Royal Proclamation of 1763

Royal Proclamation of 1763 is a document issued by King George III.

In Anishinabek News

• March 2013: Stephanie MacLaurin noted that this document is a component of the indigenous world views course at Lakehead University.
• October 2013: The 250th anniversary of this document was commemorated on October 7, 2013. Legal scholars describe this proclamation as the Indian Magna Carta because it recognized Aboriginal title and established a constitutional relationship between the Crown and Indigenous nations. This document initiated the official treaty relationship in what eventually became Canada.
• February 2017: This document regarded the Indigenous tribes of North America as nations. It established the framework for subsequent treaties between First Nations and the government.
• November 2019: The proclamation defined a vast area of land as Indian Territory while still asserting the Crown held sovereignty over it. It allowed the Crown to claim title to lands that had not been ceded to or purchased by the monarch.
• February 2020: Scott McLeod noted that this document directed the Crown to negotiate treaties before using Indigenous lands. The absence of such treaties on Wet'suwet'en territory is cited as evidence of their continued sovereign land title.
• June 2020: The treaty relationship with the Lake Huron Anishinabe dates back to this proclamation.
• November 2020: The 250th anniversary of this proclamation is a subject covered in the Anishinabek Nation treaty education books.
• July 2021: The proclamation was shown to various tribes to call them to the Treaty of Niagara for negotiations. Indigenous nations viewed the document as a preliminary paper that required their consideration and agreement. Over time, the Crown began to view the proclamation as a unilateral declaration rather than a negotiated treaty.
• November 2021: The Royal Proclamation of 1763 required the British to negotiate with Indigenous residents before settling their lands. The Crawford Purchases are described as likely invalid according to the terms set out in the Royal Proclamation of 1763.
• March 2025: This document established protocols for future relations between the Crown and First Nations. The Anishinabek Nation maintains that this proclamation and the Treaty of Niagara must be honoured together.
• June 2025: The Anishinabek Nation identifies this document as being grounded in the Indigenous Constitution. The proclamation is cited as an instrument to which autonomous Indigenous law-making authority was a pre-condition.
• January 2026: Isaac Murdoch noted that Indigenous people did not fully understand this paper document, leading to conflict. The Covenant Chain Wampum Belt was created to establish a friendship agreement because of the misunderstanding of this document.
• May 2026: The proclamation was issued to protect First Nations from fraud and abuses and to prevent them from being disturbed in the possession of their territories. The Robinson Huron Waawiindamaagewin called on the federal government to uphold the integrity of this document.