2 – We Are All Treaty People (Treaty areas and Traditional Territory)

Traditional Territory

• Traditional Territory is the area an Indigenous community has historically used and occupied since time immemorial.
• The Traditional Territory of a First Nation is different from the Treaty area of a First Nation.
• “Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation is the eastern most First Nation community within the 55,000 sq miles of Treaty #3 territory, which begins near the Height of Land. Much of the First Nation’s Traditional Lands are located and overlapping within the Robinson-Superior and NAN Treaty lands”.

Treaty Areas

• Treaties are agreements that have defined the rights of Indigenous People and settlers across North America.
• In 1701 the British Crown began entering into treaties with Indigenous groups in North America.
• Each Treaty has its own set of agreements that were negotiated between the associated Indigenous groups and the crown.
• In Ontario, Indigenous People have certain rights that can be exercised within the Treaty Area their community or First Nation is signatory to. For example, a member of Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation is able to exercise their hunting, gathering, and fishing rights in Treaty 3.
• A person may request a special permission letter from a Chief in a neighbouring Treaty Area to use that Treaty Area for purposes outlined in the letter.
• In all other provinces across Canada, Indigenous people are able to exercise their rights on all Treaty areas. However, in Ontario, Indigenous people can only exercise their Treaty rights in the Treaty Area they are signatory to unless a permission letter has been obtained.
• Treaty Areas span across Canada. There are 70 Historical Treaties in Canada that were signed between 1701 and 1923.

Historical Treaties:
1701-1760: Treaties of Peace and Neutrality
1725-1779: Peace and Friendship Treaties
1764-1862/1923: Upper Canada Land Surrenders and the Williams Treaties
1850-1954: Robinson Treaties and Douglas Treaties
1871-1921: The Numbered Treaties

Modern Treaties:
Treaties that have been made since 1975

The Paypom Treaty/Treaty 3

The Paypom document is an original set of notes that was given to Chief Powasson at the signing of the 1873 Treaty (known as Treaty 3) between the Ojibway People and the Canadian Government at North West Angle on Lake of the Woods. The Paypom Document differs in many ways from the printed version that is made available by the Canadian government.

The Paypom document is significant because it is a historical written record of the of the Ojibwe People’s understanding of the Treaty 3 negotiations.