Treaty of Niagara

In July and August 1764, Sir William Johnson representing the Crown, along with approximately 2,000 Indigenous leaders, representing approximately 24 First Nations, met at Niagara to discuss an “alliance with the English.” The Treaty established Indigenous sovereignty over their lands. The federal government which doesn’t recognize the treaty, disagrees.

The British North America Act, 1867

Founding act that created Canada and transferred all authority for Indians to the federal government who began their assimilation policies designed to eliminate Indigenous culture, language, spirituality and legal traditions primarily through the forced removal of Indigenous children from their homes to attend residential schools

The Indian Act

The Indian Act was enacted to control virtually every aspect of an Indigenous person’s life and its restrictive and oppressive policies and laws were amended over time to squelch any sign of Indigenous resistance or challenge to the authority of the federal government

The Hawthorne Report: A Survey of the Contemporary Indians of Canada: Economic, Political, Educational Needs and Policies. Volumes 1 and 2

Conclusion was that Aboriginal peoples were Canada’s most disadvantaged and marginalized population. They were “citizens minus.” Hawthorn attributed this to years of failed government policy, particularly the residential school system which left students unprepared for participation in the contemporary economy

The White Paper; Statement of the Government of Canada on Indian policy

Proposed ending the special legal relationship between Aboriginal peoples and the Canadian state and dismantling the Indian Act. Many Aboriginal peoples viewed the new policy statement as the culmination of Canada’s long-standing goal to assimilate Indians into mainstream Canadian society

Penner Report

Recommended the implementation of Indian self-government and the phasing out of programs of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development relating to Indian people over a period of five years

Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples

The five-volume landmark document outlined 440 recommendations on Indigenous governance, nation rebuilding, lands and resources, treaties, economic development, and social policy, and called for the renewal of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples and all orders of government in Canada. Few of the recommendations were implemented.

Kelowna Accord

A negotiated agreement between all stakeholder groups – Indigenous, Federal, Provincial and Territory governments with specific measurements, timelines and budgets to “Close the Gap” between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. Never implemented by Prime Minister Harper after winning the 2006 election

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

One of the recommendations from the Royal Commission on Aboriginal People, the TRC issued 94 Calls to Action directed at all levels of government and a broad cross-section of society to finally address the historical and contemporary wrongs inflicted on Indigenous people by successive government policies and institutional racism and discrimination. As of April 4, 2022 11 of the 94 Calls to Action have been completed (8 of them by the federal government)