The Treaties of Canada with The Indians of Manitoba and the North-West Territories | Page 7

answer, and I will therefore thank you
to cause the necessary information from your office to be furnished to
me on the subject. Should it appear that these chiefs have any claim I
think I could get their surrender of it for a small amount, and there
remain sufficient funds at my disposal for the purpose.
The Canadians resident on the lands just surrendered at Sault Ste.
Marie are very anxious to obtain titles to the land on which they have
long resided and made improvements; they applied to me after the
treaty and I advised them to memorialize the Government the usual
way setting forth the manner in which they were put in possession by
the military authorities of the time, and that I had little doubt that the
Government would do them justice. I think the survey of the tract
should be made so as to interfere as little as possible with their
respective clearings and that those who can show a fair claim to the

favorable consideration of the Government should be liberally dealt
with.
It will be seen on referring to the treaty that I have kept within the
amount at my disposal. Of the L4,160 agreed by me to be paid to the
Indians of both lakes, there remains L75 unexpended. I could not from
the information I possessed tell exactly the number of families I should
have to pay, and thought it prudent to reserve a small sum to make
good any omissions, there may still be a few who will prefer claims,
though I know of none at present. If not, the amount can be paid next
year with the annuity to such families as are most deserving; or it may
be properly applied in extinguishing the claim made by the Lake
Simcoe Indians, should it appear on inquiry to be just.
The whole amount given to me in August was L5,033 6s. 8d., of this
sum their remains L800, which I have placed in the Bank of Upper
Canada to the credit of the Receiver-General, and I have prepared a
detailed account of the whole, which with the proper vouchers, I shall
deliver to the Accountant of the Crown Lands Department.
I have much pleasure in acknowledging the valuable assistance
afforded me by all the officers of the Honorable the Hudson's Bay
Company resident on the lakes; and the prompt manner in which their
Governor, Sir George Simpson, kindly placed their services at my
disposal.
The report made last year by Messrs. Anderson and Vidal I found of
much use to me, and the long services and experience of the former
gentleman in Indian affairs enabled him to give me many valuable
suggestions.
Captain Cooper and his officers by attending at the council, and
otherwise, gave me most cheerfully all the aid in their power; and
Captain Ironside, of your Department, with his assistant, Assickinach,
were of essential service to me.
I found it absolutely necessary to have the aid of some one in taking the
census of the Lake Huron Indians at the time they were receiving their

presents at Manitoulin; and as Captain Ironside was fully occupied in
attending to his own duty, I requested Mr. Keating, who had long
known the Indians on that lake, to give me his assistance. This he
cheerfully and very efficiently did, and afterwards was with me in
distributing and paying out the money.
I have, in course of my negotiations with the Indians on the present
occasion, collected some information which may be useful to your
Department and will at an early day send it to you.
I will thank you to lay the two treaties accompanying this Report before
His Excellency, and trust they may meet with his approval.
I have, &c., (Signed) W. B. ROBINSON. THE HON. COL. BRUCE,
Superintendent-General, Indian Affairs.

CHAPTER III
THE MANITOULIN ISLAND TREATY
Some years after the completion of the Robinson Treaties, the then
Government of the old Province of Canada deemed it desirable to effect
a treaty with the Indians dwelling upon the Great Manitoulin Island in
Lake Huron, as a complement to the former treaties, and with the object
of rendering available for settlement the large tract of good land upon
the Island. The duty was entrusted to the Honorable William
McDougall, then Superintendent-General of Indian Affairs, who, in the
month of October, 1862, proceeded to the Island, accompanied by the
late William Spragge, Esq., Deputy Superintendent of Indian Affairs,
and Mr. F. Assicknack, of the Indian Office, Toronto, as interpreter. Mr.
McDougall encountered considerable difficulties, but by firmness and
decision eventually succeeded in obtaining a surrender from the Indians
of the Island, excluding however from the surrender that portion of it
easterly of Heywood Island and the Manitoulin Gulf.
The terms of the treaty,