“maintain peace between each other and… half-breeds”

In 1902, as Canada prepared to negotiate Treaty 9 in the James Bay region, Indian Commissioner J.A. McKenna drew the government’s attention to inconsistent policies that could complicate treaty implementation, including the government’s arbitrary approach to addressing Métis rights in Ontario:

“Halfbreeds living on the Keewatin side of the English River are recognized as having territorial rights and get scrip, scrip which they may locate in Manitoba or any part of the North West Territories, while the Halfbreeds on the Ontario side who naturally comes and makes claim has to be told that he has no territorial rights.”

McKenna emphasized that the government “must take care to avoid the perpetuation of this” arbitrary and discriminatory approach to addressing Métis rights and claims, advocating that to minimize potential risks to upcoming Treaty 9 negotiations:

“Therefore I would at once say that the suggested extinguishment of Indian title should stand until the settlement of Halfbreed claims is completed.”

Despite McKenna’s call to delay Treaty 9 negotiations until Métis rights and claims were meaningfully addressed within the territory, the government proceeded with treaty negotiations.

In response, in 1905, a group of Métis at Moose Factory petitioned the government for recognition of their distinct Métis rights, stating they “have been born and brought up in the country...” and should therefore receive, “that scrip has been granted to the Halfbreeds of the North West Territory,” with whom they shared deep multigenerational Métis family connections. Although the Ontario Government recognized the 1905 Moose Factory Métis petitioners' claims on paper, there is no evidence that their requests for scrip were ever met.

Among the solemn promises ultimately enshrined in Treaty 9, “the undersigned Ojibeway, Cree and other chiefs and headmen, on their own behalf and on behalf of all the Indians whom they represent” agreed to “maintain peace between each other and between themselves and other tribes of Indians, and between themselves and others of His Majesty's subjects, whether Indians, half-breeds or whites, this year inhabiting and hereafter to inhabit any part of the said ceded territory.”

In doing so, Treaty 9’s signatory First Nations vowed to maintain respectful relationships with their Métis neighbours, the Abitibi Inland Métis Community, as they had done for generations prior.

See Our Sources

• Treaty Number 9 - Text

• Treaty Number 9 - Scan

• “Report from J. A. McKenna Regarding Half-Breed Claims,” LAC RG 10, Vol. 3033, File 235,225 Pt. 1, C-11314.

• 1905 Moose Factory Métis Petition

• Abitibi Inland Métis Community’s Submissions to the MNC Expert Panel

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