Revisiting the Meaning of Treaty Number Four in Southern Saskatchewan:
Name
Danette Starr-Spaeth
Type of Resource
text
Genre
Thesis
Abstract
--Description taken from "Revisiting the Meaning of Treaty Number Four in Southern Saskatchewan"--
The signing of Treaty Number Four provided access to the fertile lands of the prairie belt. The Indian Nations opened up these lands in exchange for certain rights and with certain expectations. However the interpretation of the treaty has not been representative of the Indian perspective. This brings forward the question whether or not Indian people intentionally relinquished their birthrights to the land when they signed Treaty Number Four. This thesis examines that question based on whether or not Indian people were in a strong negotiating position at the time of the treaty and whether or not they understood the treaty outcome. A brief history of the Indian Nations in the Treaty Number Four region provides the reader with an understanding of the religious, cultural, and traditional attitudes in 1874, as well the actual dynamics that were present during the negotiations. Existing oral history is used to provide the Indian Nations' perspectives, and selected government documents and other primary/secondary sources are used to provide the government's perspective.
The Indian people came from a strong position, they had certain expectations that they believed would be met through treaty obligations. Issues of land ownership, education and reserve creation provide ideal examples of misunderstandings and misinterpretations in the treaty outcome.