Numbered Treaty Eight

Document Summary:
Cree, Beaver and Chippewyan Aboriginal nations forever give up their land rights to the government of Canada for European settlement in current-day northern British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan (plus a southern portion of the present North West Territories). In return for giving up these rights, they receive:

• 2.5 square kilometers of reserve land for each family of five or 600 square meters for each person.
  
  
• $12 per person at the treaty signing and an additional $5 each year. Chiefs get $32 at the treaty signing and $25 a year afterward, plus a medal and a flag. Chiefs also get a suit of clothing every three years. Headmen get $22 at the signing, $15 each year afterward and a suit of clothing every three years.
  
  
• Farming tools.
  
  
• The right to hunt and fish on ceded land, except land used for forestry, mining, settlement or other purposes.
  
  
• $1 per family head for ammunition and fishing net twine.
  
  
• Salaries to hire schoolteachers.
  
  
• A census to keep track of how many Aboriginals there were in each band, mainly for financial compensation purposes.

Reserves could be bought and sold by the government with the consent of the Aboriginals. The government also had the right to appropriate the land, so long as the Aboriginals were compensated.

In return for the aforementioned items, the Aboriginals had to:

• Promise they would keep the peace and maintain law and order.
  
  
• Never possess any liquor on their reserves. (The introduction of alcohol in Aboriginal society had led to disorder in the past.)