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Lesson Resource Kit: The James Bay Treaty

Grade 8: Creating Canada, 1850–1890

Canada, 1890–1914: A Changing Society

En-Route -- Abitibi River, ca. 1905 Photographer unknown

Duncan Campbell Scott fonds. Reference Code: C 275-2-0-2 (S 7569)

Archives of Ontario, I0010557

Introduction

Designed to fit into teachers’ practice, this resource kit provides links, activity

suggestions, primary source handouts and worksheets to assist you and your students

in applying, inquiring, and understanding Canada between 1850 and 1914.

Topic

The making and legacy of the James Bay Treaty

Source

The James Bay Treaty Turns 100. To view this online exhibit, click here.

Use the Archives of Ontario’s online exhibit on the James Bay Treaty:

As a learning resource for yourself

As a site to direct your students for inquiry projects

As a place to find and use primary sources related to the curriculum

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Themes that can be addressed

Use of Primary Sources

Alliances among First Nations during negotiations with the federal government

Historical significance

Perspective taking

Cause and consequence

Curriculum Links

Strand A. Creating Canada, 1850–1890

Overall Expectations Historical Thinking

Concepts

Specific Expectations

A1. Application: The New

Nation and Its Peoples

Cause and Consequence;

Historical Perspective

A1.1, A1.2, A1.3,

A2. Inquiry: Perspectives in

the New Nation

Historical Perspective;

Historical Significance

A2.1, A2.2, A2.3, A2.4,

A2.5, A2.6

A3. Understanding

Historical Context: Events

and Their Consequences

Historical Significance;

Cause and Consequence

A3.1, A3.2, A3.3, A3.4

Strand B. Canada, 1890–1914: A Changing Society

Overall Expectations Historical Thinking

Concepts

Specific Expectations

B1. Application: Canada –

Past and Present

Continuity and Change;

Historical Perspective

B1.1, B1.2, B1.3

B2. Inquiry: Perspectives

on a Changing Society

Historical Perspective;

Historical Significance

B2.1, B2.2, B2.3, B2.4,

B2.5, B2.6

B3. Understanding

Historical Context: Events

and Their Consequences

Historical Significance;

Cause and Consequence

B3.1, B3.2, B3.3, B3.4

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Assignment & Activity Ideas

Inquiring into the James Bay Treaty

Drawing on the 2013 revised History curriculum, the historical inquiry process

involves five steps:

Formulating a question

Gathering and organizing information or evidence

Interpreting and analysing information or evidence

Evaluating information or evidence and drawing conclusions

Communicating findings

The curriculum highlights that these steps do not have to be completed

sequentially nor together. You may wish to explore specific steps based on your

students’ readiness and prior knowledge or your own resources and time. See

pages 22-24 in the 2013 revised Ontario Social Studies and History curriculum

for more details. To view the revised curriculum, click here.

Using a primary source handout from this Kit, introduce your students to the topic

of the James Bay Treaty. Ask students to ask questions of the source, the James

Bay Treaty, or the general topic of colonial relations during this time that the

primary source might invite. Use these questions as jumping off points for

exploring these historical issues in more depth.

Use the James Bay Treaty Turns 100 online exhibit as a source to point your

students for their own inquiry project. To view the exhibit, click here. Here, they

can view primary sources and secondary information to gather and organize

historical evidence to interpret, evaluate, and communicate.

One Source, Many Questions

Using one of the primary source handouts found in this Teaching Kit, ask

students to identify the 5Ws. The Identifying My Primary Source worksheet can

help in this task.

Ask students to zoom in on one of the aspects of the source they found strange,

familiar, or interesting and identify them to the class. Write these things on the

board and group them according to theme.

Use one or more of these themes as an introduction to an inquiry-based

assignment. Have students work in collaborative groups, individually, or as a

class on short or long term project(s) researching the historical context of the

primary source.

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Similarities and Differences between Signing Partners

After looking through the Primary Sources in this Kit and understanding a little bit

about Treaty no. 9, have your students create a list of questions about what they

want to know about this time period, the First Nations signing partners, and/or the

motives of the Crown.

Have students create a Venn Diagram analysing key similarities and differences

between the First Nations and Crown signing partners in 1905.

Does this chart answer any of the questions they wanted to know? Do students

think the negotiations were fair? Why may there be more historical information

about one signing partner or the other? This is a good opportunity to talk about

historical significance and historical perspective if that hasn’t been discussed

already.

Thinking Historically about the Treaties

Using the Thinking Historically about the Treaties handout have students do a

Think/Pair/Share about one block of questions provided. This should be done

following an introduction to Treaty no. 9 and an exploration of the related primary

sources

Have students create one response to their block of questions to share with the

class.

Use these responses as start of a discussion and/or assignment in which

students explore one of the Historical Thinking concepts in an assignment that

uses primary sources related to Treaty no. 9.

Mapping the Treaties

Have students construct a map of the area that was affected by Treaty no. 9 with

a particular focus on exploring the boundaries that were created through the

treaty.

Invite students to present and illustrate this map using primary sources available

in this kit. Have students articulate why they think the primary source they chose

was the most significant for understanding the land affected by Treaty no. 9.

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Treaties and Significance

Have your students go through their textbook and look for information about

treaties. Have them define what treaties are and as a class have a discussion

about the role treaties have played in creating the country we now call Canada.

Ask students to think about the history of treaties using the Historical Thinking

Concepts of Historical Significance and Historical Perspective. Do students think

these are significant events in the history of Canada? Do they have the same

significance for First Nations people and those who align with the Crown? What

would the different perspectives be on these events from these two points of

view?

Have students work in pairs to create mind or concept maps exploring the

significance of the history of the treaties from the perspectives of First Nations

and of the Crown. Have a class discussion if the organization of the maps

differed by perspective.

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Handouts & Worksheets

Introduction to Primary Sources ...................................................................................... 7

Introduction to the James Bay Treaty .............................................................................. 8

Identifying My Primary Source ........................................................................................ 9

Thinking Historically about Treaty No. 9 ........................................................................ 10

James Bay Treaty – What they promised ...................................................................... 11

Map of Northern Ontario showing adhesions to Treaty No. 9 (1930) ............................ 13

Page One of the James Bay Treaty (1905) ................................................................... 14

Page Two of the James Bay Treaty (1905) ................................................................... 15

Page Three of the James Bay Treaty (1905) ................................................................ 16

Page Four of the James Bay Treaty (1905) .................................................................. 17

Page Five of the James Bay Treaty (1905) ................................................................... 18

Page Six of the James Bay Treaty (1905) ..................................................................... 19

Page Seven of the James Bay Treaty (1905) ................................................................ 20

Railway construction workers with Native people (1915) .............................................. 21

The James Bay Treaty signing party at Fort Albany (1905) .......................................... 22

Chief Michel Baptiste and wife (1906) ........................................................................... 23

Preparing the feast to be held after the James Bay Treaty signing ceremony .............. 24

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Introduction to Primary Sources

James Bay Treaty (Treaty No. 9) [page 1] Miscellaneous collection

Reference Code: F 775, (1905) Item 13 Archives of Ontario

A primary source is a document or object from the past created by people who lived

during that time. Primary sources provide a view into an event or experience that only

people living during that time could have experienced.

Archives collect and preserve primary sources so that students can learn history from

the experiences of people who were there. At an archive, primary sources are called

records. At a museum, primary sources are called artifacts.

Have you ever seen a primary source before?

Primary Sources Secondary Sources

Original material from the past Material people today write about the past

Example: Letters Diaries

Photographs Paintings and other art work

Graphs Maps

Example: Textbooks

Reference books Websites such as Wikipedia

Current news articles Documentaries and films

What are some other examples of primary and secondary sources?

Can sources be both primary and secondary?

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Introduction to the James Bay Treaty

In 1763, a Royal Proclamation defined how the British Crown could negotiate

treaties with Aboriginal Nations.

Between 1763 and 1905, several agreements were negotiated for lands located

north and west of southern Ontario.

After Confederation in 1867, a series of numbered treaties came to feature

requirements.

In exchange for lands, Aboriginal peoples who signed the treaty received money

(a one-time payment followed by yearly payments), reserve lands, and

recognized hunting and fishing rights.

As the ninth Treaty in this series, the James Bay Treaty got its name from the

fact that its original territory was defined by river systems draining into James

Bay, up to and including the Albany River – at the time the northern boundary of

Ontario.

However, few of the Aboriginal leaders who negotiated with the Crown spoke or

wrote fluent English; many could only sign their names with an X. What the

Crown wanted – land – was something that Aboriginal people did not think was

theirs to give.

It is because of these negotiations that many First Nations people have said that

the treaties were unfair. What do you think? Explore Primary Sources from this

period to help you make your decision.

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Identifying My Primary Source

Name of primary source: _________________________________________________

What type of primary source is it? __________________________________________

What is happening in this primary source? ___________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Who created it? _________________________________________________________

Why was it created? ____________________________________________________

When was it created? ____________________________________________________

Where was it created? ___________________________________________________

What when you look at this source, is there anything strange about it?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

When you look at this source, is there anything familiar about it?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What do you want to know about this primary source?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What do you want to know about the people in the primary source?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What is the most interesting thing about this primary source?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

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Thinking Historically about Treaty No. 9

After learning about Treaty no. 9 and looking at the Primary Sources provided, answer

the following questions:

1. What are the perspectives present in learning about Treaty no. 9? Is there a

perspective that predominates over the other? Why do you think that is?

2. What is the significance of Treaty no. 9 for Ontario? What is the significance for

Canada? What is the significance for First Nations bands in Ontario? What is the

significance for you?

Why may the significance be different?

3. What were the causes of creating Treaties between the Crown and First Nations

people? What were the short-term and long-term consequences of these

treaties?

4. If the government was going to engage in negotiations like this today, do you

think they would change anything? Do you think they repeat anything?

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James Bay Treaty – What they promised

Report on the Treaty Negotiations from the Crown:

“A more general conversation in explanation of the terms of the treaty

followed than had occurred at Osnaburg. Moonias, one of the most

influential chiefs, asked a number of questions. He said that ever since he

was able to earn anything, and that was from the time he was very young,

he had never been given something for nothing; that he always had to pay

for everything that he got, even if it was only a paper of pins. ‘Now,’ he

said ‘you gentlemen come to us from the King offering to give us benefits

for which we can make no return. How is this?’

Father Fafard thereupon explained to him the nature of the treaty, and that

by it the Indians were giving their faith and allegiance to the King, and for

giving up their title to a large area of land of which they could make no

use, they received benefits that served to balance anything that they were

giving.”

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From the James Bay Treaty:

“And the undersigned Ojibeway, Cree and other chiefs and headmen, on

their own behalf and on behalf of all the Indians whom they represent, do

hereby solemnly promise and engage to strictly observe this treaty, and

also to conduct and behave themselves as good and loyal subjects of His

Majesty the King.

They promise and engage that they will, in all respects, obey and abide by

the law; that they will 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; and that they will not molest the person or property of any

inhabitant of such ceded tract, or of any other district or country, or

interfere with or trouble any person passing or travelling through the said

tract, or any part thereof, and that they will assist the officers of His

Majesty in bringing to justice and punishment any Indian offending against

the stipulations of this treaty, or infringing the law in force in the country so

ceded.”

James Bay Treaty (Treaty No. 9), November 6, 1905

Reference Code: RG 1-653 Archives of Ontario

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Map of Northern Ontario showing adhesions to Treaty No. 9 (1930)

Map of Northern Ontario showing adhesions to Treaty No. 9 covered by the Report of

Commissioners Cain and Awrey. Sept. 29, 1930

Ontario: Department of Surveys J. L. Morris fonds

Reference Code: F 1060 Folder 3, map 30, AO 690

Archives of Ontario, I0021544

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Page One of the James Bay Treaty (1905)

James Bay Treaty (Treaty No. 9) Reference Code: RG 1-653

Archives of Ontario

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Page Two of the James Bay Treaty (1905)

James Bay Treaty (Treaty No. 9)

Reference Code: RG 1-653 Archives of Ontario

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Page Three of the James Bay Treaty (1905)

James Bay Treaty (Treaty No. 9)

Reference Code: RG 1-653 Archives of Ontario

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Page Four of the James Bay Treaty (1905)

James Bay Treaty (Treaty No. 9)

Reference Code: RG 1-653 Archives of Ontario

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Page Five of the James Bay Treaty (1905)

James Bay Treaty (Treaty No. 9) [page 5]

Reference Code: RG 1-653

Archives of Ontario

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Page Six of the James Bay Treaty (1905)

James Bay Treaty (Treaty No. 9)

Reference Code: RG 1-653

Archives of Ontario

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Page Seven of the James Bay Treaty (1905)

James Bay Treaty (Treaty No. 9) Reference Code: RG 1-653

Archives of Ontario

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Railway construction workers with Native people (1915)

Railway construction workers with Native people, ca. 1915 Photographer unknown, possibly Frank X. Amos

Black and white print Reference Code: C 156-4-0-3-3, Box-734

Archives of Ontario, I002151

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The James Bay Treaty signing party at Fort Albany (1905)

The James Bay Treaty signing party at Fort Albany Standing: Joseph L. Vanasse (L), James Parkinson (R) of NWMP.

Seated: Commissioners Samuel Stewart (L), Daniel George MacMartin, Duncan Campbell Scott (R) Foreground: HBC Chief Trader Thomas, August 3, 1905

Duncan Campbell Scott fonds Reference Code: C 275-2-0-1 (S 7546)

Archives of Ontario, I0010627

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Chief Michel Baptiste and wife (1906)

Chief Michel Baptiste and wife, at the Fort Metachewan signing ceremony, July 20, 1906 Duncan Campbell Scott fonds

Reference Code: C 275-1-0-5 (S 7658) Archives of Ontario, I0010708

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Preparing the feast to be held after the James Bay Treaty signing ceremony

Preparing the feast to be held after the James Bay Treaty signing ceremony Osnaburgh House, July 12, 1905

Photographer unknown Duncan Campbell Scott fonds

Reference Code: C 275-1-0-2 (S 7518) Archives of Ontario, I0010715

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From the James Bay Treaty:

“After this, the feast which usually accompanies such formalities was given the Indians. Then followed the

presentation of a flag, one of the provisions of the treaty; this was to be held by the chief for the time being

as an emblem of his authority.

Before the feast began, the flag was presented to Missabay the newly elected chief, with words of advice

suitable for the occasion. Missabay received it and made an eloquent speech, in which he extolled the

manner in which the Indians had been treated by the government; advised the young men to listen well to

what the white men had to say, and to follow their advice and not to exalt their own opinions above those of

men who knew the world and had brought them such benefits.

Missabay, who is blind, has great control over his band, and he is disposed to use his influence in the best

interests of the Indians.”

James Bay Treaty (Treaty No. 9),

November 6, 1905 Reference Code: RG 1-653

Archives of Ontario

This version of events tells a very positive story about the signing of the treaty.

Do you think that there could have been another version of the events that was not so positive?

What would that have said?

Why would it have been different?