First Nations Negotiations Analysis

During the times when the Europeans were colonizing throughout Canada, they were looking to co-exist with First Nations people. After treaties were made in Eastern Canada, treaties between the Crown and Aboriginal people were beginning to be negotiated from 1871 to 1921 throughout western Canada. The treaties were solemn agreements that would benefit both parties. Many First Nation leaders agreed to the treaties because times were changing and so in order to adapt, they negotiated what they thought were reasonable aspects while others opposed the treaties because they did not agree with the whole “surrendering” their rights to the land over to the Crown. Eventually agreeing to negotiate treaties, some of the Chiefs and headmen made sure their people would be taken care of and the future generations to come. Some of the main aspects that were common amongst the numbered treaties were free education, health care, housing, and proper rights to the land. Many First Nations saw this as a footstep into a peaceful co-existence with the British Crown. To this day, First Nations people are at a continuous struggle with the Canadian Government over the land that is supposedly protected. Looking at the different treaties in western Canada, I can only agree on some of the overall intensions because I feel like the First Nations people were taken advantage of during the times of the signings due to them being “robbed” of their proper
The Crown wanted to use the land for agricultural purposes but needed to negotiate treaties with the First Nations people because they dominated most of the area. Today the numbered treaties span across Canada covering parts of the Yukon, The Northwest Territories, and British Columbia as well as Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northern