Keewatin v. Minister of Natural Resources

Part 5. The Ojibway Perspective - Ojibway History 50The Indians could not be induced to go into the discussion of the provisions made in the variousarticles of the treaty, and notwithstanding the clear understanding had with them last year, to theeffect that the payments and presents, then made were to cover all claims real or supposed up to thattime, have advanced the most extravagant demands for roads made on their lands and wood taken forsteamers and buildings.Besides inadmissible claims of this kind, there have been other causes in operation, of a nature to marthe negotiations, and among these we may mention the fact that they are well informed as to thediscovery of gold and silver to the west of the watershed, and have not been slow to give us theirviews as to the value of that discovery. "You offer us" said they, "$3 per head and you have only topick up gold and silver from our rocks to pay it many times over". The chief of the section where thediscoveries have taken place was emphatic in expressing his determination to keep miners from hiscountry until he had been paid for his land.Last year treaties were made with the Indians in Manitoba, but it was in the presence of a militaryforce, and with Indians long accustomed to intercourse with the white man.2011 ONSC 4801 (CanLII)The Indians here are quite untamed and in their native state. We must however say for them that theyhave behaved themselves, except on the occasion to which we have alluded, with great propriety andcircumspection. They seem fully alive to their own interests and evince no small amount ofintelligence in maintaining their views. We have made them liberal presents of provisions, tobacco,etc and have parted with them on amicable terms, with the understanding that we are not to negotiatewith separate bands, but that, if further propositions are to be made, we are to call a general councilof the Chiefs, but we do not believe that under existing circumstances any good could arise fromfurther Councils.[Emphasis added.][281] On July 17, 1872, the Globe correspondent (Ex. 1, Vol. 5, tab 183) reported as follows:I am sorry to say that the Indians of this district are persistent in their refusal to enter into treatynegotiations with the Government. … They stand on their natural rights as lords of the land …. Thisbusiness is likely to be the beginning of a great Indian trouble.…In the evening when a Council was held in hopes that even then something might be arranged—forthe good intentions of one chief were known by the Commissioners—the Indians of the RainyLake—a small part of the route only—expressed their desire to accede to the terms offered by theCommissioners. The speaker, who had privately told a gentleman here that he would probably losehis life for consenting, was interrupted by several other bands; but courageously continued to speak,though surrounded by angry eyes and angry hands, until one of his own band came up and whisperedto him. The result was that his good intentions were all upset; but the sort of ground on which thewhole mob were at ending may be judged of from the fact that when the Indian I refer to was touchedfrom behind by his friend, his hand flew to the handle of his scalping knife, for he thought the timefor the row had come.…It turned out that the temporary absence from the proceedings of the resident agent was caused by hiswanting his revolver, and another gentleman admitted that he had shifted the position of his pistol sothat he could seize it at a moment. For myself, I determined that the next time I went amongst theseIndians I'd bring my revolver also.The commissioners, therefore, have nothing to do but take their departure … and so the treaty withthe Rainy Lake Indians is a thing of the future. What the consequences of there being no treaty maybe I do not know, nor can anyone exactly foretell; but the proceedings here have given support toideas which I have heard from nearly every old resident of the Indian country.