Treaty 9

Treaty 9 is an agreement between the Government of Canada and First Nations.

In Anishinabek News

• May 2014: Taykwa Tagamou Nation is situated within the territory of Treaty 9.
• March 2016: This agreement remains central to Anishinaabe thought and is preserved through the Anishinaabemowin language. The written version of this agreement is associated with the concept of terra nullius, which suggests the wilderness was uninhabited. Oral histories of the negotiations were passed down by elders to their children to preserve the truth of the event.
• March 2016: The impact of this treaty on the personal lives of residents in the James Bay lowlands was a primary focus of research for John Long. John Long argued that the promises of prosperity in this agreement would only be realized when First Nations established their own accountable structures.
• November 2016: The history of this agreement is the subject of a book by John Long titled Treaty No. 9: Making the Agreement to Share the Land in Far Northern Ontario in 1905. David Zimmer keeps a copy of this treaty in his office to start conversations. The late Stan Louttit spoke out on the lack of respect given to oral history regarding this treaty.
• April 2017: The territory of Fort Albany First Nation is located within this treaty area.
• October 2019: Educational resources such as Path of the Elders allow students to explore this treaty. The treaty is associated with the Mushkegowuk Cree.
• November 2021: The agreement was first entered into in 1905 and 1906 between the Crown, the Ojibway (Anishinaabe), and the Cree (Omushkegowuk). It covers approximately two-thirds of the landmass of Ontario, specifically the watersheds of James Bay and Hudson Bay. This is the only Treaty in Ontario signed by both the federal and provincial governments.
• March 2022: A legal case involving the treaty argues that the Crown must have a plan to assess cumulative impacts to ensure wellness. The Westaway Law Group is working with three First Nations on a forestry case related to this treaty.
• October 2022: The traditional territory of Taykwa Tagamou Nation is located within the area covered by this treaty.
• March 2023: Student Ivory Towegishig identified as coming from the territory covered by this treaty.
• May 2023: Carly Renaud, the manager of Indigenous Research and Development at Canadore College, is Anishinaabe of this treaty area.
• May 2023: Baijayanta Mukhopadhyay works with Indigenous populations residing in this territory. The region's history is tied to the colonial health narratives discussed in the book Country of Poxes: Three Germs and the Taking of Territory.
• June 2023: Research involving remote First Nations in this treaty area was discussed by Dan Duckert at C2UExpo 2023.
• July 2023: A book by John Long about this agreement inspired the documentary film Trick or Treaty. The agreement involved the Mushkegowuk people.
• November 2023: The Anishnawbe Business Professionals Association provides services and advocacy for the First Nations business community within this treaty area.
• March 2024: This agreement is highlighted as one of the Numbered Treaties located within the province of Ontario.
• August 2024: The mother of Tanya Talaga was raised on the traditional territory of this treaty area.
• January 2025: The Ring of Fire mineral region is situated within this territory. The Anishnawbe Business Professional Association serves business interests within this treaty area.
• March 2025: The Thunder Bay Museum added specific content regarding this treaty and its subsequent adhesions to a travelling exhibition.
• March 2025: The Anishinabek Nation identified this as one of the treaties governing its member First Nations' territories. The organization argued that First Nations in the treaty territories did not surrender their land but agreed to share it.
• November 2025: Attawapiskat First Nation is located within the territory of this treaty.
• January 2026: The Anishinabek Nation disputed claims that this treaty extinguished their rights or made them subordinate to the Crown. Courts have affirmed that this agreement is a living document that must be interpreted to uphold the spirit of the original intent.