Treaty 7
Encyclopedia
Treaty 7 was an agreement between Queen Victoria
and several mainly Blackfoot
First Nations
tribes in what is today the southern portion of Alberta
. It was concluded on September 22, 1877. The agreement was signed at the Blackfoot Crossing
of the Bow River
, at the present-day Siksika Nation
reserve
, approximately 100 km east of Calgary
. Chief Crowfoot was one of the signatories to Treaty 7.
Treaty 7 is one of 11 Numbered Treaties
signed between First Nations and the Crown between 1871 and 1921. The treaty established a delimited area of land for the tribes (a reserve), promised annual payments and/or provisions from the Queen to the tribes and promised continued hunting and trapping rights on the "tract surrendered". In exchange, the tribes ceded their rights to their traditional territory, of which they had earlier been recognized as the owners.
Another signing on this treaty occurred on December 4, 1877 to accommodate some Blackfoot leaders who were not present at the primary September 1877 signing.
In 1977, Prince Charles, as a member of the Canadian Royal Family, visited Alberta to attend celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the treaty signing.
.
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
and several mainly Blackfoot
Blackfoot
The Blackfoot Confederacy or Niitsítapi is the collective name of three First Nations in Alberta and one Native American tribe in Montana....
First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
tribes in what is today the southern portion of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. It was concluded on September 22, 1877. The agreement was signed at the Blackfoot Crossing
Blackfoot Crossing
Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park is a complex of historic sites on the Siksika 146 Indian reserve in Alberta, Canada. This crossing of the Bow River was traditionally a bison-hunting and gathering place for the Siksika people and their allies in the Blackfoot Confederacy...
of the Bow River
Bow River
The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....
, at the present-day Siksika Nation
Siksika Nation
The Siksika Nation is a First Nation in southern Alberta, Canada. The name Siksiká comes from the Blackfoot words sik and iká , with a connector s between the two words. The plural form of Siksiká is Siksikáwa...
reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
, approximately 100 km east of Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
. Chief Crowfoot was one of the signatories to Treaty 7.
Treaty 7 is one of 11 Numbered Treaties
Numbered Treaties
The numbered treaties are a series of eleven treaties signed between the aboriginal peoples in Canada and the reigning Monarch of Canada from 1871 to 1921. It was the Government of Canada who created the policy, commissioned the Treaty Commissioners and ratified the agreements...
signed between First Nations and the Crown between 1871 and 1921. The treaty established a delimited area of land for the tribes (a reserve), promised annual payments and/or provisions from the Queen to the tribes and promised continued hunting and trapping rights on the "tract surrendered". In exchange, the tribes ceded their rights to their traditional territory, of which they had earlier been recognized as the owners.
Another signing on this treaty occurred on December 4, 1877 to accommodate some Blackfoot leaders who were not present at the primary September 1877 signing.
In 1977, Prince Charles, as a member of the Canadian Royal Family, visited Alberta to attend celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the treaty signing.
Literature
Although not referred to by name, Treaty 7 can be considered to form the background of Thomas King's 1993 novel Green Grass, Running WaterGreen Grass, Running Water
Green Grass, Running Water is a 1993 novel by Native-Canadian and Greek writer Thomas King. Set in a contemporary First Nations Blackfoot community in Alberta, Canada, the novel gained attention due to its unique use of structure, narrative, and the fusion of oral and written literary traditions...
.
List of Treaty 7 First Nations
- Kainai NationKainai NationThe Kainai Nation is a First Nation in southern Alberta, Canada with a population of 7,437 members in 2005, and had a population of 9,035 members as of 9 February 2008...
(Blood) - Pikani First Nation (Piegan)
- Siksika NationSiksika NationThe Siksika Nation is a First Nation in southern Alberta, Canada. The name Siksiká comes from the Blackfoot words sik and iká , with a connector s between the two words. The plural form of Siksiká is Siksikáwa...
(Blackfoot) - Tsuu T'ina NationTsuu T'ina NationThe Tsuu T'ina Nation is a First Nation in Canada. Their territory is located on the Indian reserve Tsuu T'ina Nation 145, whose east side is adjacent to the southwest city limits of Calgary, Alberta...
(Sarcee) - Stoney First Nation
- Bearspaw
- Chiniki
- Wesley
- Assinibone Nation
- Nakota
- Dakota
- Lakota