History
From 1836 to 1862, the entirety of Manitoulin Island was set aside as the "Manitoulin Island Indian Reserve" under the Bond Head Treaty. The most important of the pre-confederation treaties were the Robinson Treaties because all subsequent treaties were modelled after these. In 1850, William B. Robinson, a government negotiator and former fur trader, proposed that First Nations reserves be created on the Crown Land acquired through treaties. These Reserves were intended to be the answer to what the immigrant settlers needed for land settlement. First Nation peoples would be set apart on reserves from the new settlers. The Robinson-Huron and Robinson-Superior treateies were signed in September 1850 for large territories north of the two Great Lakes.
According to written records, Lake Huron and Lake Superior area leaders surrendered nearly 15 000 000 heactares of land in exchange for the establishment of 24 reserves and a payment of approximately $10 000 to be followed by additional annual payment of $2700. However, First Nations leaders were led to believe that the agreement was to share the land with the colonists and retain their rights to hunt and fish throughout the area.
Soon after, two other treaties were negotiated. These tracts of land were smaller, and the government (Canada) attempted to reduce the financial compensation offered with the two treaties - the Saugeen First Nation in 1854 and the Manitoulin First Nation in 1864. Several leaders, Jesuit missionaries, and the entire Odawa First Nations community refused to sign the deal for less money.
In 1862, most of the island was ceded to the government of Canada under the MacDougall Treaty for new settlement by non-natives, resulting in the creation of new reserves at West Bay, Sheguiandah, Sheshegwaning, Cockburn Island and Sucker Creek. However, two bands which occupied the land that now comprises Wikwemikong refused to sign the treaty, and thus continued to exist as a remnant of the Manitoulin Island Indian Reserve.
Wikwemikong as it exists today was created in 1968, when the two unceded bands and the Point Grondine band amalgamated as the Wikwemikong band.
Read more about this topic: Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve
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