Treaty 8, which concluded with the June 21, 1899 signing by representatives of
the Crown
The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has differ ...
and various
First Nations of the
Lesser Slave Lake area, is the most comprehensive of the one of eleven
Numbered Treaties.
The agreement encompassed a land mass of approximately . Treaty territory, which includes thirty-nine First Nation communities in northern
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...
, northwestern
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
, northeastern
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...
, and the southwest portion of the
Northwest Territories, making it the largest of the numbered treaty in terms of area. The treaty was negotiated just south of present-day
Grouard
Grouard, also known as Grouard Mission, is a hamlet in northern Alberta within Big Lakes County. It was previously an incorporated municipality between 1909 and 1944.
Grouard is located north of Highway 2, approximately northeast of Grande ...
, Alberta.
The Crown had between 1871 and 1877 signed Treaties 1 to 7. Treaties 1 to 7 cover the southern portions of what was the North-West Territories. At that time, the Government of Canada had not considered a treaty with the First Nations in what would be the Treaty 8 territory necessary, as conditions in the north were not considered conducive to settlement. Along with the
Douglas Treaties, Treaty 8 was the last treaty signed between the Crown and the First Nations in British Columbia until the
Nisga'a Final Agreement
The Nisga'a Final Agreement, also known as the Nisga'a Treaty, is a treaty that was settled between the Nisg̱a'a, the government of British Columbia, and the Government of Canada that was signed on 27 May 1998 and came into effect on May 11, 20 ...
.
The boundary between Treaty 8 and
Treaty 11
''Treaty 11'', the last of the Numbered Treaties, was an agreement established between 1921 and 1922 between King George V and various First Nation band governments in what is today the Northwest Territories.
Henry Anthony Conroy was appointed ...
is ambiguous. The
Yellowknives Dene First Nation is a signatory to Treaty 8, but according to the text of the treaties the
Yellowknives Nation's territory, known as Chief Drygeese Territory, is within Treaty 11.
Overview
According to the official Treaty 8 web page, the terms of the treaty were accepted by the signatories for "reasons of peace and friendship" as part of a partnership. It was the most comprehensive of all the
Numbered Treaties which included approximately of land that spanned the northern regions of what are now three provincesBritish Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewanand the Northwest Territories. There are thirty-nine First Nations communities that are included in Treaty 8.
Grand Chief Arthur Noskey of the First Nations of Treaty 8 Alberta was re-elected on July 30, 2021.
Background
In the late 1890s, as prospectors and settlersinspired by the
Klondike Gold Rushtravelled to unceded territories that were north of
Treaty 6, the Canadian government extended the treaty process north to include that region. It included
Lake Athabasca,
Great Slave Lake, some areas around the
Peace River
The Peace River (french: links=no, rivière de la Paix) is a river in Canada that originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows to the northeast through northern Alberta. The Peace River joins the Athabasca River in ...
region.
By that time, the
Geological Survey of Canada had also published reports that there was petroleum in the
Athabaska region.
Treaty
The land covered by Treaty 8, ,
is larger than France and includes northern
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...
, northeastern
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...
, northwestern
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
and a southernmost portion of the
Northwest Territories.
Adhesions to this agreement were signed that same year on July 1, 1899, at
Peace River Landing, July 6 at
Dunvegan, July 8 at
Fort Vermilion
Fort Vermilion is a hamlet on the Peace River in northern Alberta, Canada, within Mackenzie County.
Established in 1788, Fort Vermilion shares the title of oldest European settlement in Alberta with Fort Chipewyan. Fort Vermilion contains ma ...
, July 13 at
Fort Chipewyan, July 17 at
Smith's Landing (now Fitzgerald), July 25 and 27 at
Fond du Lac, August 4 at
Fort McMurray, and August 14 at
Wabasca Lake. Further adhesions were in 1900 on May 13 at
Fort St. John, June 8 at
Lesser Slave Lake, June 23 at Fort Vermilion and July 25 at
Fort Resolution.
Chief Keenooshayoo was one of the First Nations signatories to Treaty 8. First Nations that are considered signatories to Treaty 8 include
Woodland Cree,
Dane-zaa (or Beaver) and
Chipewyan. Other signatories included
David Laird, Father
Albert Lacombe, Rev.
George Homes, Bishop
Émile Grouard,
J.A.J. McKenna,
James Hamilton Ross,
W.G. White,
James Walker,
A. Arthur Cote,
A.E. Snyder,
H.B. Round,
Harrison S. Young,
J.F. Prud'Homme,
C. Mair,
H.A. Conroy,
Pierre Deschambeault,
Joseph Henri Picard
Joseph Henri Picard (February 18, 1857 – May 23, 1934) was a politician in Alberta, Canada and a municipal councillor in Edmonton.
Picard was born in Saint-Jean-de-Matha, Quebec on February 18, 1857. He apprenticed as a carpenter before coming ...
,
Richard Secord,
Matthew McCauley, Headman
Moostoos, Headman
Felix Giroux, and Headman
Wee Chee Way Sis, Headman
Charles Neesotasis.
According to the
University of Lethbridge
, mottoeng = '' Let there be light''
, type = Public
, established =
, academic_affiliations = Universities Canada
, endowment = $73 million (2019)
, chancellor = Charles Weas ...
's historian, Raymond Huel, prior to entering negotiations for Treaty, officials turned to
Oblate (OMI) missionaries for assistance as they had lived among the First Nations. The Oblates, had been eye-witnesses to the rapid deterioration of the lifestyle of First Nations since the 1870s, and considered the treaties to be the "lesser of two evils", according to Huel. Government officials chose the Catholic missionary,
Albert Lacombe, (OMI) as Treaty 8 signatory and government consultant and mediator, because of his many years of experience with the First Nations who had come to trust him.
Lacombe was charged by the government to be present to help convince First Nations that it was in their interest to enter into a treaty. He was present on June 21, 1899, and assured the First Nations that their lives would remain, more or less, unchanged.
He was also present at some of the meetings at which adhesions were signed. The elements of Treaty 8 included provisions to maintain livelihood for the native populations in this region, such as entitlements to land, ongoing financial support, annual shipments of hunting supplies, and hunting rights on ceded lands, unless those ceded lands were used for forestry, mining, settlement or other purposes.
See also
*
List of treaties
This list of treaties contains known agreements, pacts, peaces, and major contracts between states, armies, governments, and tribal groups.
Before 1200 CE
1200–1299
1300–1399
1400–1499
1500–1599
1600–1699
1700–1799
...
*
Status of First Nations treaties in British Columbia
*
The Canadian Crown and Indigenous peoples of Canada
References
External links
Treaty Texts - Treaty No. 8from the Government of Canada
Treaty 8 First Nations of AlbertaTreaty 8 Tribal Association (British Columbia)*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Treaty 08
Numbered Treaties
Dane-zaa
Political history of British Columbia
Political history of Alberta
Political history of Saskatchewan
History of the Northwest Territories
First Nations history
Treaties concluded in 1899
Treaties concluded in 1900
1899 in Alberta