Williams Treaties

Williams Treaties is a series of treaties between the Crown and several First Nations.

In Anishinabek News

• November 2018: The 1923 agreements involved the surrender of 20,000 square miles of land in central Ontario by seven Mississauga and Chippewa First Nations. A $1.1-billion settlement was signed in 2018 to address historical injustices and the failure to protect harvesting rights under the original terms. The settlement included formal apologies from the federal and provincial governments for misleading the signatory nations about their hunting and fishing rights.
• November 2020: These treaties were interpreted as extinguishing harvesting rights outside of reserves, leading to the criminalization of Indigenous hunters and fishers. The Government of Canada apologized in 2018 for the negative impacts caused by these agreements.
• November 2020: Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux noted that these agreements involved shady dealings that eventually became land claims. A settlement regarding these treaties was reached in 2018 for $1.1 billion.
• August 2021: Anne Taylor serves as a language advisor for the communities associated with the Williams Treaties. The Canadian Canoe Museum works with these treaty communities to incorporate local Indigenous languages into its programming.
• September 2021: These treaties provided the final settlement regarding the status of the lands involved in the Head of the Lake Purchase.
• June 2023: A trust associated with these treaties allows Alderville First Nation to fund education for students, which Canada otherwise treats as discretionary.
• May 2024: A settlement for the treaties was announced in September 2018, including apologies from Ontario and Canada for the criminalization of Indigenous harvesters. The Crown previously claimed that members of seven Chippewa and Mississauga First Nations had surrendered their harvesting rights in traditional territories. The 1923 agreements involved one-time payments of $25 per person for 20,000 square kilometres of land in central Ontario.
• March 2026: The catchment area for these treaties includes Barrie, where a new priority transmission line is scheduled to begin. Alderville First Nation cited their status in this treaty territory as the reason for their involvement in the energy project.
• May 2026: The final settlement agreement for these treaties has influenced how Ontario Power Generation interacts with community partners. The treaties cover territories where significant energy and infrastructure developments are being proposed.