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Treaty 10
In 1906, Commissioner J.A.J. McKenna presented the text of Treaty Eight as a draft text of Treaty Ten to the First Nations in Ile a la Crosse, Portage la Loche, and Buffalo Narrows. During Treaty Ten negotiations, Treaty Commissioner McKenna told the First Nations that the Crown’s objective was to do for them what had been done for other Treaty Nations when trade and settlement began to interfere with First Nation’s way of life.First Nations held concerns about their way of life and livelihood similar to those expressed during the negotiations of Treaty Eight. They expressed concern about the restrictive and confining nature of the reserve system, and did not want reserve creation to impede their traditional way of life.McKenna assured First Nations that ‘the same means of earning a livelihood wouldcontinue after the treaty was made as existed before it,’ and that the Crown would assist them in times of real distress, and would help support the elderly and indigent. Verbal assurances were given by Commissioner McKenna that education and medical assistance would be provided to the First Nations. Also promised were suits, medals, flags, annuities, lands and protection for hunting and fishing practices. Protecting a way of life and securing livelihood was the primary concern of First Nations of both Treaty Eight and Ten. |
