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Hey all, so I received a few emails from people confused about the numbered treaty system in Canada so I’m going to lay down a quick tutorial.

The numbered treaty system on Turtle Island/Canada consists of 11 treaties which were created — some Indigenous nations feels unfairly — between 1871 and 1921.

Since Canada falls under British Crown, the treaties were signed by the reigning monarchs at the time by Queen Victoria, Edward VII or George V, though they are implemented by the Canadian government through the oversight of the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

Here is a list of the numbered treaties in Canada.

Treaty 1 – August 1871: the first treaty signed, a controversial agreement established August 3, 1871 between Queen Victoria and various First Nations in South Eastern Manitoba including the Chippewa and Swampy Cree tribes. This includes the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation; Fort Alexander (Sagkeeng First Nation); Long Plain First Nation; Peguis First Nation; Roseau River Anishinaabe First Nation; Sandy Bay First Nation and Swan Lake First Nation.

Treaty 2 – August 1871: signed the same year as Treaty 1, this was an agreement established August 21, 1871, between the Queen Victoria and various First Nations in southwest Manitoba and a small part of southeast Saskatchewan.

Treaty signatories from this region include the Ojibway Nation. This includes the Dauphin River First Nation; Ebb and Flow First Nation; Keeseekoowenin First Nation; Lake Manitoba First Nation; Lake St. Martin First Nation; Little Saskatchewan First Nation; O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation (Crane River);  Pinaymootang First Nation (Fairford); Skownan First Nation (formerly Waterhen First Nation and the Pine Creek First Nation.

Treaty 3 – October 1873: this agreement, signed on October 3, 1873 by Queen Victoria and the Ojibwe Nation, encompasses a vast amount of Anishinaabe territory that was ceded to the Crown. The area includes a large section of northwestern Ontario and a small section of eastern Manitoba. Treaty 3 also established provisions for rights for the Métis and other Ojibway, through a series of adhesions signed over the next year.

Treaty 3 has been involved in a series of litigations over the years regarding the rights of Indigenous people vs. the obligations set out under the treaty signed by the Crown. Litigations include St. Catherines Milling v. The Queen (1888) and The Dominion of Canada v The Province of Ontario (1910). 

Treaty 3 nations include Big Grassy First Nation – Morson, Ontario; Big Island First Nation – Morson, Ontario; Buffalo Point First Nation – Buffalo Point, Manitoba; Couchiching First Nation – Fort Frances, Ontario; Eagle Lake First Nation – Migisi Sahgaigan, Ontario; Grassy Narrows First Nation – Grassy Narrows, Ontario; Iskatewizaagegan 39 First Nation – Shoal Lake, Ontario; Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation – Thunder Bay, Ontario;  Lac La Croix First Nation – Fort Frances, Ontario; Lac Seul First Nation – Hudson, Ontario; Naicatchewenin First Nation – Devlin, Ontario; Naotkamegwanning First Nation – Pawitik, Ontario; Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation – Fort Frances, Ontario; Northwest Angle 33 First Nation – Kenora, Ontario; Northwest Angle 37 First Nation – Sioux Narrows, Ontario; Obashkaandagaang Bay First Nation – Keewatin, Ontario; Ochiichagwe’Babigo’Ining Ojibway Nation – Kenora, Ontario; Onigaming First Nation – Nestor Falls, Ontario; Rainy River First Nations – Emo, Ontario; Ojibway Nation of Saugeen First Nation – Savant Lake, Ontario; Seine River First Nation – Mine Centre, Ontario; Stanjikoming First Nation – Fort Frances, Ontario; Shoal Lake 40 First Nation – Shoal Lake, Ontario; Wabauskang First Nation – Ear Falls, Ontario; Wabigoon Lake First Nation – Dryden, Ontario; Wauzhusk Onigum First Nation – Kenora, Ontario and Wabaseemoong Independent Nations – Whitedog, Ontario.

Treaty 4 – September 1874: this treaty is also called the Qu’appelle Treaty and was signed on September 15, 1877. It was established between Queen Victoria and the Cree and Saulteaux First Nations and covers most of southern Saskatchewan, plus a small area of western Manitoba and southeastern Alberta. It consists of a long list of nations, some signatories from other treaties. These include the Swampy Cree Tribal Council; West Region Tribal Council; File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council; Saskatoon Tribal Council; Touchwood Agency Tribal Council; Yorkton Tribal Administration and other independent signatories.

Treaty 5 – September 1875 (adhesions from 1908–1910): this treaty area was first established in September, 1875, between Queen Victoria and Saulteaux and Swampy Cree non-treaty tribes and peoples around Lake Winnipeg in the District of Keewatin and essentially covers most of central and northern Manitoba, and small sections of Saskatchewan and Ontario. It was completed in two rounds from September 1875 to September 1876.

These nations include the Berens River First Nation; Bloodvein First Nation; Bunibonibee Cree Nation; Chemawawin Cree First Nation; Fisher River Cree Nation; Fox Lake Cree Nation; Garden Hill First Nations; God’s Lake First Nation; Grand Rapids First Nation; Hollow Water First Nation; Kinonjeoshtegon First Nation; Black River First Nation; Little Grand Rapids First Nation; Manto Sipi Cree Nation; Mosakahiken Cree First Nation; Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation; Norway House Cree Nation; Opaskwayak Cree Nation; Pauingassi First Nation; Pimicikamak First Nation, Poplar River First Nation; Red Sucker Lake First Nation; St. Theresa Point First Nation; Sayisi Dene First Nation; Shamattawa First Nation; Tataskweyak Cree Nation; War Lake First Nation; Wasagamack First Nation; York Factory First Nation; Deer Lake First Nation; North Spirit Lake First Nation; Pikangikum First Nation; Poplar Hill First Nation; Sandy Lake First Nation; Cumberland House Cree First Nation; Red Earth First Nation; and the Shoal Lake of the Cree First Nation.

Treaty 6 – August–September 1876 (adhesions in February 1889): this treaty agreement was signed between the Crown and the Plain and Wood Cree, Assiniboine, and other Indigenous Nations at Fort Carlton, Fort Pitt and Battle River in the area of Saskatchewan and Alberta and two Manitoba nations. Signatories of this treaty were heavily influenced by the rapidly diminishing buffalo on the Canadian plains.  The Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations was created in the spring of 1993 by 17 of Treaty Six band governments to be the “united political voice” of the Treaty Six First Nations.

Treaty 6 nations include the Alexander First Nation [Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation]; Beaver Lake Cree Nation; Cold Lake First Nation; Enoch Cree Nation; Ermineskin First Nation; Frog Lake First Nation; Heart Lake First Nation; Kehewin Cree Nation; Louis Bull First Nation; Michel First Nation; Montana First Nation; O’Chiese First Nation; Paul First Nation; Saddle Lake Cree Nation; Samson First Nation; Sunchild First Nation; Whitefish Lake First Nation; Marcel Colomb First Nation; Mathias Colomb First Nation; Ahtahkakoop First Nation; Beardy’s and Okemasis First Nation; Big Island Lake Cree Nation; Big River First Nation; Chakastaypasin First Nation; Flying Dust First Nation; Island Lake First Nation; James Smith First Nation; Lac La Ronge First Nation; Little Pine First Nation; Lucky Man First Nation; Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation; Mistawasis First Nation; Montreal Lake Cree Nation; Moosomin First Nation; Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man First Nation; Muskeg Lake First Nation; Muskoday First Nation; One Arrow First Nation; Onion Lake Cree Nation; Pelican Lake First Nation; Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation; Poundmaker First Nation; Red Pheasant First Nation; Saulteaux First Nation; Sweetgrass First Nation; Sturgeon Lake First Nation; Thunderchild First Nation; Waterhen Lake First Nation and Witchekan Lake First Nation.

Treaty 7 – September 1877: an agreement between Queen Victoria and several mainly Blackfoot First Nations in southern Alberta.  Member include Kainai Nation (Blood); Pikani First Nation (Piegan); Siksika Nation (Blackfoot); Tsuu T’ina Nation (Sarcee); Stoney First Nation and the Assiniboine Nation.

Treaty 8 – June 1899 (with further signings and adhesions until 1901): this treaty area of 840,000 square kilometres (84,000,000 ha), is larger than France and includes northern Alberta, northeastern British Columbia, northwestern Saskatchewan and a southernmost portion of the Northwest Territories. Members include the Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta; the Treaty 8 Tribal Association (British Columbia) and First Nations Treaty members of Saskatchewan.

Treaty 9 – July 1905: also known as the James Bay Treaty, this agreement was established by King Edward VII and includes large areas of Northern Ontario and one First Nation community in the bordering Abitibi region of northwestern Quebec.

Member nations include the Abitibiwinni First Nation (Quebec); Albany First Nation; Aroland First Nation; Attawapiskat First Nation; Bearskin Lake First Nation; Brunswick House First Nation; Cat Lake First Nation; Chapleau Cree First Nation; Chapleau Ojibway First Nation; Constance Lake First Nation; Eabametoong First Nation; Flying Post First Nation; Fort Severn First Nation; Ginoogaming First Nation; Kasabonika Lake First Nation; Keewaywin First Nation; Kingfisher First Nation Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation (KI); Matachewan First Nation; Mishkeegogamang First Nation; Missanabie Cree First Nation; Neskantaga First Nation; Nibinamik First Nation; Mattagami First Nation; Muskrat Dam Lake First Nation; Marten Falls First Nation; McDowell Lake First Nation; Moose Cree First Nation; North Caribou Lake First Nation; Sachigo Lake First Nation; Slate Falls Nation; Taykwa Tagamou Nation; Wahgoshig First Nation; Wapekeka First Nation; Wawakapewin First Nation; Webequie First Nation; Weenusk First Nation; and the Wunnumin Lake First Nation.

Treaty 10 – August 1906: is an agreement established beginning August 19, 1906, between King Edward VII and various First Nations communities in northern Saskatchewan and a small portion of eastern Alberta. The agreement was drafted based on the Treaty 8 text. Treaty 10 members include Barren Lands First Nation; Northlands First Nation, Birch Narrows First Nation; Buffalo River Dene Nation; Canoe Lake Cree First Nation; English River First Nation and Hatchet Lake First Nation.

Treaty 11 – June 1921: is an agreement established between June 27, 1921, and Jul 17, 1922, between King George V and various First Nations communities in the Northwest Territories. Treaty 11 members include the Acho Dene Koe First Nation; Aklavik First Nation; Behdzi Ahda First Nation; Dechi Laoti’ First Nation; Deh Gah Gotie Dene Council; Deline First Nation; Dog Rib Rae First Nation; Fort Good Hope First Nation; Gameti First Nation; Gwicha Gwich’in First Nation; Inuvik Native First Nation; Jean Marie River First Nation; Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation; Liidli Kue First Nation; Nahanni Butte First Nation; Pehdzeh Ki First Nation; Sambaa K’e (Trout Lake) Dene First Nation; Tetlit Gwich’in First Nation; Tulita Dene First Nation; West Point First Nation and the Wha Ti First Nation.

Krystalline Kraus

krystalline kraus is an intrepid explorer and reporter from Toronto, Canada. A veteran activist and journalist for rabble.ca, she needs no aviator goggles, gas mask or red cape but proceeds fearlessly...