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Treaty Five, the Winnipeg Treaty, was with the Ojibwa and Swampy Cree who lived around Lakes Winnipeg and Manitoba. James McKay and Alexander Morris met with the people at Berens River, on the east side of Lake Winnipeg and Norway House on the north end of the lake. The Canadian government was anxious for this treaty to be concluded because immigrants were already infiltrating the area. The treaty was interpreted and explained by James McKay. One of the primary chiefs in this treaty was Jacob Berens. The witnesses were Thomas Howard, A.G. Jackes, Christine Morris, Elizabeth Young, Egerton Ryerson Young, William McKay and John McKay.

In Treaty Six, the main treaty with the Plains Cree, James McKay was again present to assist as well as W.J. Christie, this time as Indian Commissioner. The interpreters were Peter Erasmus, Peter Ballendine and Reverend John McKay. Among the witnesses were ten notable Metis people: Pierre Lavailler, Isidore Dumont, Jean Dumont, Peter Hourie, Francois Gingras, Xavier Letendre, William Sinclair, A. R. Kennedy, R.J. Pritchard, and W. McKay. The First Nations also had forty-six chiefs and counselors representing their people.

Treaty Seven, with the Blackfoot confederacy, was set up to be settled at the Blackfoot Crossing on the Bow River, on the 17th of September 1877. Governor Laird came from the temporary seat of government of the North-West-Territories at Swan River, and Colonel McLeod came up from Fort McLeod to the appointed rendezvous. Everyone met on the appointed day, and five days later, the treaty was satisfactorily concluded and signed by the Chiefs and Head men. One change in this treaty from those previous was the exchange of cattle for the promised implements that were not wanted. The government counted four thousand three hundred and ninety-two people who took annuity. The Chiefs who signed Treaty Seven included Crowfoot, Old Sun, Bull Head, Red Crow, Medicine Calf, and many more. In all, fifty-one Chiefs signed that day. The interpreter for Treaty Seven was James or Jimmy Jock Bird, who lived as one of them.

On September 25 1877, a Cree band who had followed the buffalo deep into Blackfoot territory and had thus missed signing Treaty Six in either Fort Carlton or Fort Pitt the previous year, requested to be allowed to join treaty at that time. Signed into Treaty Six that day were Kis-Kay-im or BobTail, Mem-in-orou-taw or Sometimes Glad, and Tcho-Wek or Passing Sound. They were the leaders of the most western plains Cree.

Treaty Eight, made with the northern Cree, the Beaver, the Chipewyan and other Peoples of the north, was signed in1899 between a Commission representing the Government of Canada and the Chiefs and Headmen representing the people. The amounts of the presents for signing was increased from previous treaties: each Chief a present of thirty-two dollars in cash , to each Headman twenty-two dollars, and to every other Indian of whatever age, of the families represented at the time and place of payment, twelve dollars. The annuities were not increased. There was a promise to pay the salaries of teachers, and again a selection of tools, farm implements and animals were promised. The treaty was signed at 14 different locations across the north by the representatives of the many bands and communities, large and small. It took the commissioners from June of 1899 until the winter of 1900 to complete their work.

New research on the First Nations view of treaties:

Bounty and Benevolence A Documentary History of Saskatchewan Treaties, Arthur J. Ray, Jim Miller, and Frank Tough http://www.mqup.mcgill.ca/book.php?bookid=118
http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/pr/trts/hti/site/maindex_e.html
[General Government Treaties site]
http://collections.ic.gc.ca/treaties/text/IT-255/255tt.htm [Treaty One] http://collections.ic.gc.ca/treaties/text/IT-272/272tt.htm [Treaty Four]

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Peter Erasmus