Canadian Cree Treaty

Canada and Ontario have no rights to anything on this land without a treaty. Treaty 9 is fraudulent. It was made in violation of international law, which requires the informed consent of the majority of the people In 1905 Indian Affairs selected the “Head Men” it wanted to sign this treaty. An Indian Act council was already in place before the treaty. This violates the constitution of Canada, Section 132, whereby a treaty of surrender of land and sovereignty must be made before the Indian Act or the band council can be put in place in a community. The head men were selected by Indian Affairs instead of by the people. So the signatories were Indian Affairs nominees who were selected to sign away all the land. This is illegal and fraudulent. It even violates the constitution of Canada, the B.N.A. Act 1867.

In the treaty, Kashechewan Crees were coerced into opening up their land for “settlement, immigration, trade, travel, mining, lumbering,” etc. The Crees were informed they had agreed to “cede, release, surrender and yield to the colonial governments of Canada and Ontario their rights, titles and privileges forever.” This violates Section 109 of the constitution in which Indigenous people have “prior interests” in all lands and resources. These rights supersede that of Canada and its provinces. The settlers allowed the original people the right to pursue hunting, trapping and fishing on their own sovereign territory. Indian Affairs promised to set aside reserves of one mile per family. They allowed them to sell their reserve. Their reserve can also be expropriated for public works, railways and roads, etc. with compensation for any improvements if the government should so decide.

The Cree received $8 each at the signing and $4 every year for each family since then. What a bargain for the thieves! We wondered, “Don’t all the other territories involved in Treaty 9 have to agree if there is any change to the treaty?” If pretending that people don’t exist is genocide, then this is it! Check out the International Convention on the Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Canada signed onto this!

Kahentinetha Horn, Mohawk Nation News