Douglas Treaties

Douglas Treaties: 1850-1854

Sir James Douglas
Drafted	1850-1854
Location	Colony of Vancouver Island
Parties	First Nations of Vancouver Island and the Colony of Vancouver Island
Language	English

The Douglas Treaties , Vancouver Island Treaties or the Fort Victoria Treaties were a series of treaties signed between certain First Nations on Vancouver Island and the Colony of Vancouver Island.

Background

With the signing of the Oregon Treaty in 1846, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) determined that its trapping rights in the Oregon Territory were tenuous. Thus in 1849, it moved its western headquarters from Fort Vancouver on the Columbia River (present day Vancouver, Washington) to Fort Victoria. Fort Vancouver's Chief Factor, James Douglas, was relocated to the young trading post to oversee the Company's operations west of the Rockies.

This development prompted the British colonial office to designate the territory a crown colony on January 13, 1849. The new colony, Colony of Vancouver Island, was immediately leased to the HBC for a ten year period, and Douglas was charged with encouraging British settlement. Richard Blanshard was named the colony's governor. Blanshard discovered that the hold of the HBC over the affairs of the new colony was all but absolute, and that it was Douglas who held all practical authority in the territory. There was no civil service, no police, no militia, and virtually every British colonist was an employee of the HBC.

Treaties

As the colony expanded the HBC started buying up lands for colonial settlement and industry from aboriginal peoples on Vancouver Island.^[1] For four years the governor, James Douglas, made a series of fourteen land purchases from aboriginal peoples. The Douglas Treaties cover approximately 930 square kilometres (360 sq mi) of land around Victoria, Saanich, Sooke, Nanaimo and Port Hardy, all on Vancouver Island that were exchanged for cash, clothing and blankets. They were able to retain existing village lands and fields for their use, and also were allowed to hunt and fish on the surrendered lands.^[2]

These fourteen land purchases became the fourteen Treaties that make up the Douglas Treaties. Douglas didn't continue buying land due to lack of money and the slow growth of the Vancouver Island colony.^[1]

Treaty Members

Treaty First Nation Name	Modern First Nation Name	Land covered by Treaty	Money exchanged for land	Ref
Teechamitsa	Esquimalt First Nation	Country lying between Esquimalt and Point Albert	27 !£27 10 shillings (UK £2,343 in 2011)	[3]
Kosampson	Esquimalt First Nation	Esquimalt Peninsula and Colquitz Valley	52.5 !£52 10 shillings (UK £4,473 in 2011)	[3]
Whyomilth	Esquimalt First Nation	Northwest of Esquimalt Harbour	30 !£30 (UK £2,556 in 2011)	[3]
Chewhaytsum	Becher Bay Band	Sooke	45.5 !£45 ten shillings (UK £3,876 in 2011)	[3]
Chilcowitch	Songhees First Nation	Point Gonzales	45 !£45 (UK £3,834 in 2011)	[3]
Che-ko-nein	Songhees First Nation	Point Gonzales to Cedar Hill	79.5 !£79 10 shillings (UK £6,773 in 2011)	[3]
Sooke	T'sou-ke Nation	North-west of Sooke Inlet	48.4 !£48 6 shillings 8 pence (UK £4,123 in 2011)	[3]
Ka-ky-aakan	Becher Bay Band	Metchosin	43.4 !£43 6 shillings 8 pence (UK £3,697 in 2011)	[3]
Saanich Tribe (South)	Tsawout First Nation and Tsartlip First Nation First Nations	South Saanich	41.6 !£41 13 shillings 4 pence (UK £3,544 in 2011)	[3]
Saanich Tribe (North)	Pauquachin First Nation and Tseycum First Nations	North Saanich	[amount not stated]	[3]
Saalequun	Snuneymuxw First Nation (Former Nanaimo Band)	[area not stated]	[amount not stated]	[3]
Swengwhung	Songhees First Nation	[area not stated]	[amount not stated]	[3]
Queackar	Kwakiutl (Kwawkelth) Band	Fort Rupert.	64 !£64 (UK £5,452 in 2011)	[3]
Quakiolth	Kwakiutl (Kwawkelth) Band	Fort Rupert.	86 !£86 (UK £7,327 in 2011)	[3]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Douglas Treaties: 1850-1854". Executive Council of British Columbia. 2009. http://www.gov.bc.ca/arr/treaty/landmark/douglas/default.html. Retrieved July 28, 2009. 
2. ^ "1811 - 1867: Pre-Confederation Treaties II". canadiana.org. 2009. http://www.canadiana.org/citm/themes/aboriginals/aboriginals5_e.html#douglas. Retrieved July 28, 2009. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n} "Douglas Treaty Payments" (PDF). Executive Council of British Columbia. llbc.leg.bc.ca. 2009. http://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/PubDocs/bcdocs/406899/history_payment.pdf. Retrieved July 28, 2009. 

Further reading

• British Columbia Indian Treaties In Historical Perspective, Dennis F. K. Madill, Research Branch, Corporate Policy, Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, 1981

External links

• Map of Vancouver Island Treaties, Hulquminum Treaty Group website