Not Naïve Natives, but Poor Treaty Implementation

Abstract

This essay is about the role that the Canadian government has played in treaty-making with the Indigenous population since 1871. The scope of this paper is a closer examination of Treaties 4, 6, and 7 of the 11 numbered Treaties signed by various Indigenous groups and the Canadian government from 1871-1921. This essay uses an interesting combination of primary and secondary sources to best analyse the negotiations and outcomes of these treaties. Primary sources from authors like Alexander Morris and the Treaty 7 Elders help the reader grasp the argument of Indigenous people, while secondary interpretations from modern-day historians like St. Germain and Tobias explain how treaty debates may have been misinterpreted in the past. This paper investigates all of the hardships that Indigenous people have faced and scrutinizes the false promises the Canadian government has made because of Treaties 4, 6, and 7. Most of all, this essay is a call to action. The goal of this essay is to spread awareness of issues that Indigenous people have faced in the past so that Canadians might better understand their struggles. Many Canadians are still completely unaware of Indigenous issues like the ones discussed in this essay, which remain largely unresolved and affect Indigenous groups to this day.