Treaties

1850 Robinson Huron Treaty

The Robinson Huron Treaty is an agreement for sharing land and resources east of Georgian Bay and along the northern shore of Lake Huron. The First Nations in the treaty territory did not surrender their land, but agreed to share it in exchange for annual payments from resource revenues.

Included in the treaty was the understanding that the British Crown would not interfere with the economy or activities of First Nations and that the two nations would live side-by-side. The federal government was to set aside land for reserves and pay an annuity of $5 per year to each status First Nation person. However, the payments were never adjusted to match the cost of living since the treaty was signed nearly 150 years ago.

Today, after a lengthy court battle over unpaid treaty annuities, The Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund has received a historic $10-billion settlement from Canada and Ontario, to be distributed to Batchewana and 20 other First Nations.

1859 Pennefather Treaty

The Pennefather Treaty was signed on June 9, 1859 at Gros Cap between the “Chiefs and Warriors of Batchewananny Bay and Goulais Bay Band of Indians” and the Crown. In 1857 and 1858, under pressure from settlers to open further tracts to settlers, Crown Lands agent Joseph Wilson had prevented Anishinaabe from logging and confiscated harvested timber. Meanwhile, Pennefather withheld annuities for schooling, medical treatment, and other matters. The result for the Batchewana people was hunger and starvation.

The chiefs and warriors agreed to relinquish to the Crown the reserved lands set aside in the Robinson Treaty (Reserve 15), save for Whitefish Island. Promises were made by the Crown to allot 40 acres to each reserve family, to protect fisheries and lumbering, and to deal with unfulfilled mining tract sales, but were not upheld.