The True Spirit and Original Intent of Treaty 7 (Mcgill-Queen's Native and Northern Series)

By Treaty 7 Elders and Treaty 7 Tribal Council

The True Spirit and Original Intent of Treaty 7 is based on the testimony of over 80 elders from the five First Nations involved in Treaty 7 - the Bloods, Peigans, Siksika, Stoney, and Tsuu T'ina. Their recollections highlight the grave misconceptions and misrepresentations between the two sides, due in part to inadequate interpretation and/or deliberate attempts to mislead. The elders consistently report that the treaty as they understood it was a peace treaty, not a surrender of land, and that they had agreed to "share" the land with the white newcomers in exchange for resources to establish new economies - education, medical assistance, and annuity payments. The book provides both a historical overview of Treaty 7 and an analysis of the literature on treaties generally and Treaty 7 specifically. It makes clear that different agendas, different languages, and different world views affected each side's interpretation of events. This review of the events and interpretations surrounding Treaty 7 takes place at a time when aboriginal and indigenous peoples all over the world are re-evaluating their relationships with imperial powers. It was undertaken in good faith in hopes that it will begin a dialogue that can alter the dominant discourse of Euro-Canadian society, which has been so damaging to aboriginal people.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0773515216
• ISBN13: 9780773515215
• Release Date: August 1995
• Publisher: Carleton University Press
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.6" x 9.2"