Robinson Treaties of 1850 Overview

Robinson Treaties of 1850

• Two treaties, the Robinson Superior Treaty and the Robinson Huron Treaty, were created.
• The treaties involved Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) chiefs representing First Nations groups around Lake Superior and Lake Huron, and British representative William Benjamin Robinson.
• The treaties were created due to new settlers seeking mining opportunities in the area.
• First Nations and Métis were upset as settlers took land without compensation, violating the Royal Proclamation of 1763.
• The uprising, known as the Mica Bay Incident, was a fight for land rights against mining companies.
• The chiefs agreed to cede a large territory north of Lakes Superior and Huron to the British government.
• First Nations received payment for the land in yearly installments.
• 24 reserves were created for First Nations peoples.
• Reserves were held in trust for their benefit.
• First Nations were allowed to hunt and fish in the ceded territory.

Act for the Better Protection of the Lands and Property of Indians in Lower Canada

• The British government established official treaties with Indigenous groups after the Seven Years' War.
• In 1850, an act was made to explicitly determine who had farming and hunting rights in different areas, aiming to define "legal Indian."
• The Act aimed to determine people able to live on reserve land, implying the land was held in trust for their benefit.
• First Nations people were considered "legal Indians" if of First Nations blood and part of a specific family/cultural group.
• Marriage to a First Nations person also meant a person or their children were considered "legal Indians."
• Even if children were adopted by non-First Nations people, their status was determined by their parent's status as "legal Indians."
• Women lost legal status if married to non-status men, and their children also were considered non-status.

Gradual Civilization Act of 1857

• Canadian government tried to assimilate Indigenous people in the mid-1800s.
• Europeans saw Indigenous practices as uncivilized, wanting them to adopt European farming practices and Christianity.
• The act aimed to allow certain Indigenous men to denounce their status; get land grants, and eventually vote.
• The act required a person to be "well-behaved" to meet the requirements of the act.
• Indigenous people were often not given their rights as agreed in treaties given by the government.
• The Act was issued as a response to the increased need for land in the British colonies after the War of 1812.

Gradual Enfranchisement Act of 1869

• The Canadian government attempted to introduce voluntary enfranchisement to First Nations peoples.
• First nations men could lose their legal status and receive land rights and the right to vote.
• Living in reserve lands was dependent on having 1/4 First Nations blood.
• Individuals without 1/4 First Nations blood could not live in reserves or receive government payment.
• Metis people were not included in the intended recipients of the Act.
• The act sought to encourage First Nations people to abandon their Indigenous identity in exchange for certain rights.
• The process involved replacing traditional governance structures with a European-inspired model consisting of an elected band chief and council.