paper, ink, wax

Description of Surrendered Land:

The Chippewa Tribe of Indians and all other the Indians inhabiting the district hereinafter described and defined do hereby cede, release, surrender and yield up to Her Majesty the Queen, all the lands included within the following limits, that is to say:

All that that tract of country lying partly to the north and partly to the west of a tract ceded to Her Majesty the Queen by the Indians inhabiting the Province of Manitoba, and certain adjacent localities under the terms of a treaty made at Lower Fort Garry on the third day of August last past, the land now intended to be ceded and surrendered being particularly described as follows: Beginning at the mouth of the Winnipeg River, on the north line of the lands ceded by said treaty; then running along the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg northwardly as far the the mouth of Beren's River; then across said lake to its western shore, at the north bank of the mouth of the Little Saskachewan or Dauphin River; then up said stream and along the northern and western shores thereof, and of St. Martin's Lake, and along the north bank of the stream flowing into St. Martin's Lake from Lake Manitoba by the general course of such stream to such last mentioned lake; then by the eastern and northern shores of Lake Manitoba to the mouth of the Waterhen River; then by the eastern and northern shores of said river up stream to the northernmost extremity of a small lake known as Waterhen Lake; then in a line due west to and across lake Winnepegosis; then in a straight line to the most northerly waters forming the source of the Shell River; then to a point west of the same two miles distant from the river, measuring at right angles thereto; then by a line parallel with the Shell River to its mouth and then crossing the Assiniboine River and running parallel thereto and two miles distant therefrom, and to the westward thereof, to a point opposite Fort Ellice; then in a south westwardly course to the north-western point of the Moose Mountains; then by a line due south to the United States frontier; then by the frontier eastwardly to the westward line of said tract ceded by treaty as aforesaid; then bounded thereby by the west, northwest and north lines of said tract, to the place of beginning, at the mouth of Winnipeg River. Her Majesty agreed to lay aside and reserve for the sold and exclusive use of the Indians inhabiting the said tract the following lots of land:

For the use of the band of which Mekis is Chief, so much land between Turtle River and Valley River, on the south side of Lake Dauphin, as will make one hundred and sixty acres for each family of five. And for the use of the band of which Francois, or Broken Fingers is Chief, so much land on Crane River, running into Lake Manitoba, as will make one hundred and sixty acres per family of five. And for the use of the band of which Masahkeeyash and Richard Woodhouse are Chiefs, so much land on the river between Lake Manitoba and St. Martin's Lake, known as Fairford River, and including the present Indian mission grounds, as will make one hundred and sixty acres for each family of five. And for the use of the band for which Sousonce is Chief, so much land on the east side of Lake Manitoba, to be laid off north of the creek near which a fallen elm tree now lies, and about half way between Oak Point and Manitoba Post, so much land as will make one hundred and sixty acres for each family of five. Her Majesty agreed to pay each Indian 3 dollars, and she agreed to maintain a school in each reserve, if desired. No alcohol shall be permitted on each reserve, to protect the Indians from its evil influence. All Indians were required to agree to maintain peace and good order, and that they would not molest the property of any inhabitants residing upon the ceded tract.

Witnesses:

Adams G.Archibald, Lieu. Gov. of Manitoba and the N.W. Territories

James McKay, P.L.C.

Molyneux St. John

E.A. Archibald

Lily Archibald

Henri Bouthillier

Paul De Laronde

Donald McDonald

Eliza McDonald

Alexander Muir Sr.

Crown Signatories:

Wemyss M. Simpson, Indian Commissioner

First Nations Signatories:

Mekis

Sowsonse

Masahkeeyash

Francois

Richard Woodhouse

Date document signed

Canada, Indian Treaties and Surrenders from 1680 to 1890, 2 vols., (Ottawa: Queen’s Printer, 1891), 1: 291-294.

21 August 1871, Treaty No. 2, Library and Archives Canada, Indian Affairs, D-10a, Series A, Volume 1846, Reel T-9939, GAD REF IT 263, http://grasac.org/gks, (heritage item id no. 3242, accessed [date]).

This record was created under the direction of Heidi Bohaker as part of a larger research project funded by an Aboriginal Research Grant titled “Braiding Knowledges: Anishinaabe Heritage in Community Perspective”from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).