Page 57 - Chippewas of Rama First Nation

Treaty Rights

This map captures individual
family hunting territories in
the Williams Treaties area.

A treaty is a nation-to-nation agreement. For 5000 years prior
to the arrival of Europeans, First Nations had been negotiating
treaties and contracts with each other. Wampum belts recorded
these agreements in images and symbols that formed the
arrangements reached between the groups. The arrival of
Europeans brought new challenges to negotiating, but the basis
for a contract was well understood by First Nations in North
America. Our people usually smoked the pipe to seal agreements
in good faith before the Creator.
To us, treaty rights are a simple matter. They are all the items set
down in our treaties years ago, to be honoured by both sides.
Unfortunately, some treaty agreements have often not been
honoured. Rights outlined in our treaties have been twisted,
ignored, or stripped away, depending upon the decisions of the
government of the time.

Treaties that we signed before Canada became a country, such
as the 1785–1787 Collins Treaty, have always been contested by
the Canadian government because they were signed with the WORDS TO KNOW
British Crown. Our Elders tell us that when our people signed the compensation: payment for
loss, damage, or effort
1923 Williams Treaties, they were made to sign a blank piece of
paper and they did not receive enough compensation promised Crown: the source of power to
govern a country
for the lands removed from our control. Many things were
promised verbally, such as additional reserve lands, and hunting
and fishing rights. We work hard to ensure that Canada honours
these promises.

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