Maurice Piche (Chief Moberley)

Maurice Piche (Chief Moberley), a great caribou hunter, was the chief of the Dene at Fond du Lac who agreed to Treaty 8 in July of 1899.

When the negotiations started for Treaty 8, Piche almost got into a fight with the translator Louis Robillard because when Robillard had explained the terms of the Treaty to Piche, he became upset over what he had heard. Piche threatened to lead his people to their sacred caribou hunting grounds rather than negotiate the Treaty because he felt that what he was being offered was not fair, considering what his people were giving up. The Treaty Commissioner David Liard was frustrated by the incident between Piche and Robillard and believed that it meant that a Treaty would not be signed in Fond du Lac.

First off, Piche believed that the annuities were “bait set in a trap.” As well, Piche wanted to ensure that his people were not treated like the First Nations of the southern plains had been and be placed on reserves. Piche knew that his people could not farm in the North and therefore they needed their freedom to continue to hunt and trap like they had since time immemorial.

The Dene at Fond du Lac would eventually sign Treaty 8 on July 25, 1899, but Piche would not agree to its terms until July 27, 1899.

Sources – Rene Fumoleau. As Long as this Land Shall Last: A History of Treaty 8 and Treaty 11, 1870-1939. Toronto: McClleland and Stewart.