BackgroundThe majority of NAN First Nations are beneficiaries to Treaty No. 9. Six NAN First Nations belong to Treaty No. 5 (Koocheching are members of Keewaywin). The majority of Treaty No. 5 territory is in Manitoba. Treaty No. 5 was originally signed in 1875 with adhesions in 1876, 1909 and 1910. The adhesion of 1910 was with the bands in Northern Manitoba, as well as the band at Deer Lake Ontario, which would eventually be included within the boundary of the province of Ontario. |
Treaty No. 9
The James Bay Treaty (Treaty No.9) was one of the last numbered treaties to be signed in Canada. It is the only treaty in Canada that was signed by a province. It was first signed in 1905 and 1906 by the Canadian government, the Ontario government and the Cree, Ojibway and Algonquin Nations of what is now known as Northern and Northwestern Ontario. The nations who signed in 1905-06 included those people occupying the area south of the Albay River. Adhesions with the remaining Cree and Ojibway nations north of the Albany River were signed in 1929 and 1930.
Treaty No. 9 and No. 5
Together the First Nation territories of Treaty No. 9 and Treaty No. 5 (in Ontario) cover almost two thirds of the province of Ontario. The Treaty No. 5 and Treaty No. 9 territories include 250,000 square miles, north of the height of land (approximately the 50th parallel) to James Bay and Judson Bay and bordered on the east by Quebec, and on the west by Manitoba.
