40:
268:
The treaties were signed during a period of severe cultural destruction in which the
Songhees had experienced precipitous population decline, due to the arrival of foreign diseases. The treaties remain highly controversial given that it is unclear whether the Indigenous leaders knew exactly what they
259:
The treaties are controversial for a number of reasons and have been subject to numerous court cases. One of the major sources of dispute regarding the treaties is the actual terms of the treaties were left blank at the time of signing and a number of clauses and pages were instead inserted at a
192:. Blanshard discovered that the hold of the HBC over the affairs of the new colony was all but absolute, and that it was Douglas who held all practical authority in the territory. There was no civil service, no police, no militia, and virtually every British colonist was an employee of the HBC.
240:, all on Vancouver Island, that were exchanged for cash, clothing and blankets. The terms of the treaties promised that they would be able to retain existing village lands and fields for their use, and also would be allowed to hunt and fish on the surrendered lands.
204:
To negotiate the terms, Douglas met first in April 1850 with leaders of the
Songhees Nation, and made verbal agreements. Each leader made an X at the bottom of a blank ledger. The actual terms of the treaty were only incorporated in August, and modelled on the
200:
As the colony expanded the HBC started buying up lands for colonial settlement and industry from
Indigenous peoples on Vancouver Island. For four years the governor, James Douglas, made a series of fourteen land purchases from Indigenous peoples.
243:
These fourteen land purchases became the fourteen
Treaties that make up the Douglas Treaties. Douglas didn't continue buying land due to lack of money and the slow growth of the Vancouver Island colony. Along with
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713:
Robin Fisher , 'With or
Without Treaty : Indian Land Claims in Western Canada' , in Renwick , ed. . Sovereignty & Indigenous Rights, pp.53
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was immediately leased to the HBC for a ten-year period, and
Douglas was charged with encouraging British settlement.
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842:, Dennis F. K. Madill, Research Branch, Corporate Policy, Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, 1981
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17:
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Note: "Aboriginal law" refers to
Canadian law dealing with Indigenous peoples; "Indigenous law" refers to the
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The
Douglas Treaties cover approximately 930 square kilometres (360 sq mi) of land around
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169:, was relocated to the young trading post to oversee the company's operations west of the
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27:
1850–1854 treaties between
Indigenous peoples and the Colony of Vancouver Island
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to designate the territory a crown colony on
January 13, 1849. The new
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were tenuous. Thus in 1849, it moved its western headquarters from
955:
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act
1410:
859:
Map of Vancouver Island Treaties, Hulquminum Treaty Group website
233:
754:"The Douglas Treaties: A Legacy of Controversy – Victoria News"
702:
B.C. Archives seeks world heritage status for Douglas treaties
1516:
248:, the Douglas Treaties were the last treaties signed between
229:
893:
840:
British Columbia Indian Treaties In Historical Perspective
934:
Section 25 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
113:, were a series of treaties signed between a number of
1033:
1543:Index of articles related to Indigenous Canadians
305:Country lying between Esquimalt and Point Albert
1555:
252:and the First Nations in British Columbia until
1243:Ongoing treaty negotiations in British Columbia
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944:Section 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1867
724:"1811 – 1867: Pre-Confederation Treaties II"
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771:
642:
614:
416:
360:
308:
145:determined that its trapping rights in the
1619:Treaties of the Colony of Vancouver Island
886:
872:
1584:First Nations history in British Columbia
671:
669:
1614:Treaties of Indigenous peoples in Canada
939:Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982
704:, Victoria News, August 08, 2013 8:21 AM
333:Esquimalt Peninsula and Colquitz Valley
1439:St Catharines Milling and Lumber Co v R
1187:James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement
14:
1556:
1313:Native Women's Assn of Canada v Canada
666:
283:Modern First Nation (band government)
1453:Tsilhqot'in Nation v British Columbia
867:
814:Executive Council of British Columbia
681:Executive Council of British Columbia
161:) to Fort Victoria. Fort Vancouver's
1264:Attorney General of Canada v Lavell
24:
832:
25:
1640:
1285:Chippewas of Sarnia Band v Canada
847:
272:
911:of individual Indigenous groups.
213:land, used after the signing of
38:
1219:Duty to consult and accommodate
1055:Lake Simcoe–Lake Huron Purchase
924:Aboriginal land title in Canada
854:Treaty Texts – Douglas Treaties
357:Northwest of Esquimalt Harbour
746:
707:
695:
176:This development prompted the
13:
1:
1306:Delgamuukw v British Columbia
1193:Nunavut Land Claims Agreement
1004:Peace and Friendship Treaties
677:"Douglas Treaties: 1850–1854"
660:
441:Point Gonzales to Cedar Hill
276:
132:
1049:Penetanguishene Bay Purchase
7:
1589:History of Vancouver Island
1103:Gradual Enfranchisement Act
195:
10:
1645:
929:Royal Proclamation of 1763
469:North-west of Sooke Inlet
263:
182:Colony of Vancouver Island
143:Hudson's Bay Company (HBC)
127:Colony of Vancouver Island
82:Colony of Vancouver Island
64:Colony of Vancouver Island
1538:
1476:
1327:R v Marshall; R v Bernard
1278:Calder v British Columbia
1255:
1092:
973:
964:
916:
905:
806:"Douglas Treaty Payments"
635:Kwakiutl (Kwawkelth) Band
607:Kwakiutl (Kwawkelth) Band
289:Money exchanged for land
288:
285:
282:
279:
209:'s deeds of purchase for
107:Vancouver Island Treaties
89:
69:
59:
51:
37:
1478:Indigenous customary law
1023:Gradual Civilization Act
1010:Treaties of Fort Niagara
291:
137:With the signing of the
1348:Paul v British Columbia
1205:Nisga'a Final Agreement
1073:Saugeen Tract Agreement
992:Great Peace of Montreal
554:Pauquachin First Nation
537:41 13 shillings 4 pence
286:Land covered by Treaty
254:Nisga'a Final Agreement
188:was named the colony's
178:British colonial office
967:governmental relations
817:. llbc.leg.bc.ca. 2009
550:Saanich Tribe (North)
517:Saanich Tribe (South)
504:43 6 shillings 8 pence
476:48 6 shillings 8 pence
353:Esquimalt First Nation
329:Esquimalt First Nation
301:Esquimalt First Nation
111:Fort Victoria Treaties
591:Songhees First Nation
558:Tseycum First Nations
525:Tsartlip First Nation
437:Songhees First Nation
409:Songhees First Nation
159:Vancouver, Washington
1061:Huron Tract Purchase
728:Canada in the Making
521:Tsawout First Nation
342:(UK £7,091 in 2024)
105:, also known as the
895:Canadian Aboriginal
269:were signing over.
207:New Zealand Company
34:
1629:Eponymous treaties
1501:Great Law of Peace
1225:Jordan's Principle
1093:Post-Confederation
1081:(1850, 1854, 1859)
280:Treaty Group Name
215:Treaty of Waitangi
115:Indigenous peoples
32:
1551:
1550:
1467:Restoule v Canada
1292:Corbiere v Canada
1251:
1250:
1110:Numbered Treaties
1088:
1087:
1079:Robinson Treaties
658:
657:
652:£11,616 in 2024)
454:£10,738 in 2024)
186:Richard Blanshard
99:
98:
45:Sir James Douglas
16:(Redirected from
1636:
1609:Vancouver Island
1460:Daniels v Canada
1446:R v Van der Peet
1299:Daniels v Canada
1043:Toronto Purchase
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1016:Douglas Treaties
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730:. Archived from
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624:£8,645 in 2024)
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543:£5,619 in 2024)
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510:£5,862 in 2024)
505:
482:£6,537 in 2024)
477:
449:
426:£6,078 in 2024)
421:
398:£6,146 in 2024)
393:
392:45 ten shillings
370:£4,052 in 2024)
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341:
318:£3,714 in 2024)
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147:Oregon Territory
123:Vancouver Island
103:Douglas Treaties
42:
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33:Douglas Treaties
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1236:specific claims
1227:(proposed 2005)
1212:Paix des Braves
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465:T'sou-ke Nation
448:79 10 shillings
413:Point Gonzales
381:Becher Bay Band
340:52 10 shillings
312:27 10 shillings
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1389:Gladue report
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976:Confederation
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949:Treaty rights
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758:Victoria News
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734:on 2006-03-02
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1397:R v Gonzales
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1369:R v Drybones
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1334:R v Marshall
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1221:(since 2004)
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1112:(1871–1921)
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1034:Upper Canada
1021:
1015:
954:
839:
819:. Retrieved
812:
762:. Retrieved
760:. 2015-02-13
757:
748:
736:. Retrieved
732:the original
727:
718:
709:
697:
685:. Retrieved
489:Ka-ky-aakan
433:Che-ko-nein
405:Chilcowitch
377:Chewhaytsum
297:Teechamitsa
267:
260:later date.
258:
242:
219:
203:
199:
175:
163:Chief Factor
136:
110:
106:
102:
100:
29:
1529:Plains Cree
1524:Wahkohtowin
1425:R v Sparrow
1231:Land claims
1181:White Paper
1106:(1869–1876)
1095:(post-1867)
1026:(1857–1869)
1012:(1764–1784)
1006:(1725–1779)
587:Swengwhung
1558:Categories
1432:Re Eskimos
1404:R v Guerin
1383:R v Gladue
1320:Kruger v R
1271:R v Badger
1174:Indian Act
979:(pre-1867)
764:2018-08-08
661:References
631:Quakiolth
571:Saalequun
497:Metchosin
349:Whyomilth
325:Kosampson
238:Port Hardy
133:Background
1067:Treaty 45
1018:(1850–54)
603:Queackar
250:the Crown
55:1850–1854
1256:Case law
1036:treaties
821:July 28,
738:July 28,
687:July 28,
246:Treaty 8
222:Victoria
196:Treaties
190:governor
125:and the
90:Language
75:Various
60:Location
1495:Miꞌkmaq
1411:R v Jim
988:(1670s)
264:Context
234:Nanaimo
226:Saanich
171:Rockies
153:on the
109:or the
94:English
70:Parties
52:Drafted
1215:(2002)
1207:(1998)
1201:(1995)
1195:(1993)
1189:(1975)
1183:(1969)
1075:(1836)
1069:(1836)
1063:(1827)
1057:(1815)
1051:(1798)
1045:(1787)
1000:(1701)
994:(1701)
683:. 2009
461:Sooke
385:Sooke
1517:Inuit
809:(PDF)
230:Sooke
211:Maori
121:) of
1199:RCAP
974:Pre-
897:and
823:2009
740:2009
689:2009
556:and
523:and
292:Ref
236:and
101:The
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1166:11
1161:10
811:.
773:^
756:.
726:.
679:.
668:^
650:UK
646:86
622:UK
618:64
541:UK
508:UK
480:UK
452:UK
424:UK
420:45
396:UK
368:UK
364:30
316:UK
256:.
232:,
228:,
224:,
217:.
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165:,
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