Home    Search     Resources & Links    Project Team    Contact     Feedback    Site Map    Sponsors    Help
















Treaties

Courtesy of the Hudson's Bay Archives

Signing Date and Location:

York Factory First Nation signed to Treaty Five in York Landing on August 10, 1910.

Purpose of Treaty:

The purpose of the Treaty was to extinguish Indian title in order to "open up for settlement, immigration and such other purposes as Her Majesty may seem meet" the area ceded.

Area Ceded:

The area ceded for the northern bands of Treaty Five was 133, 400 square miles in northern Manitoba. How ever this amount does not reflect the amount given to York Factory itself.

Indian Obligations:

The Indians are to conduct and behave themselves as good and loyal subjects Her Majesty the Queen; obey the laws of the of the country; maintain peace themselves and non-Indians; not molest the persons or property of any inhabitants in the ceded territory, or the property of Her Majesty the Queen, or interfere with any person passing or traveling through the ceded territory. Chiefs must aid and assist the law officers of the Crown in apprehending any Indian offending the laws in force in the ceded territory; allow free navigation and access to shorelines of reserves.

Crown Obligations:

The Crown was to set apart Reserves for each Bond on the basis of 160 acres for each family of five or in that proportion for larger or smaller families. Those Indians from Norway House area who were to move to the area around Fisher River were to receive a Reserve on the basis of 100 acre per family of five, or, 20 acres per individual. When laying aside these Reserves the Crown was to take into consideration any lands under cultivation by the Indians.

Crown was also to distribute the following:

· Annuities to each person of $5.00, in perpetuity.

· Yearly annuities to Chief of $25.00 and to councilors to a maximum of three year per band, a sum of $15.00; provide every three years "a suitable suit of clothing" to each Chief and Councilor.

· $500 a year for the purchase of ammunition and twine to distributed between the Indians.

· Agriculture assistance through "once and for all" items: for every family farming on a reserve - 2 hoes, 1 spade, 1 scythe, and 1 axe; for every 10 families farming - a plough; for every 20 families farming - 5 harrows; for every Band - 1 cross cut saw, 1 hand saw, 1 pit saw, files, 1 grindstone, 1 auger, enough wheat, barley, potatoes and oats to plant the "land actually broken for cultivation", 1 yoke of oxen, 1 bull and 4 cows; for the Band in the care of the Chief - "1 chest of ordinary carpenters tools".

· Maintain schools on Reserves.

· Prohibition on sale of liquor to Indians.

· Right to hunt and fish throughout the ceded territory subject to regulations made from time to time by Canada, excluding such tracts required or taken up for settlement, mining, lumbering or other purposes.

Crown Prerogatives:

The Crown was to sell or otherwise dispose of Reserve land or interests in the land for the use and benefit of the Band provided that the Band had first given its consent.

The Crown was to deal with any non-Indian settlers whose lands were found to be within the boundaries of any Reserve "in a manner as She seems fit"; so as not to diminish the amount of land for public works or buildings required by the Dominion government provided that due compensation being made for the value of any improvements thereon, and an equivalent in land or money for the land appropriated be given.

Treaty Presents:

Crown was to give $5.00 for every man, woman and child.

For more detailed information Click here.


Back to top of page