Lecture 10: Colonial Indian Policy I' Changing Circumstances Land pressure Royal Proclamation ignore

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Lecture 10 Colonial Indian PolicyI. Changing
Circumstances Land pressure Royal Proclamation
ignored Collapse of the fur trade Military
concern to social problem (1830)II. Themes of
British Colonial Indian Policy Inevitability of
extinction CivilizationIII. Colonial
Indian Policy The Maritimes Indifference The
Canadas Civilization 1830s Model
towns 1836 Manitoulin Island 1842 Bagot
Commission 1850s Legislation
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Key TermsHerman MerivaleAn Act Concerning
Indian Reserves (NS, 1859) Moses H. PerleyAct
for the Management and Disposal of the Indian
Reserves in the Province (NB, 1844)Sir Francis
Bond HeadManitoulin IslandCharles BagotThe
Enfranchisement Act (1857)
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The Colonial MaritimesNew BrunswickNative
population (1841) lt 1,000Reserved land
111,000 acres (1811) 60,000 acres
(1838)Nova ScotiaNative Population (1847)
1,166Reserved land 20,000 acres ca. 1800
squatting on ½ Prince Edward IslandNative
Population 200Reserved land 0 acres ca.
1800 1,640 acres (1870)
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Lennox Island
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1767 Land Lottery on PEI
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Francis Bond Head, 1793-1875
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Manitoulin Island
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Bagot Commission (1842)1. One standard policy
in BNA.2. Right to compensation for
land.Surveys. 3. Civilization through
farming. Government to help. 4. Individual land
holding.5. More schools.
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1850 An Act for the better protection of the
Lands and Property of Indians in Lower Canada
An Act for the protection of the Indians in
upper Canada from imposition, and the property
occupied by them from trespassing and injury -
Protect land - Defines Indian for the first
time- broadly - Establishes precedent
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1857 Enfranchisement Act

• Allows for VOLUNTARILY enfranchisement- to become
  full citizens and Indian Status
• Come before a board- demonstrate education, lack
  of debt, morality
• Enfranchised given 20 hectares of land and be
  entitled to the vote, subject to taxes. Full
  citizenship.
• Paradox Cannot be an Indian and a Canadian
• 2. Contradicts Royal Proclamation
• 3. Contradicted Native rejection of assimilation.
  Only 250 Natives chose enfranchisement.