Treaties

Treaties

Treaties are legally binding agreements that set out the rights, responsibilities and relationships of First Nations and the federal and provincial governments. They form the basis of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Although many treaties were signed more than a century ago, treaty commitments are just as valid today as they were then.

First Nations were the original occupants of this land we call Ontario. The British Crown (government) and First Nations negotiated and signed treaties with the intent of delivering mutual benefits. First Nations signed as independent, self-governing nations.

Ontario is covered by 46 treaties and other agreements. Use the interactive treaties map to find out which treaty applies to any location in the province.

Despite the promise of early treaties and the mutually respectful partnerships they established, Indigenous peoples were targeted by colonial policies designed to exploit, assimilate and eradicate them.

Today, the Ontario government is working to rebuild trust and relationships with treaty partners and Indigenous peoples.

Part of that effort includes educating Ontarians about the role treaties play in our lives and relationships with each other today.

The treaty relationship

In 1763, King George III of Great Britain issued The Royal Proclamation, confirming the original occupancy of Indigenous peoples and paving the way for land agreements between the British Crown (government) and Indigenous peoples.

The proclamation:

• established how the British would manage land in North America following the Seven Years War
• proclaimed that settlers could not live on the land until the Crown had signed treaties with the First Nations who occupied the territories

Among the earliest treaties was the 1764 Treaty of Fort Niagara, which put a renewed focus on peaceful relations between the British and First Nations, affirming and extending alliances. The goal was to support military and commercial relationships between the parties. Many First Nations upheld this alliance by supporting Britain in the War of 1812, ensuring the survival of British North America.

Learn more about treaties and treaty relationships across Canada.

Treaty rights

Treaty rights:

• are the specific rights embodied in the treaties that were entered into with the British government, and later Canada
• often address the creation of reserves for the exclusive use of First Nations, and their rights to hunt, fish and trap on provincial Crown lands
• are protected by subsection 35(1) of the Constitution Act, 1982

Treaties Recognition Week

In 2016, Ontario passed legislation declaring the first week of November as Treaties Recognition Week.

This annual event honours the importance of treaties and helps students and residents of Ontario learn more about treaty rights and relationships. By learning more about our collective treaty rights and obligations, we can create greater understanding and nurture these relationships.

Each year, students learn why treaties matter to all Ontarians. Indigenous Elders and knowledge keepers visit classrooms for Living Library events and video stories are shared in schools across the province. Because of restrictions around in-person gatherings, we are hosting virtual Living Library events in 2020.

Check out what students say they learn from Treaties Recognition Week: 

Teaching and learning resources

Please note: Some of the resources below were created by external partners and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs or the Government of Ontario.

Lesson plans and guides

• Historica Canada’s Treaties in Canada Education Guide (PDF) has discussion topics, including Indigenous oral traditions, a historical timeline of treaties and case studies
• Anishinabek Nation's We Are All Treaty People kit has lesson plans, activities and books for grades 1-8
• EduGAINS has Ontario Ministry of Education-developed resources.

Supporting materials

• Videos of Indigenous speakers sharing their knowledge about the importance of treaties, treaty relationships and rights in Ontario
• Treaties in Ontario infographic (PDF) shows the number of treaties in Ontario, the regions they cover and the populations within treaty areas
• Canadian Encyclopedia’s Treaties with Indigenous Peoples in Canada
• Union of Ontario Indian’s Gdoo-Sastamookii Mi treaty-related curriculum resources:
• Anishinabek Nation’s Gdoo-Sastamoo Kii Mi treaty-related curriculum resources
• Historica Canada’s Naskumituwin (Treaty) Heritage Minute about Treaty No. 9 from the perspective of George Spence, a Cree hunter from Fort Albany
• Historic treaties and treaty First Nations in Canada infographic
• Archives of Ontario James Bay Treaty virtual exhibit

Maps

• Ontario treaties and reserves allows you to search for a city, address or postal code to find nearby treaties and reserves in Ontario
• Ontario First Nations and treaties map (PDF) shows treaty locations in Ontario. Order a copy for the classroom for free from ServiceOntario (item number 025998) 
• Maps of Treaty-Making in Canada shows the Pre-1975 treaties of Canada, covering most of Ontario and negotiated between 1725 and 1923
• Algonquins of Ontario settlement area boundary map (PDF) shows the largest land claim currently being negotiated and the province’s first modern-day treaty
• A map of Indigenous Trail Markers shows 25 educational markers honouring the culture and history of Indigenous peoples along the TransCanada Trail

Children’s Books

• Crawford, Kelly. Alex Shares His Wampum Belt. Illustrated by Don Chretien. North Bay: Union of Ontario Indians, 2017.
• Crawford, Kelly. Dakota Talks About Treaties. Illustrated by Don Chretien. North Bay: Union of Ontario Indians, 2017.
• Misiak, Zig. Wampum: The Story of Shaylyn the Clam. Illustrated by Jennifer Bettio. Brantford: Real Peoples History, 2015.
• Robertson, Robbie. Hiawatha and the Peacemaker. Illustrated by David Shannon. New York: Abrams Books, 2015.
• Switzer, Maurice. We are all Treaty People. Illustrated by Charley Hebert. North Bay: Union of Ontario Indians, 2011

Academic Books

• Asch, Michael. On Being Here to Stay: Treaties and Aboriginal Rights in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2014.
• Blair, Peggy. Lament for a First Nation: The Williams Treaties of Southern Ontario. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2008.
• Bohaker, Heidi. Doodem and Council Fire: Anishinaabe Governance Through Alliance. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2020.
• Borrows, John and Michael Coyle, eds. The Right Relationship: Reimagining the Implementation of Historical Treaties. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2017
• Calverley, David. Who Controls the Hunt? First Nations, Treaty Rights, and Wildlife Conservation in Ontario, 1783-1939. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2018.
• Fenge, Terry and Jim Aldrige, eds. Keeping Promises: The Royal Proclamation of 1763, Aboriginal Rights, and Treaties in Canada. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2015.
• Long, John S. Treaty No.9: Making the Agreement to Share the Land in Far Northern Ontario in 1905. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2010.
• Luby, Brittany. Dammed: The Politics of Loss and Survival in Anishinaabe Territory. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 2020.
• Macklem, Patrick and Douglas Sanderson, eds. From Recognition to Reconciliation: Essays on the Constitutional Entrenchment of Aboriginal and Treaty Rights. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2015.
• McCabe, J. Timothy S. The Law of Treaties Between the Crown and Aboriginal Peoples. Markham: Lexis Nexis Canada Inc., 2010.
• Miller, J.R. Compact, Contract, Covenant: Aboriginal Treaty-Making in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2009.
• Morin, Jean-Pierre. Solemn Words and Foundational Documents: An Annotated Discussion of Indigenous-Crown Treaties in Canada, 1752-1923. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2018.
• Poetzer, Greg and Ken S. Coates. From Treaty Peoples to Treaty Nation: A Road Map for All Canadians. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2016.
• Rogers, Edward S. and Donald B. Smith, eds. Aboriginal Ontario: Historical Perspectives on First Nations. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1994.
• Switzer, Maurice. Nation to Nation, A Resource on Treaties in Ontario. North Bay: Union of Ontario Indians, 2013.
• Tidridge, Nathan. The Queen at the Council Fire: The Treaty of Niagara, Reconciliation, and the Dignified Crown in Canada. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2015.