has never been anything but peace between us.

What you have not understood clearly we will do our utmost to make

perfectly plain to you."

GOVERNOR--"I have another word to say to the Indians on this

matter: last year an unforeseen calamity came upon the people of

Red River, the grasshoppers came and ate all their crops. There is

no treaty between the people of Red River and the Queen except that

they are her subjects. There was no promise to help them, but I

sent down and said that unless help came some of the people would

die from want of food, and that they had nothing wherewith to

plant. The Queen's Councillors at once gave money to feed the

people, and seed that they might plant the ground; but that was

something out of and beyond every-day life, and therefore I say

that some great sickness or famine stands as a special case. You

may rest assured that when you go to your reserves you will be

followed by the watchful eye and sympathetic hand of the Queen's

Councillors."

THE BADGER--"I do not want you to feed me every day; you must not

understand that from what I have said. When we commence to settle

down on the ground to make there our own living, it is then we want

your help, and that is the only way that I can see how the poor can

get along."

GOVERNOR--"You will remember the promises which I have already

made; I said you would get seed; you need not concern yourselves so

much about what your grand-children are going to eat; your children

will be taught, and then they will be as well able to take care of

themselves as the whites around them."

MIS-TAH-WAH-SIS (one of the leading Chiefs)--"It is well known that

if we had plenty to live on from our gardens we would not still

insist on getting more provision, but it is in case of any

extremity, and from the ignorance of the Indian in commencing to

settle that we thus speak; we are as yet in the dark; this is not a

trivial matter for us.

"We were glad to hear what the Governor was saying to us and we

understood it, but we are not understood, we do not mean to ask for

food for every day but only when we commence and in case of famine

or calamity. What we speak of and do now will last as long as the

sun shines and the river runs, we are looking forward to our

children's children, for we are old and have but few days to live."

AH-TAHK-AH-COOP (the other leading Chief)--"The things we have been

talking about in our councils I believe are for our good. I think

of the good Councillors of the Queen and of her Commissioners; I

was told the Governor was a good man, and now that I see him I

believe he is; in coming to see us, and what he has spoken, he has

removed almost all obstacles and misunderstandings, and I hope he

may remove them all. I have heard the good things you promise us,

you have told us of the white man's way of living and mentioned

some of the animals by which he gets his living, others you did

not. We want food in the spring when we commence to farm; according

as the Indian settles down on his reserves, and in proportion as he

advances, his wants will increase."

The Indians here asked for the afternoon to hold further council.

To this the Governor said, "I grant the request of the Indians but

I give them a word of warning, do not listen to every voice in your

camp, listen to your wise men who know something of life, and do

not come asking what is unreasonable, it pains me to have to say

no, and I tell you again I cannot treat you with more favor than

the other Indians. To-morrow, when we meet, speak out your minds

openly, and I will answer, holding nothing back. Be ready to meet

me to-morrow, as soon as my flag is raised, for remember I have

a long journey before me and we ought to come to a speedy

understanding. I trust the God who made you will give you wisdom

in considering what you have to deal with."

FOURTH DAY

August 23rd.

Shortly after the business had commenced, proceedings were

interrupted by the loud talking of a Chippewa, who was addressing

the Indians gathered in front of the tent. The Governor said,

"There was an Indian, a Chippewa, stood and spoke to you, he did

not speak to his Governor as he should have done: I am willing to

hear what any band has to say, but they must speak to me. I have

been talking to the Crees for several days. I wish to go on with

the work; if the Chippewas want to talk with me I will hear them

afterwards. They are a little handful of strangers from the east, I

have treated with their whole nation, they are not wiser than their

people.

"There are many reasons why business should go on; I hear that the

buffalo are near you and you want to be off to your hunt; there are

many mouths here to feed and provisions are getting low; now my

friends I am ready to hear you."

TEE-TEE-QUAY-SAY--"Listen to me, my friends, all you who are

sitting around here, and you will soon hear what the interpreter

has to say for us."

The interpreter then read a list of the things the Indians had

agreed in council to ask, viz.:--One ox and cow for each family.

Four hoes, two spades, two scythes and a whetstone for each family.

Two axes, two hay forks, two reaping hooks, one plough and one

harrow for every three families. To each Chief one chest of tools

as proposed. Seed of every kind in full to every one actually

cultivating the soil. To make some provision for the poor,

unfortunate, blind and lame. To supply us with a minister and

school teacher of whatever denomination we belong to. To prevent

fire-water being sold in the whole Saskatchewan.

As the tribe advances in civilization, all agricultural implements

to be supplied in proportion.

When timber becomes scarcer on the reserves we select for

ourselves, we want to be free lo take it anywhere on the common. If

our choice of a reserve does not please us before it is surveyed we

want to be allowed to select another. We want to be at liberty to

hunt on any place as usual. If it should happen that a Government

bridge or scow is built on the Saskatchewan at any place, we want

passage free. One boar, two sows, one horse, harness and waggon for

each Chief. One cooking stove for each Chief. That we be supplied

with medicines free of cost. That a hand-mill be given to each

band. Lastly in case of war occurring in the country, we do not

want to be liable to serve in it.

TEE-TEE-QUAY-SAY then continued--"When we look back to the past we

do not see where the Cree nation has ever watered the ground with

the white man's blood, he has always been our friend and we his;

trusting to the Giver of all good, to the generosity of the Queen,

and to the Governor and his councillors, we hope you will grant us

this request."

WAH-WEE-KAH-NIHK-KAH-OO-TAH-MAH-HOTE (the man you strike in the

back)--"Pity the voice of the Indian, if you grant what we request

the sound will echo through the land; open the way; I speak for the

children that they may be glad; the land is wide, there is plenty

of room. My mouth is full of milk, I am only as a sucking child; I

am glad; have compassion on the manner in which I was brought up;

let our children be clothed; let us now stand in the light of day

to see our way on this earth; long ago it was good when we first

were made, I wish the same were back again. But now the law has

come, and in that I wish to walk. What God has said, and our mother

here (the earth), and these our brethren, let it be so."

To this the Governor replied--"Indians, I made you my offer. You

have asked me now for many things, some of which were already

promised. You are like other Indians I have met, you can ask very

well. You are right in asking, because you are saying what is in

your minds. I have had taken down a list of what you have asked,

and I will now consult with my brother Commissioners and give you

my answer in a little while."

After consultation, the Governor again had the Indians assembled,

and said--"I am ready now to answer you, but understand well, it is

not to be talked backwards and forwards. I am not going to act like

a man bargaining for a horse for you. I have considered well what

you have asked for, and my answer will be a final one. I cannot

grant everything you ask, but as far as I can go I will, and when

done I can only say you will be acting to your own interests if you

take my hand.

"I will speak of what you asked yesterday and to-day. I told you

yesterday that if any great sickness or general famine overtook

you, that on the Queen being informed of it by her Indian agent,

she in her goodness would give such help as she thought the Indians

needed. You asked for help when you settled on your reserves during

the time you were planting. You asked very broadly at first. I

think the request you make now is reasonable to a certain extent;

but help should be given after you settle on the reserve for three

years only, for after that time you should have food of your own

raising, besides all the things that are given to you; this

assistance would only be given to those actually cultivating the

soil. Therefore, I would agree to give every spring, for three

years, the sum of one thousand dollars to assist you in buying

provisions while planting the ground. I do this because you seem

anxious to make a living for yourselves, it is more than has been

done anywhere else; I must do it on my own responsibility, and

trust to the other Queen's councillors to ratify it.

"I will now answer what you had written down and asked to-day. I

expect you to be reasonable, none of us get all our own way. You

asked first for four hoes, two spades, two scythes and whetstone,

two axes, two hay forks and two reaping hooks for every family. I

am willing to give them to every family actually cultivating the

soil, for if given to all it would only encourage idleness. You ask

a plough and harrow for every three families; I am willing to give

them on the same conditions. The carpenters' tools, as well as the

seed grain, were already promised. I cannot undertake the

responsibility of promising provision for the poor, blind and lame.

In all parts of the Queen's dominions we have them; the poor whites

have as much reason to be helped as the poor Indian; they must be

left to the charity and kind hearts of the people. If you are

prosperous yourselves you can help your unfortunate brothers.

"You ask for school teachers and ministers. With regard to

ministers I cannot interfere. There are large societies formed for

the purpose of sending the gospel to the Indians. The Government

does not provide ministers anywhere in Canada. I had already

promised you that when you settled down, and there were enough

children, schools would be maintained. You see missionaries here on

the ground, both Roman Catholic and Protestant; they have been in

the country for many years. As it has been in the past, so it will

be again, you will not be forgotten.

"The police force is here to prevent the selling or giving of

liquor to the Indians. The Queen has made a strong law against the

fire-water; and the councillors of the country have made a law

against the use of poison for animals.

"You can have no difficulty in choosing your reserves; be sure to

take a good place so that there will be no need to change; you

would not be held to your choice until it was surveyed.

"You want to be at liberty to hunt as before. I told you we did not

want to take that means of living from you, you have it the same as

before, only this, if a man, whether Indian or Half-breed, had a

good field of grain, you would not destroy it with your hunt. In

regard to bridges and scows on which you want passage free, I do

not think it likely that the Government will build any, they prefer

to leave it to private enterprise to provide these things.

"In case of war you ask not to be compelled to fight. I trust there

will be no war, but if it should occur I think the Queen would

leave you to yourselves. I am sure she would not ask her Indian

children to fight for her unless they wished, but if she did call

for them and their wives and children were in danger they are not

the men I think them to be, if they did not come forward to their

protection.

"A medicine chest will be kept at the house of each Indian agent,

in case of sickness amongst you. I now come to two requests

which I shall have to change a little, you have to think only of

yourselves, we have to think of all the Indians and of the way in

which we can procure the money to purchase all these things the

Indians require. The Queen's Councillors will have to pay every

year to help the Indians a very large sum of money.

"I offered you to each band, according to size, two or four oxen,

also one bull and four cows, and now you ask for an ox and a cow

for each family. I suppose in this treaty there will be six hundred

families, so it would take very much money to grant these things,

and then all the other Indians would want them, so we cannot do

it: but that you may see it that we are anxious to have you raise

animals of your own we will give you for each band four oxen, one

bull, six cows, one boar and two pigs. After a band has settled on

a reserve and commenced to raise grain, we will give them a

hand-mill.

"At first we heard of only two Chiefs, now they are becoming many.

You ask a cooking-stove for each, this we cannot give; he must find

a way of cooking for himself. And now, although I fear I am going

too far, I will grant the request that each Chief be furnished with

a horse, harness, and waggon.

"I have answered your requests very fully, and that there may be no

mistake as to what we agree upon, it will be written down, and I

will leave a copy with the two principal Chiefs, and as soon as it

can be properly printed I will send copies to the Chiefs so that

they may know what is written, and there can be no mistake.

"It now rests with you, my friends, and I ask you without any

hesitation to take what I have offered you."

AH-TUCK-AH-COOP--"I never sent a letter to the Governor; I was

waiting to meet him, and what we have asked we considered would be

for the benefit of our children. I am not like some of my friends

who have sent their messages down, even stretched out their hands

to the Queen asking her to come; I have always said to my people

that I would wait to see the Governor arrive, then he would ask

what would benefit his children; now I ask my people, those that

are in favour of the offer, to say so."

They all assented by holding up their hands and shouting.

OO-PEE-TOO-KORAH-HAIR-AP-EE-WEE-YIN (The Pond-maker)--"I do not

differ from my people, but I want more explanation. I heard what

you said yesterday, and I thought that when the law was established

in this country it would be for our good. From what I can hear and

see now, I cannot understand that I shall be able to clothe my

children and feed them as long as sun shines and water runs. With

regard to the different Chiefs who are to occupy the reserves, I

expected they would receive sufficient for their support, this is

why I speak. In the presence of God and the Queen's representative

I say this, because I do not know how to build a house for myself,

you see how naked I am, and if I tried to do it my naked body would

suffer; again, I do not know how to cultivate the ground for

myself, at the same time I quite understand what you have offered

to assist us in this."

JOSEPH THOMA proposed to speak for The Red Pheasant, Chief of

Battle River Indians--"This is not my own desire that I speak now,

it is very hard we cannot all be of one mind. You know some were

not present when the list of articles mentioned was made, there are

many things overlooked in it; it is true that what has been done

this morning is good. What has been overlooked I will speak about.

The one that is next to the Chief (first head man) should have had

a horse as well. I want the Governor to give us somebody to build

our houses, we cannot manage it ourselves, for my own part you see

my crippled hand. It is true the Governor says he takes the

responsibility on himself in granting the extra requests of the

Indians, but let him consider on the quality of the land he has

already treated for. There is no farming land whatever at the

north-west angle, and he goes by what he has down there. What I

want, as he has said, is twenty-five dollars to each Chief and to

his head men twenty dollars. I do not want to keep the lands nor do

I give away, but I have set the value. I want to ask as much as

will cover the skin of the people, no more nor less. I think what

he has offered is too little. When you spoke you mentioned

ammunition, I did not hear mention of a gun; we will not be able to

kill anything simply by setting fire to powder. I want a gun for

each Chief and head man, and I want ten miles around the reserve

where I may be settled. I have told the value I have put on my

land."

GOVERNOR--"I have heard what has been said on behalf of the Red

Pheasant. I find fault that when there was handed me a list from

the Indians, the Red Pheasant sat still and led me to believe he

was a party to it. What I have offered was thought of long before I

saw you; it has been accepted by others more in number than you

are. I am glad that so many are of our mind. I am surprised you are

not all. I hold out a full hand to you, and it will be a bad day

for you and your children if I have to return and say that the

Indians threw away my hand. I cannot accede to the requests of the

Red Pheasant. I have heard and considered the wants of Mist-ow-asis

and Ah-tuck-ah-coop, and when the people were spoken to I

understood they were pleased. As for the little band who are not of

one mind with the great body, I am quite sure that a week will not

pass on leaving this before they will regret it. I want the Indians

to understand that all that has been offered is a gift, and they

still have the same mode of living as before."

Here the principal Chiefs intimated the acceptance of the proposal

of the Commissioners, the Red Pheasant repudiating the demands and

remarks of Joseph Thoma.

GOVERNOR--"I am happy at what we have done; I know it has been a

good work; I know your hearts will be glad as the days pass. This

will be the fourth time that I have done what we are going to do

to-day. I thank you for your trust in me. I have had written down

what I promised. For the Queen and in her name I will sign it,

likewise Mr. McKay and Mr. Christie. Then I will ask the Chiefs and

their head men to sign it in the presence of the witnesses, whites

and Metis, around us, some of whom I will also ask to sign. What we

have done has been done before the Great Spirit and in the face of

the people.

"I will ask the interpreter to read to you what has been written,

and before I go away I will have a copy made to leave with the

principal Chiefs. The payments will be made to-morrow, the suits of

clothes, medals and flags given also, besides which a present of

calicoes, shirts, tobacco, pipes and other articles will be given

to the Indians."

MIS-TOW-ASIS--"I wish to speak a word for some Half-breeds who wish

to live on the reserves with us, they are as poor as we are and

need help."

GOVERNOR--"How many are there?"

MIS-TOW-ASIS--"About twenty."

GOVERNOR--"The Queen has been kind to the Half-breeds of Red River

and has given them much land; we did not come as messengers to the

Half-breeds, but to the Indians. I have heard some Half-breeds want

to take lands at Red River and join the Indians here, but they

cannot take with both hands. The Half-breeds of the North-West

cannot come into the Treaty. The small class of Half-breeds who

live as Indians and with the Indians, can be regarded as Indians by

the Commissioners, who will judge of each case on its own merits as

it comes up, and will report their action to the Queen's

Councillors for their approval."

The treaty was then signed by the Lieutenant-Governor, Hon. James

McKay, Hon. W. J. Christie, Mist-ow-asis, Ah-tuck-ah-coop, and the

remainder of the Chiefs and the Councillors.

August 24th.

Immediately on meeting at ten a.m., the Governor called up

Mis-tow-asis and Ah-tuck-ah-coop, the two principal Chiefs, and

presented their uniforms, medals and flags; after them the lesser

Chiefs, their medals and flags, and told them they and their

Councillors would get their uniforms in the evening from the

stores. The Governor then told them that Mr. Christie would

commence payments as soon as he had finished talking with the few

Saulteaux; he expected the Chiefs and Councillors to assist in

every way possible; if any of the Chiefs had decided where they

would like to have their reserves, they could tell Mr. Christie

when they went to be paid. "Now, I have only to say farewell; we

have done a good work; we will never all of us meet again face to

face, but I go on to my other work, feeling that I have, in the

Queen's hands, been instrumental to your good. I pray God's

blessing upon you to make you happy and prosperous, and I bid you

farewell."

The Indians intimated their pleasure by a general shout of

approval, and thus broke up the conference which resulted in the

Treaty with the Carlton Crees.

The Lieutenant-Governor then met the few Chippewas who came

forward, and told them that they must be paid at the place where

they belonged, that they could not be paid at Fort Pitt, and said,

"If what I have heard is true I shall not be well pleased. I am

told you are of a bad mind; you proposed to prevent me from

crossing the river; [Footnote: South Saskatchewan.] if you did it

was very foolish; you could no more stop me than you could the

river itself. Then I am told you tried to prevent the other Indians

from making the treaty. I tell you this to your faces so if it is

not true you can say so; but whether it is or not it makes no

difference in my duty. The Queen has made treaties with the whole

Chippewa nation except two or three little wandering bands such as

you; you have heard all that has been said and done these many

days; I would like to see you helped as well as the other Indians;

I do not think you are wiser than the Chippewas from Lake Superior

to the North-West Angle; I went there with Mr. McKay, and we made a

treaty with twenty Chiefs and four thousand Chippewas."

NUS-WAS-OO-WAH-TUM--"When we asked the Cree bands what they

intended to do with regard to the treaty they would not come to us;

it is true we told them 'do not be in a hurry in giving your

assent;' you ought to be detained a little while; all along the

prices have been to one side, and we have had no say. He that made

us provided everything for our mode of living; I have seen this all

along, it has brought me up and I am not tired of it, and for you,

the white man, everything has been made for your maintenance, and

now that you come and stand on this our earth (ground) I do not

understand; I see dimly to-day what you are doing, and I find fault

with a portion of it; that is why I stand back; I would have been

glad if every white man of every denomination were now present to

hear what I say; through what you have done you have cheated my

kinsmen."

GOVERNOR--"I will not sit here and hear such words from the

Chippewas. Who are you? You come from my country and you tell me

the Queen has cheated you; it is not so. You say we have the best

of the bargains; you know it is not so. If you have any requests to

make in a respectful manner I am ready to hear."

CHIPPEWA--"The God that made us and who alone is our master, I am

afraid of Him to deviate from his commandment."

The Chippewas, about half a dozen in all, being from Quill Lake

chiefly, left, and Mr. Christie proceeded with the payments, which

occupied the remainder of the 24th and all the 25th. He paid in

all, Chiefs, 13; head men, 44; men, 262; women, 473; boys, 473;

girls, 481; from Treaty Number Four, 41; total, 1,787. A large

number of the tribe absent at the hunt will be paid next year.

Next morning, the 26th, the whole Cree camp, headed by their Chiefs

and head men, wearing their uniforms and medals, came to Carlton

House and assembled in the square to pay their farewell visit to

the Governor; the Chiefs came forward in order and shook hands,

each one making a few remarks expressive of their gratitude for the

benefits received and promised, and of their good will to the white

man.

The Governor briefly replied, telling them that he was much

gratified with the manner in which they had behaved throughout the

treaty; he had never dealt with a quieter, more orderly and

respectful body of Indians; he was pleased with the manner in which

they had met him and taken his advice; he was glad to hear that

they were determined to go to work and help themselves: he hoped

their Councils would always be wisely conducted, and that they

would do everything in their power to maintain peace amongst

themselves and with their neighbors; he hoped the Almighty would

give them wisdom and prosper them. They then gave three cheers for

the Queen, the Governor, the mounted police and Mr. Lawrence

Clarke, of Carlton House.

On the 27th a message was received from Duck Lake from the Willow

Indians, the band which had hitherto held aloof, in reply to a

message sent to them by the Governor, that they would meet the

Governor and Commissioners at the place designated by the Governor,

the camp of the Hon. James McKay, about five miles from Carlton

House. Accordingly, the next morning the Commissioners met them,

and after the usual ceremonial hand-shaking,

SAY-SWAY-PUS--"God has given us a beautiful day for which I feel

very grateful. In grasping your hand I am grasping that of our

Mother, the Queen. If it is your intention to honor me with a

Chief's clothing, I wish you would give me one that would

correspond with the sky above. I hope we will be able to understand

each other."

CHIN-UN-US-KUT (The Stump)--"I feel very grateful that I am spared

by the Great Spirit to see this day of his, may we be blessed in

whatever we do this day."

GOVERNOR--"Crees, my brother children of the Great Queen, I am glad

to meet you here to-day. I say as you said the first day I saw you,

'it is a bright day and I hope God will bless us.' I have been

sorry for you for many days. I took you by the hand on the first

day, but a wall rose up between us, it seemed as if you were trying

to draw away but I would not let your hand go. I talked for many

days with the great body of the Indians here but you refused to

meet me; the others and I understood each other. I was going away

to-day, but I thought pity of you who had not talked with me. I was

sent here to make you understand the Queen's will. I received your

letter last night and was glad to learn that you wanted to accept

the terms I had offered, and which had been accepted by the other

Indians. Before I received your letter I had sent you one asking

you to meet me here where we are now, and I am glad you have come,

as I could not otherwise have met you.

"One of you made a request that if he were accepted as a Chief, he

should have a blue coat. I do not yet know who the Chiefs are. To

be a Chief he must have followers. One man came forward as a Chief

and I had to tell him unless you have twenty tents you cannot

continue as a Chief.

"The color of your Chief's coat is perhaps a little thing; red is

the color all the Queen's Chiefs wear. I wear this coat, but it is

only worn by those who stand as the Queen's Councillors; her

soldiers and her officers wear red, and all the other Chiefs of the

Queen wear the coats we have brought, and the good of this is that

when the Chief is seen with his uniform and medal every one knows

he is an officer of hers. I should be sorry to see you different

from the others, and now that you understand you would not wish

it."

KAH-MEE-YIS-TOO-WAYS (The Beardy)--"I feel grateful for this day,

and I hope we will be blessed. I am glad that I see something that

will be of use; I wish that we all as a people may be benefitted by

this. I want that all these things should be preserved in a manner

that they might be useful to us all; it is in the power of man to

help each other. We should not act foolishly with the things that

are given us to live by. I think some things are too little, they

will not be sufficient for our wants. I do not want very much more

than what has been promised, only a little thing. I will be glad

if you will help me by writing my request down; on account of the

buffalo I am getting anxious. I wish that each one should have an

equal share, if that could be managed; in this I think we would be

doing good. Perhaps this is not the only time that we shall see

each other. Now I suppose another can say what he wishes."

SAY-SWAY-KUS--"What my brother has said, I say the same, but I want

to tell him and our mother the Queen, that although we understand

the help they offer us, I am getting alarmed when I look at the

buffalo, it appears to me as if there was only one. I trust to the

Queen and to the Governor, it is only through their aid we can

manage to preserve them. I want to hear from the Governor himself

an answer to what I have said, so I may thoroughly understand."

THE BEARDY--"Those things which the Almighty has provided for the

sustenance of his children may be given us as well; where our

Father has placed the truth we wish the same to be carried out

here, I do not set up a barrier to any road that my children may

live by: I want the payment to exist as long as the sun shines and

the river runs: if we exercise all our good, this surely will

happen: all of our words upon which we agree, I wish to have a copy

written on skin as promised; I want my brother to tell me where I

can get this. He has said, 'what I have done with the others I will

do with you:' I accept the terms, no doubt it will run further

according to our number. When I am utterly unable to help myself I

want to receive assistance. I will render all the assistance I can

to my brother in taking care of the country. I want from my brother

a suit of clothing in color resembling the sky so that he may be

able when he sees me to know me; I want these two (sitting by him)

to be Chiefs in our place with me and to have six Councillors (two

each) in all."

GOVERNOR--"I will speak to you in regard to food as I have spoken

to the other Indians; we cannot support or feed the Indians every

day, further than to help them to find the means of doing it for

themselves by cultivating the soil. If you were to be regularly fed

some of you would do nothing at all for your own support; in this

matter we will do as we have agreed with the other Indians, and no

more. You will get your share of the one thousand dollars' worth of

provisions when you commence to work on your reserves.

"In a national famine or general sickness, not what happens in

every day life, but if a great blow comes on the Indians, they

would not be allowed to die like dogs.

"What occurred in Red River last year from the destruction of crops

by the grasshoppers, affected our whole people, and without being

bound to do anything, the charity and humanity of the Government

sent means to help them.

"I cannot give the Chief a blue coat: he must accept the red one

and he must not suffer so small a matter as the color of a coat to

stand between us. I accept the three Chiefs with two Councillors

for each. With regard to the preservation of the buffalo, it is a

subject of great importance, it will be considered by the

Lieutenant-Governor and Council of the North-West Territories to

see if a wise law can be passed, one that will be a living law that

can be carried out and obeyed. If such a law be passed it will be

printed in Cree as well as in English and French; but what the law

will be I cannot tell--you held councils over the treaty, you did

not know before the councils closed what you would decide as to the

treat--no more can I tell what the North-West Council will decide."

A request was then made that the treaty should include the

Half-breeds, to which the Governor replied: "I have explained to

the other Indians that the Commissioners did not come to the

Half-breeds: there were however a certain class of Indian

Half-breeds who had always lived in the camp with the Indians and

were in fact Indians, would be recognized, but no others."

The Chiefs and head men then signed the treaty in the presence of

witnesses, the medals and flags were distributed, payments and

distribution of clothing proceeded with and finished, and the

conference came to an end.

The Lieutenant-Governor and party started from Carlton House on the

31st of August at noon, for Fort Pitt, and when within about six

miles of that post came up with a detachment of Mounted Police

under Inspectors Jarvis and Walker, who escorted them to the fort,

arriving on the day appointed (5th September) at an early hour.

There were already assembled near the fort and on the banks of the

Saskatchewan over one hundred lodges, and as more were immediately

expected they requested postponement of negotiations until the 7th

September.

On the morning of the 6th, Sweet Grass, one of the oldest and most

respected of the Cree Chiefs, with about thirty of his chief men,

who had left their hunt and come in to Fort Pitt purposely to

attend the treaty negotiations, called on the Governor to express

their satisfaction at his coming and their pleasure in seeing him;

the greeting which was certainly affectionate, consisted in the

embrace of both arms about the neck and a fraternal kiss on either

cheek; after a short conversation the Governor told them he

expected them to be ready to meet him at his tent in the morning;

time was rapidly passing and he had a long journey yet before him;

he trusted their Councils would be wise and the results would be

beneficial to them.

The Hon. Jas. McKay arrived from Battle River in the evening, and

reported that he had met there a number of Indians, principally

Saulteaux, who had been in camp at that place for some time. They

said there had been about seventy lodges altogether, but as the

buffalo were coming near, the poorer ones had started out to hunt,

leaving only about ten lodges there. The remaining ones expressed

good feeling and said they would like to have waited until the time

appointed (September 15th) to meet the Governor and take the

treaty, yet as the buffalo hunt was of so much importance to them

they could not afford to lose the time, knowing that the Governor

had to go to Fort Pitt and return before they could see him,

consequently the whole band went out to the plains. This band was

composed, it was afterwards ascertained, of the Saulteaux of Jack

Fish Lake and of some Crees under the Yellow Sky Chief, and were

favorably disposed though unable to remain. They numbered in all

sixty-seven tents.

September 7th.

At ten in the morning the Governor and Commissioners, escorted by

the Mounted Police, proceeded to the treaty tent a short distance

from the fort. About eleven o'clock the Indians commenced to

gather, as at Carlton, in a large semi-circle. In front were the

young men, galloping about on their horses, then the Chiefs and

head men, followed by the main body of the band to the number of

two or three hundred. As they approached the manoeuvres of the

horsemen became more and more excited and daring, racing wildly

about so rapidly as to be barely distinguishable; unfortunately,

from some mischance, two horses and their riders came into

collision with such tremendous force as to throw both horses and

men violently to the ground; both horses were severely injured and

one of the Indians had his hip put out of joint; fortunately, Dr.

Kittson of the police, was near by and speedily gave relief to the

poor sufferer. The ceremonies, however, still went on; four

pipe-stems were carried about and presented to be stroked in token

of good feeling and amity (during this performance the band of the

Mounted Police played "God save the Queen"), blessings invoked on

the whole gathering, the dances performed by the various bands, and

finally the pipes of peace smoked by the Governor and Commissioners

in turn. The stems, which were finely decorated, were placed with

great solemnity on the table in front of the Governor, to be

covered for the bearers with blue cloth.

The Chiefs and head men now seated themselves in front of the tent,

when the Governor addressed them:

"Indians of the plains, Crees, Chippewayans, Assiniboines and

Chippewas, my message is to all. I am here to-day as your Governor

under the Queen. The Crees for many days have sent word that they

wanted to see some one face to face. The Crees are the principal

tribe of the plain Indians, and it is for me a pleasant duty to be

here to-day and receive the welcome I have from them. I am here

because the Queen and her Councillors have the good of the Indian

at heart, because you are the Queen's children and we must think of

you for to-day and to-morrow; the condition of the Indians and

their future has given the Queen's Councillors much anxiety. In the

old provinces of Canada from which I came we have many Indians,

they are growing in numbers and are as a rule happy and prosperous;

for a hundred years red and white hands have been clasped together

in peace. The instructions of the Queen are to treat the Indians as

brothers, and so we ought to be. The Great Spirit made this earth

we are on. He planted the trees and made the rivers flow for the

good of all his people, white and red; the country is very wide and

there is room for all. It is six years since the Queen took back

into her own hands the government of her subjects, red and white,

in this country; it was thought her Indian children would be better

cared for in her own hand. This is the seventh time in the last

five years that her Indian children have been called together for

this purpose; this is the fourth time that I have met my Indian

brothers, and standing here on this bright day with the sun above

us, I cast my eyes to the East down to the great lakes and I see a

broad road leading from there to the Red River, I see it stretching

on to Ellice, I see it branching there, the one to Qu'Appelle and

Cypress Hills, the other by Pelly to Carlton; it is a wide and

plain trail. Anyone can see it, and on that road, taking for the

Queen, the hand of the Governor and Commissioners I see all the

Indians. I see the Queen's Councillors taking the Indian by the

hand saying we are brothers, we will lift you up, we will teach

you, if you will learn, the cunning of the white man. All along

that road I see Indians gathering, I see gardens growing and houses

building; I see them receiving money from the Queen's Commissioners

to purchase clothing for their children; at the same time I see

them enjoying their hunting and fishing as before, I see them

retaining their old mode of living with the Queen's gift in

addition.

"I met the Crees at Carlton, they heard my words there, they read

my face, and through that my heart, and said my words were true,

and they took my hand on behalf of the Queen. What they did I wish

you to do; I wish you to travel on the road I have spoken of, a

road I see stretching out broad and plain to the Rocky Mountains. I

know you have been told many stories, some of them not true; do not

listen to the bad voices of men who have their own ends to serve,

listen rather to those who have only your good at heart. I have

come a long way to meet you; last year I sent you a message that

you would be met this year, and I do not forget my promises.

"I went to Ottawa, where the Queen's Councillors have their council

chamber, to talk, amongst other things, about you.

"I have come seven hundred miles to see you. Why should I take all

this trouble? For two reasons, first, the duty was put upon me as

one of the Queen's Councillors, to see you with my brother

Commissioners, Hon. W. J. Christie and Hon. Jas. McKay. The other

reason is a personal one, because since I was a young man my heart

was warm to the Indians, and I have taken a great interest in them;

for more than twenty-five years I have studied their condition in

the present and in the future. I have been many years in public

life, but the first words I spoke in public were for the Indians,

and in that vision of the day I saw the Queen's white men

understanding their duty; I saw them understanding that they had no

right to wrap themselves up in a cold mantle of selfishness, that

they had no right to turn away and say, 'Am I my brother's keeper?'

On the contrary, I saw them saying, the Indians are our brothers,

we must try to help them to make a living for themselves and their

children. I tell you, you must think of those who will come after

you. As I came here I saw tracks leading to the lakes and

water-courses, once well beaten, now grown over with grass; I saw

bones bleaching by the wayside; I saw the places where the buffalo

had been, and I thought what will become of the Indian. I said to

myself, we must teach the children to prepare for the future; if we

do not, but a few suns will pass and they will melt away like snow

before the sun in spring-time. You know my words are true; you see

for yourselves and know that your numbers are lessening every year.

Now the whole burden of my message from the Queen is that we wish

to help you in the days that are to come, we do not want to take

away the means of living that you have now, we do not want to tie

you down; we want you to have homes of your own where your children

can be taught to raise for themselves food from the mother earth.

You may not all be ready for that, but some, I have no doubt, are,

and in a short time others will follow. I am here to talk plainly,

I have nothing to hide; I am here to tell you what we are ready to

do. Your tribe is not all here at the present time, some of the

principal Chiefs are absent, this cannot be avoided, the country is

wide and when the buffalo come near you must follow them; this does

not matter, for what I have to give is for the absent as well as

for the present. Next year if the treaty is made, a Commissioner

will be sent to you, and you will be notified of the times and

places of meeting, so that you will not have long journeys; after

that, two or three servants of the Queen will be appointed to live

in the country to look after the Indians, and see that the terms of

the treaty are carried out.

"I have not yet given you my message. I know you have heard what

your brothers did at Carlton, and I expect you to do the same here,

for if you do not you will be the first Indians who refused to take

my hand. At Carlton I had a slight difficulty; one of the Chiefs

dreamt that instead of making the treaty at the camp of the great

body of the Indians, I made it at his, and so his people stood

aside. I was sorry for him and his people. I did not wish to go and

leave them out. I sent him word after I had made the treaty, and

brought him in with the others. When I went to North-West Angle I

met the Chippewa nation; they were not all present, but the absent

ones were seen the next year. I told them the message from the

Queen, and what she wished to do for them; in all four thousand

Indians accepted the Treaty, and now, I am glad to say, many of

them have homes and gardens of their own. The next year I went to

Qu'Appelle and saw the Crees and Chippewas, and there five thousand

understood us and took our hands. Last summer I went with Mr. McKay

to Lake Winnipeg, and there all the Swampy Crees accepted the

Queen's terms. Now I have stroked the pipe with your brothers at

Carlton as with you.

"Three years ago a party of Assiniboines were shot by American

traders; men, women and children were killed; we reported the

affair to Ottawa; we said the time has come when you must send the

red-coated servants of the Queen to the North-West to protect the

Indian from fire-water, from being shot down by men who know no

law, to preserve peace between the Indians, to punish all who break

the law, to prevent whites from doing wrong to Indians, and they

are here to-day to do honor to the office which I hold. Our Indian

Chiefs wear red coats, and wherever they meet the police they will

know they meet friends. I know that you have been told that if war

came you would be put in the front, this is not so. Your brothers

at Carlton asked me that they might not be forced to fight, and I

tell you, as I assured them, you will never be asked to fight

against your will; and I trust the time will never come of war

between the Queen and the great country near us.

"Again, I say, all we seek is your good; I speak openly, as brother

to brother, as a father to his children, and I would give you a

last advice, hear my words, come and join the great band of Indians

who are walking hand-in-hand with us on the road I spoke of when I

began--a road, I believe in my heart, will lead the Indian on to a

much more comfortable state than he is in now. My words, when they

are accepted, are written down, and they last, as I have said to

the others, as long as the sun shines and the river runs. I expect

you are prepared for the message I have to deliver, and I will wait

to see if any of the Chiefs wish to speak before I go further."

Sweet Grass, the principal Cree Chief, rose, and taking the

Governor by the hand, said, "We have heard what the Governor has

said, and now the Indians want to hear the terms of the treaty,

after which they will all shake hands with the Governor and

Commissioners, we then want to go to our camp to meet in council."

The Governor then very carefully and distinctly explained the terms

and promises of the treaty as made at Carlton; this was received by

the Indians with loud assenting exclamations.

On the 8th the Indians sent a message that they required further

time for deliberation, and the meeting was put off until the 9th.

On the morning of the 9th the Indians were slow in gathering, as

they wished to settle all difficulties and misunderstandings

amongst themselves before coming to the treaty tent, this was

apparently accomplished about eleven a.m., when the whole body

approached and seated themselves in good order, when the Governor

said:--

"Indian children of the Great Queen, we meet again on a bright day;

you heard many words from me the other day; I delivered you my

message from the Queen; I held out my hand in the Queen's name,

full of her bounty. You asked time to consult together; I gave it

to you very gladly, because I did not come here to surprise you. I

trust the Great Spirit has put good thoughts into your hearts, and

your wise men have found my words good. I am now ready to hear

whether you are prepared to do as the great body of the Indian

people have done; it is now for the Indians to speak through those

whom they may choose; my heart is warm to you, and my ears are

open."

Ku-ye-win (The Eagle) addressed the Indians, telling them not to be

afraid, that the Governor was to them as a brother; that what the

Queen wished to establish through him was for their good, and if

any of them wished to speak to do so.

After waiting some time the Governor said, "I had hoped the Indians

would have taken me at my word, and taken me as a brother and a

friend. True, I am the Queen's Governor; that I am here to-day

shows me to be your friend. Why can you not open your hearts to me?

I have met many Indians before, but this is the first time I have

had all the talking to do myself. Now, cast everything behind your

backs, and speak to me face to face. I have offered as we have done

to the other Indians. Tell me now whether you will take my hand and

accept it; there is nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to be afraid

of; think of the good of your children and your children's

children. Stand up now like wise men and tell me if you will take

what I offered. I cannot believe it to be possible that you would

throw my hand back. Speak and do not be afraid or ashamed."

WEE-KAS-KOO-KEE-SAY-YIN (Sweet Grass)--"I thank you for this day,

and also I thank you for what I have seen and heard, I also thank

the Queen for sending you to act for our good. I am glad to have a

brother and friend in you, which undoubtedly will raise us above

our present condition. I am glad for your offers, and thank you

from my heart. I speak this in the presence of the Divine Being. It

is all for our good, I see nothing to be afraid of, I therefore

accept of it gladly and take your hand to my heart, may this

continue as long as this earth stands and the river flows. The

Great King, our Father, is now looking upon us this day, He regards

all the people equal with one another; He has mercy on the whole

earth; He has opened a new world to us. I have pity on all those

who have to live by the buffalo. If I am spared until this time

next year I want this my brother to commence to act for me,

thinking thereby that the buffalo may be protected. It is for that

reason I give you my hand. If spared, I shall commence at once to

clear a small piece of land for myself, and others of my kinsmen

will do the same. We will commence hand in hand to protect the

buffalo. When I hold your hand I feel as if the Great Father were

looking on us both as brothers. I am thankful. May this earth here

never see the white man's blood spilt on it. I thank God that we

stand together, that you all see us; I am thankful that I can raise

up my head, and the white man and red man can stand together as

long as the sun shines. When I hold your hands and touch your

heart, as I do now (suiting his action to the words), let us be as

one. Use your utmost to help me and help my children, so that they

may prosper."

The Chief's remarks were assented to by the Indians by loud

ejaculations.

GOVERNOR--"I rise with a glad heart; we have come together and

understood each other. I am glad that you have seen the right way.

I am glad you have accepted so unanimously the offer made. I will

tell the Queen's Councillors what good hearts their Indian children

have; I will tell them that they think of the good of their

children's children.

"I feel that we have done to-day a good work; the years will pass

away and we with them, but the work we have done to-day will stand

as the hills. What we have said and done has been written down; my

promises at Carlton have been written down and cannot be rubbed

out, so there can be no mistake about what is agreed upon. I will

now have the terms of the treaty fully read and explained to you,

and before I go away I will leave a copy with your principal Chief.

"After I and the Commissioners, for the Queen, have signed the

treaty, I will call upon your Chief and Councillors to do the same;

and before the payments are made by Mr. Christie, I will give the

Chiefs the medals of the Queen and their flags.

"Some of your Chiefs and people are away; next year we will send

men near to where their bands live, notice will be given, and those

who are away now will receive the present of money we are going to

give you, the same as if they had been here, and when you go back

to the plains I ask you to tell your brothers what we have done."

The Governor and Commissioners then signed the treaty on the part

of the Queen, and nine Chiefs and as many of their Councillors as

were with them signed on behalf of the Indians.

James Seenum, Chief of White Fish Lake Crees, said that when he

commenced to cultivate the soil some years ago, Mr. Christie, then

chief factor of the Hudson Bay Company, gave him a plough that he

had used but it was now broken. When he commenced he and his

brothers drew the plough themselves, and they pulled up roots and

used them for hoes. Mr. Christie also gave me a pit-saw and a

grindstone, and I am using them yet. I feel my heart sore in the

spring when my children want to plough--when they have no

implements to use, that is why I am asking them now to have them

sent as soon as possible. By following what I have been taught I

find it helps me a great deal.

THE LITTLE HUNTER--"I am here alone just now; if I am spared to see

next spring, then I will select my Councillors, those that I think

worthy I will choose. I am glad from my very heart. I feel in

taking the Governor's hand as if I was taking the Queen's. When I

hear her words that she is going to put to rights this country, it

is the help of God that has put it in her heart to come to our

assistance. In sending her bounty to us I wish an everlasting grasp

of her hand, as long as the sun moves and the river flows. I am

glad that the truth and all good things have been opened to us. I

am thankful for the children for they will prosper. All the

children who are sitting here hope that the Great Spirit will look

down upon us as one."

SEE-KAHS-KOOTCH (The Cut Arm)--"I am glad of the goodness of the

great Queen. I recognize now that this that I once dreaded most is

coming to my aid and doing for me what I could not do for myself."

TUS-TUK-EE-SKUAIS--"I am truly glad that the Queen has made a new

country for me. I am glad that all my friends and children will not

be in want of food hereafter. I am glad that we have everything

which we had before still extended to us."

PEE-QUAY-SIS--"I need not say anything; I have been well pleased

with all that I have heard, and I need not speak as we are all

agreed."

KIN-OO-SAY-OO (The Fish), Chief of the Chippewayans--"I shake hands

with the Queen, and I am glad for what she is doing and what she is

to do for us. If I could have used my own language I would then be

able to say more."

The Governor then called on Sweet Grass and placed the Queen's

medal around his neck, the band of the Police playing "God save the

Queen." The rest of the Chiefs' medals, flags and uniforms were

given as soon as possible, and Mr. Christie proceeded to make the

payments and distribute the presents.

September 13th.

The Chiefs and head men came to pay their respects to the

Commissioners in the morning, at Fort Pitt.

SWEET GRASS--"We are all glad to see you here, and we have come to

say good-bye before you leave."

THE BIG BEAR--"I find it difficult to express myself, because some

of the bands are not represented. I have come off to speak for the

different bands that are out on the plains. It is no small matter

we were to consult about. I expected the Chiefs here would have

waited until I arrived. The different bands that are out on the

plains told me that I should speak in their stead; the Stony

Indians as well. The people who have not come, stand as a barrier

before what I would have had to say; my mode of living is hard."

SWEET GRASS, to Big Bear--"My friend, you see the representative of

the Queen here, who do you suppose is the maker of it. I think the

Great Spirit put it into their hearts to come to our help; I feel

as if I saw life when I see the representative of the Queen; let

nothing be a barrier between you and him; it is through great

difficulty this has been brought to us. Think of our children and

those to come after, there is life and succor for them, say yes and

take his hand."

The White Fish Lake Chief said, "We have all taken it, and we think

it is for our good."

BIG BEAR--"Stop, stop, my friends, I have never seen the Governor

before; I have seen Mr. Christie many times. I heard the Governor

was to come and I said I shall see him; when I see him I will make

a request that he will save me from what I most dread, that is: the

rope to be about my neck (hanging), it was not given to us by the

Great Spirit that the red man or white man should shed each other's

blood."

GOVERNOR--"It was given us by the Great Spirit, man should not shed

his brother's blood, and it was spoken to us that he who shed his

brother's blood, should have his own spilt.

"No good Indian has the rope about his neck. If a white man killed

an Indian, not in self defence, the rope would be put around his

neck. He saw red-coats, they were here to protect Indians and

whites.

"If a man tried to kill you, you have a right to defend; but no man

has a right to kill another in cold blood, and we will do all we

can to punish such. The good Indian need never be afraid; their

lives will be safer than ever before. Look at the condition of the

Blackfeet. Before the red-coats went, the Americans were taking

their furs and robes and giving them whiskey--we stopped it, they

have been able to buy back two thousand horses--before that, robes

would have gone to Americans for whiskey."

BIG BEAR--"What we want is that we should hear what will make our

hearts glad, and all good peoples' hearts glad. There were plenty

things left undone, and it does not look well to leave them so."

GOVERNOR--"I do not know what has been left undone!"

BIG BEAR said he would like to see his people before he acted. "I

have told you what I wish, that there be no hanging."

GOVERNOR--"What you ask will not be granted, why are you so anxious

about bad men?

"The Queen's law punishes murder with death, and your request

cannot be granted."

BIG BEAR--"Then these Chiefs will help us to protect the buffalo,

that there may be enough for all. I have heard what has been said,

and I am glad we are to be helped; but why do these men not speak?"

The Chief of the Chippewayans said, "We do not speak, because Sweet

Grass has spoken for us all. What he says, we all say."

GOVERNOR--"I wish the Bear to tell Short Tail and See-yah-kee-maht,

the other Chiefs, what has been done, and that it is for them, as

if they had been here. Next year they and their people can join the

treaty and they will lose nothing. I wish you to understand fully

about two questions, and tell the others. The North-West Council is

considering the framing of a law to protect the buffaloes, and when

they make it, they will expect the Indians to obey it. The

Government will not interfere with the Indian's daily life, they

will not bind him. They will only help him to make a living on the

reserves, by giving him the means of growing from the soil, his

food. The only occasion when help would be given, would be if

Providence should send a great famine or pestilence upon the whole

Indian people included in the treaty. We only looked at something

unforseen and not at hard winters or the hardships of single bands,

and this, both you and I, fully understood.

"And now I have done, I am going away. The country is large,

another Governor will be sent in my place; I trust you will receive

him as you have done me, and give him your confidence. He will live

amongst you. Indians of the plains, I bid you farewell. I never

expect to see you again, face to face. I rejoice that you listened

to me, and when I go back to my home beyond the great lakes, I will

often think of you and will rejoice to hear of your prosperity. I

ask God to bless you and your children. Farewell."

The Indians responded by loud ejaculations of satisfaction, and the

Chiefs and Councillors, commencing with Sweet Grass, each shook

hands with the Governor, and addressed him in words of parting,

elevating his hand, as they grasped it, to heaven, and invoking the

blessings of the Great Spirit.

The Bear remained sitting until all had said good-bye to the

Governor, and then he rose and taking his hand, said, "I am glad to

meet you, I am alone; but if I had known the time, I would have

been here with all my people. I am not an undutiful child, I do not

throw back your hand; but as my people are not here, I do not sign.

I will tell them what I have heard, and next year I will come."

About an hour afterwards the Big Bear came to the Fort Pitt House

to see the Governor, and again repeated that he accepted the treaty

as if he had signed it, and would come next year, with all his

people, to meet the Commissioners and accept it.

The Governor and party left Fort Pitt for Battle River, on the 13th

at one o'clock, and arrived there on the 15th. There were no

Indians there, except the Red Pheasant's band, who had been treated

with at Battle River.

On the 16th the Red Pheasant and his Councillors came to see the

Governor and the Commissioners, with the following result:

THE RED PHEASANT--"I am a Battle River Indian, and I have chosen

this place before, and I am glad to see the Government here too, as

I know there is a chance of living. I want the Half-breed claims at

Battle River to be respected, and I do not wish to turn out any

white man; but I wish to return to my former mode of life.

"Ever since my grandfather lived at Battle River, it has been my

home. Our houses were swept off by a flood two years ago, and after

that we repaired some old houses that were built by outsiders

(other Indians), and we had fenced in the buildings; but a short

time ago some Canadians arrived, knocked down the fences, and built

inside the enclosure."

WAH-TAH-NEE--"We had chosen a point about a mile from the spot

where we are now speaking, and got out logs for fences and houses,

and when we returned from the plains we found they had all been

taken away. There are now twenty families, and ten more to come in

from the plains.

"We wish to be remembered to the Queen, and we are thankful to see

the Queen's soldiers coming to make their homes on the land that we

have been brought up on. I hope that the Queen will look upon our

poverty when she hears that we are poor Indians and have welcomed

her people to live amongst us. This is my country where I have

lived. I want to make way for the Queen's men, and I ask her in

return to keep me from want. Next spring I want to plant here,

wherever I can get a piece of ground. By that time I may have

selected a spot for my reserve. The reason I want to select my

reserve is, that I do not want to be cramped up by settlers. In the

meantime I do not want any white men to settle on the Eagle Hills.

"When I see that we are numerous, it will be the Eagle Hills I will

select as our reserve, although I am very reluctant to leave the

place I have been brought up on. If I see that we are not likely to

be numerous, I may select some other place across the Saskatchewan

River. This man, Peter Ballendine, knows that it is not because

settlers are coming here that we speak of this place, Battle River,

but because we were here from of old. I wish that the Governor

should give us some advice to think over during the winter."

GOVERNOR--"I am glad to give you a word of advice. Next summer,

Commissioners will come to make payments here, so that you may not

have so far to go, and also that other Indians we have not seen,

should come here also, to whom it may be convenient, and I hope

that then you will be able to talk with them where you want your

reserve. I will speak to you frankly, as if I was talking to my own

children; the sooner you select a place for your reserve the

better, so that you can have the animals and agricultural

implements promised to you, and so that you may have the increase

from the animals, and the tools to help you build houses, &c. When

you are away hunting and fishing, the heat of the sun and the rain

is making your crops to grow. I think you are showing wisdom in

taking a place away from here, although it has been your home. It

is better for the Indian to be away a little piece from the white

man. You will be near enough to bring your furs to a good market,

and by and by I hope you will have more potatoes than you require,

and have some to dispose of. I am very anxious that you should

think over this, and be able to tell the Commissioner next year

where you want your reserve.

"I have asked Mr. Fuller to let you have three acres of land to

plant your potatoes next spring, and he has replied that he will be

very happy to let you do so, and to plough it for you as well, in

the field he has enclosed.

"I am much pleased with the conduct of the Battle River Crees, and

will report it to the Queen's Councillors. I hope you will be

prosperous and happy."

This closed the interview.

The Commissioners left Battle River on the 19th of September. The

Lieutenant-Governor arrived at Fort Garry on the 6th of October.

The Treaties of Canada with the Indians of Manitoba and the North-West Territories Including the Negotiations on Which They Were Based, and Other Information Relating Thereto · 第 10 / 14 章

"I will, in a short time, give you a message from the Queen, and my