The Anishiinaabe and Mushkegowuk People's view of Treaty No. Nine

To summarize, our people knew that more and more non-aboriginal peoples were coming into our lands. At times we came across them in the bush while we were hunting and trapping. Our peoples saw signs that the animals were being trapped on our lands, sometimes from poisoned bait that was never used by our people. As well, the fur trade was ending and so we wanted our lands, trap-lines, and animals to be protected. We wanted our hunting, fishing and trapping rights to be secured in an agreement with the government. We also wanted monetary help, schools for our children and to know that we would not be interfered with in our traditional lifestyles on the land and waters.

In our culture, we did not keep written records. But our stories and knowledge was verbally passed down through generations of families, extended families and ancestors. So, our word is very important and we even have a word that refers to verbal formal promises as Shatamakaywina that we used amongst ourselves as well as to refer to the Treaty (Long 1995: 27; Spence 2008: personal communication).

Our oral history is very important to us for it is the main medium to describe and record events, occurrences, and news that are spread throughout the community so that the context and information is communicated to many people.

Unknown Mushkegowuk Peoples in James Bay, (ca 1900s)

Just like written history, the oral history of our peoples reflects the way they understood the treaties. Even those who were just born at the time of the signing of Treaty No. Nine, or many years later, often learned of the events later in life as the story was passed down by parents, grandparents and Elders about what had took place. And we believe our peoples because their word was always trusted and it is the one thing that we hold to be true and accurate.

You see as the treaty was being explained to our people, we did not understand English, so it had to be translated to us. And those that translated, usually Hudson’s Bay Company interpreters or missionaries, may not have explained and translated everything properly. So, in many cases, our oral understandings of the treaty show that what was discussed and agreed to by our peoples, was not reflected in the written treaty. This is the view of our Elders at the time. Elder John Fletcher, from Moose Factory who was born in 1889 and witnessed the Treaty No. Nine signing described it this way:

“The Commissioners came, representing His Majesty, the King of England, and said, ‘We have brought to you his Majesty’s request to surrender your land, to act as a custodian, and if you respond to this request, you will be given money for every year. You will also be given assistance by His Majesty the King. Your children will be educated. The government will pay all expenses. You will not pay for medication. The government will pay for the treatment of your illnesses’” (Nishnwabe-Aski Nation 1986: 36).

John also said another person asked one of the Treaty Commissioners, "Will our hunting be affected by the Treaty?" The Commissioner answered, "This hunting right will never be taken away. Do you see this river that never stops flowing? This Treaty will be an example to it" (ibid). Elder John Fletcher even said they were told that they would share in the resources and the wealth that would be found in our homelands. "Although this was not written in the Treaty, these kinds of verbal promises were considered by us before we signed the Treaty" (ibid). According to John, they were told, "Nothing will ever alter your way of life. We will share this land with your people. You will not lose your culture if you sign this treaty" (ibid). Many years later before John’s death, he reminisced, “It seems to me, as a witness to the signing of the Treaty, that some of these promises have been forgotten” (ibid).

At Fort Hope, Chief Moonias, concerning the benefit of money to his people said, "Ever since I was a little boy I have to pay well for everything, even if it was only a few pins or a bit of braid, and now you come with money and I have to give nothing in exchange” (Macklem 1997: 112).

Chief Moonias, Treaty Signing, Fort Hope, 1905