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2 4 I N T R O D U C T I O N .
moose, the beaver and the bear had for years been decreasi
n g , and other fur- bearing animals were slowly but surely
lessening with them. The natives, aware' of this, were
now alive, as well, to concurrent changes foreign to their
experience. Recent events had awakened them to a
sense of the value the white man was beginning v } »
place upon their country as a great storehouse of mineral
and other wealth, enlivened otherwise b y the sensible decrease
of their once u n f a i l i n g resources. These events were, of
course, the Government borings for petroleum, the formation
of parties to prospect, w i t h a view to developing, the minerals
of Great Slave L a k e , but, above a l l , the i n r o a d of gold-seekers
by way of Edmonton. The latter was viewed w i th
great mistrust by the Indians, the outrages referred to showi
n g , l i k e straws i n the wind, the inevitable d r i f t of things
had the treaties been delayed. For, as a matter of fact, those
now peaceable tribes, soured by lawless aggression, and sheltered
by their vast forests, might easily have taken a n I n d i an
revenge, and hampered, i f not hindered, the safe settlement
of the country for years to come. The Government, therefore,
decided to treat w i t h them at once on equitable terms,
and to satisfy their congeners, the half- breeds, as w e l l , by an
issue of scrip certificates such as their fellows had already
received i n M a n i t o b a and the organized T e r r i t o r i e s . To t h is
end adjustments were made by the H o n . C l i f f o r d Sifton,
then M i n i s t e r of the I n t e r i o r and Superintendent- General of
I n d i a n Affairs, d u r i n g the winter of 1898- 9, and a p l a n of
procedure and basis of treatment adopted, the c a r r y i n g out
of which was placed i n the hands of a double Commission,
one to frame and effect the Treaty, and secure the adhesion
of the various tribes, and the other to investigate a n d extinguish
the half- breed title. A t the head of the former was
placed the H o n . D a v i d L a i r d , a gentleman of wide experience
i n the early days i n the North- West T e r r i t o r i e s , whose
successful treaty w i t h the refractory Blackfeet and t h e ir
Object Description
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| Title | Page 29 |
| OCR | 2 4 I N T R O D U C T I O N . moose, the beaver and the bear had for years been decreasi n g , and other fur- bearing animals were slowly but surely lessening with them. The natives, aware' of this, were now alive, as well, to concurrent changes foreign to their experience. Recent events had awakened them to a sense of the value the white man was beginning v } » place upon their country as a great storehouse of mineral and other wealth, enlivened otherwise b y the sensible decrease of their once u n f a i l i n g resources. These events were, of course, the Government borings for petroleum, the formation of parties to prospect, w i t h a view to developing, the minerals of Great Slave L a k e , but, above a l l , the i n r o a d of gold-seekers by way of Edmonton. The latter was viewed w i th great mistrust by the Indians, the outrages referred to showi n g , l i k e straws i n the wind, the inevitable d r i f t of things had the treaties been delayed. For, as a matter of fact, those now peaceable tribes, soured by lawless aggression, and sheltered by their vast forests, might easily have taken a n I n d i an revenge, and hampered, i f not hindered, the safe settlement of the country for years to come. The Government, therefore, decided to treat w i t h them at once on equitable terms, and to satisfy their congeners, the half- breeds, as w e l l , by an issue of scrip certificates such as their fellows had already received i n M a n i t o b a and the organized T e r r i t o r i e s . To t h is end adjustments were made by the H o n . C l i f f o r d Sifton, then M i n i s t e r of the I n t e r i o r and Superintendent- General of I n d i a n Affairs, d u r i n g the winter of 1898- 9, and a p l a n of procedure and basis of treatment adopted, the c a r r y i n g out of which was placed i n the hands of a double Commission, one to frame and effect the Treaty, and secure the adhesion of the various tribes, and the other to investigate a n d extinguish the half- breed title. A t the head of the former was placed the H o n . D a v i d L a i r d , a gentleman of wide experience i n the early days i n the North- West T e r r i t o r i e s , whose successful treaty w i t h the refractory Blackfeet and t h e ir |
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