- Treaty 8
Treaty 8 was an agreement signed on
June 21 ,1899 , between Queen Victoria and variousFirst Nations atLesser Slave Lake . Adhesions to this agreement were signed that same year on July 1 atPeace River Landing , July 6 atDunvegan , July 8 atFort Vermilion , July 13 atFort Chipewyan , July 17 atSmith's Landing , July 25 and 27 atFond du Lac , August 4 atFort McMurray , and August 14 atWabasca Lake . Further Adhesions were in1900 on May 13 atFort St. John , June 8 atLesser Slave Lake , June 23 atFort Vermilion and July 25 atFort Resolution . The land covered by Treaty 8 is larger than France and includes northernAlberta , northeasternBritish Columbia , northwesternSaskatchewan and a southernmost portion of theNorthwest Territories .Chief Keenooshayoo was one of the First Nations signatories to Treaty 8. First Nations that are considered signatories to Treaty 8 includeWoodland Cree ,Dunneza (or "Beaver") andChipewyan . Other signatories included David Liard, Father Albert Lacombe, Rev. George Homes, Bishop Grourad, J.A.J. McKenna, J.H. 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, J.H. Picard, Richard Secord, M. McCauley, Headman Moostoos, Headman Felix Giroux, Headman Wee Chee Way Sis, Headmman Charles Sue Ta Sis. Treaty 8 is one of elevennumbered treaties made between the Government of Canada and First Nations. The Government of Canada had between1871 and1877 signed Treaties 1 to 7. Treaties 1 to 7 covered the southern portions of what was theNorthwest 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. However in the mid-1890s , theKlondike Gold Rush began to draw Europeans northward into the previous undisturbed territory. The increase contact and conflict between First Nations of the region and Europeans prompted the Government of Canada to enter into Treaty 8. In September 1899, the Treaty and Half Breed Commissioners finally concluded the treaty process, with 2217 accepting the treaty, and another 1234 people opting for scrip.Father Albert Lacombe , a trusted Catholic missionary, had been asked by Canadian officials 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 840 000 km² 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. [ [http://www.canadiana.org/citm/_textpopups/aboriginals/doc64_e.html Text Pop-up ] ]Gordon Benoit, a Mikisew Cree, filed a legal challenge against the income taxes in
1992 citing Treaty 8 rights still applied. His case was upheld in2002 at the federal court level, but was subsequently overturned by the Federal Court of Appeal, and in2004 theSupreme Court of Canada refused to hear a further appeal. Benoit had his housing and employment outside of a reservation, but a section of the CanadianIndian Act provides tax exemption for properties and jobs only within reserves.ee also
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List of treaties
*Numbered Treaties
*The Canadian Crown and First Nations, Inuit and Métis References
* [http://www.treaty8.org Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta]
* [http://www.treaty8.bc.ca/ Treaty 8 Tribal Association (British Columbia)]
* [http://www.sicc.sk.ca/bands/treaty8.html List of Treaty 8 First Nations in Saskatchewan]External links
* [http://www.collectionscanada.ca/treaty8/index-e.html Collections Canada: Treaty 8]
* [http://www.albertasource.ca/treaty8/eng/default.htm Virtual Museum of Canada Exhibit: The Making of Treaty #8 in Canada’s Northwest] http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/pr/trts/trty8_e.html
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