apr 24, 1849 - First Nation Land Rights

Description:

First Nations continued to meet resistance from the government regarding land rights. The millions of acres around the Great Lakes were prime agricultural land. The arrival of thousands of European settlers during 1800s led to the Canadian government taking away this land from First Nations. Ojibwe Chief Shingwaukonse spoke to Lord Elgin, governor general of Canada, in 1849 about the increasing pressure on First Nations to give up their land.
First Nation leaders continued to demonstrate that they were entitled to the land as Europeans. Sometimes, this meant that they used the land in the same way the Europeans did - for farming.
Despite actions by leaders, over time, First Nations were continuously forced to give up most of their territories. They were placed onto smaller reserves, often land that had poor soil for farming.
Nahnebahwequay, also known as Catherine Sutton, gained support from First Nations groups, as well as non-Aboriginal people, in Canada, the United States, and Britain. After many years of campaigning, she and her husband finally met Queen Victoria in 1860. The Queen promised to help. She sent the Duke of Newcastle to meet with the Canadian government. After meeting with the government, however, the duke felt that there was nothing he could do for the First Nations. The duke believe that the Canadian government had all the decision-making power.