Print bookPrint book

Unit 3 - Indigenous Peoples and the Land

Site: MoodleHUB.ca 🍁
Course: Regulating Alberta's Forests [1cr] - AB Ed copy 1
Book: Unit 3 - Indigenous Peoples and the Land
Printed by: Guest user
Date: Sunday, 7 September 2025, 7:45 PM

Table of contents

Information


  • You have the following tasks and assignments to complete in this unit.
    • Read all Unit 3 content and view all associated videos, publications, etc.
    • Complete 3.1 Quiz with a mark of 50% or higher


Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you will be able to:
  • explain a treaty.
  • explain who is involved in a treaty.
  • describe how land was traditionally used by Indigenous Peoples.
  • discuss how land is used today by First Nation peoples.
  • explain why industries consult First Nations peoples, to discuss how we share the land.

Introduction

As we start Unit 3, let’s take time to acknowledge the land that we are on today. If you are in the province of Alberta, you are on Treaty Land. Thus, it is important to acknowledge the treaty that you are a part of.


Treaties are important to everyone living in the province of Alberta and in the country of Canada.

History – Part A

Prior to colonization, which started in the 17th century, First Nations peoples lived throughout Alberta in small villages or nomadic units. These smaller units combined to form larger nations which were governed by chiefs and leaders. Today’s national and provincial borders did not exist and nomadic groups moved throughout the continent, but in general, stayed loosely within geographic boundaries and made alliances and treaties between nations to prevent fighting for resources. Regardless of region or nationality, the First Nations peoples fostered a spiritual relationship with the land. They believed that they were stewards of the land who should take care of the environment and use only the resources needed. A well-established trade route moved goods like tobacco, furs and pelts, oils and medicines throughout North and South America.
The Florida Center for Instructional Technology


Nomadic does not mean wandered aimlessly. Movements were strategic based on resources and time of year – this was known as a “seasonal round”. Making their home in tipis for mobility, they lived in small bands or hunting groups for most of the year. Depending on resources, these groups could be very small or could have more than 100 people. If food was scarce, they would break-off into smaller groups. In the southern and central part of modern day Alberta (Treaty 6 and 7), movements were centred around the bison (buffalo). Further north (Treaty 8), movements were centred around the availability of other resources.

  • In the winter, they lived in semi-permanent camps in forested areas near rivers as bison, deer, and moose wintered in the trees where the snow was less deep. This allowed them to continue to hunt. The camps were about a day’s hike apart, so they did not compete for resources, but were still within travelling distance.
  • In the spring when the bison and deer moved on to the plains, the band would follow.
  • Summer was when groups would come together for ceremonies, socializing, trading, and communal hunting.
  • Finally, in the fall, groups separated again. In the south, (Treaties 6 and  7) bison jumps and pounds, like the one at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump UNESCO Heritage Site, were used to harvest enough dry meat and pemmican for the winter.
Within Alberta there were many different First Nations separated by geographical location, culture and language differences.

The Florida Center for Instructional Technology

Treaties are agreements between nations that outline the rights and responsibilities of each nation. Treaty agreements were signed between tribal chiefs and leaders and a representative of the British government. Treaty negotiation was not new to the First Nations people; as mentioned, they had treaties amongst themselves for a variety of reasons. Thus, they were tough negotiators. However, they were at a disadvantage because they:

  • did not speak or read the language the treaties were written in.
  • were weakened from diseases such as smallpox brought by the European colonizers.
  • were displaced by settlers or other tribes attempting to move away from settlers.
  • were impacted by dwindling buffalo and deer populations from overhunting because of the fur trade and increased demand.
  • were unfamiliar with the European concept of land ownership.
  • could not foresee the impact treaties and reserves would have on their people.


Still, the First Nations leaders were also aware of agreements signed previously in the east as the British government negotiated to move First Nations peoples on to reserves to make room for settlers. Eleven of these treaties, referred to as Numbered Treaties, were signed between 1871 and 1921.

In general, these treaties were oral agreements between the First Nations leaders and a representative of the British Crown. Often the written version of the agreement omitted some of the oral promises. For this reason, as well as differences in cultural perspectives, there have been many disagreements about Canada’s obligations to First Nations and the rights of the First Nations peoples throughout the years. Most First Nations note that their leaders only agreed to sign the treaties because it was their understanding that the Crown did not want to buy but borrow or share the land. Since their signing, both provincial, federal and First Nation governments have sought clarification and interpretation of the treaties through the court system. In 1997, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that oral tradition is equal to written historical documentation.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada

History – Part B

Generally, the treaties promised housing, education, land, money, and additional money annually. First Nations groups had the right to hunt, fish, and collect resources on land unless sold or occupied. In exchange, they were to peacefully allow settlers to settle the land and use the resources.


Land title refers to the right of Aboriginal peoples to land that had traditionally been used by many generations for hunting, trapping and collecting resources. Through these treaties, the British government hoped to prevent the massacres that had occurred in the United States.

The treaties were agreed upon prior to the creation of provincial boundaries and Alberta did not become a province of Canada until 1905. Provincial boundaries were not recognized by nomadic First Nations so treaties often covered more than one of today’s provinces. In Alberta, Treaties 6, 7, and 8 represent 45 First Nations groups, 140 reserves and approximately 812 771 hectares of reserve land.


Click each collapsible row to view more information.


  • Signed at Carlton and Fort Pitt in 1876
  • Covers central Alberta and Saskatchewan
  • Includes 17 Alberta First Nations of Cree, Ojibwa, and Assiniboine Peoples

The Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations was created in 1993 to represent the 17 nations within the Treaty area. A few of their mandates include promoting respect for Mother Earth while protecting the social, cultural, spiritual, and economic well-being of each Nation’s community.

ShawTV Edmonton – September 25th is Treaty 6 Recognition Date.

  • Signed at the Blackfoot Crossing of Bow River and Fort Macleod in 1877
  • Covers southern Alberta
  • Includes five Alberta First Nations
The majority of First Nations peoples within Treaty 7 are Plains Cree. Plains Cree consists of independent nations of the Siksika (Blackfoot), Kainai (Blood), and Piikani (Peigan) that spoke the same language and were allies with one another.

The famous UNESCO World Heritage Site, Head-Smashed-in Buffalo Jump, was traditionally used by the Blackfoot and is located within Treaty 7.
ShawTVLethbridge

  • Signed at Lesser Slave Lake in 1899
  • Covers portions of northern Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and part of the Northwest Territories
  • Includes 24 Alberta First Nations of Cree, Denesuline (Chipewyan), Dane-zaa (Beaver), and other Indigenous Peoples
Like the nations to the south, the nations found in modern-day Treaty 8 in Northern Alberta were nomadic and had a seasonal round like their counterparts to the south. However, unlike the groups found within modern-day Treaties 6 and  7, they were not dependent on the buffalo. Instead, they were much more reliant on moose, deer, smaller game, and fish for subsistence.


Pixabay

The MĂ©tis are people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry. Unlike the Indigenous Peoples, the MĂ©tis did not sign treaties and were often pushed off land by government surveyors and settlers. This is one of the factors that lead to the Red River Rebellion of 1869–1870 in Manitoba.

In 1938, after much lobbying from the MĂ©tis Association of Alberta (now the MĂ©tis Nation of Alberta), the Alberta Government passed the MĂ©tis Population Betterment Act, which provided land for the MĂ©tis to settle. Today the eight Alberta MĂ©tis settlements are the only government-recognized MĂ©tis communities in Canada. These “colonies” are self-governing and are overseen by the MĂ©tis Settlements General Council. It was not until 1982 that the Government of Canada recognized the MĂ©tis Peoples as Aboriginal peoples of Canada.



We learn from First Nations’ teachings that we are connected to the earth and must be stewards of it. They had a relationship with the natural world that provided for their needs. This relationship was greatly impacted by the arrival of explorers and colonists. Today it is important to note that most Canadians live on Treaty Land, and that the treaties are agreements signed between the ancestors of the First Nations Peoples and non-indigenous Canadians.


Land Acknowledgment and Land Claims

Land claims are when a First Nations community or treaty organization claims that they did not receive land promised in the original treaty, and are thus asserting their ownership of the land.

Remember that those writing the treaties did not always include all they had promised, and First Nations leaders at the time did not read the language. Also, the governments sometimes changed the size of a reserve without consulting First Nations, either while the reserve was being surveyed or later through Legislative Acts.

Since the 1997 Supreme Court of Canada’s Delgamuukw decision that First Nations oral history is equal to a written document, First Nations communities have had legal standings to claim land that was promised in the treaties. This forced the provincial and Canadian governments to open up negotiations with the First Nations who had not received the amount of land promised in the treaties. The Treaty Land Entitlement Process was established as a framework for First Nations communities to use to acquire previously promised land.

Pixabay


 

Heritage Minute shares an Indigenous perspective of the signing of a treaty.

 


Consultation and Cooperation

When industry needs to access or cross private land or reserve land  (land owned by a First Nations community), it must consult with the landowners and sometimes pay monetary compensation. When an industry needs to access Crown land within a treaty area, the First Nations in the area need to be consulted. Many treaty organizations have representatives that help First Nations communities navigate the environmental and legal aspects of any negotiating that needs to be done. Through these consultations, the required Forest Management Plan is completed.

First Nations leaders are well aware of the benefits of industry to the local economies and must balance these with community environmental stewardship concerns. Many First Nations Peoples are forest contractors or are employed in the forest sector. Industries, including forestry, are also looking to Indigenous Peoples to fill skilled labour positions. Sometimes First Nations communities will harvest timber, or allow timber to be harvested, on reserve land for the monetary benefits and for fire management purposes.

First Nations communities can help develop the Forest Management Plan by sharing their knowledge of the area, including helping to develop the Traditional Use Studies (TUS) and sharing their Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). These studies not only preserve these sites and help build the collective knowledge of the community, but they also help the industry create a Forest Management Plan that is more socially and environmentally sound than if consultation had not occurred.

Courtesy of Unsplash



 

Government of Alberta

 



Traditional Land Use

We have already learned that following a pattern called a seasonal round, the Indigenous Peoples of Alberta would settle into semi-permanent villages during the winter and would meet in large groups in the summer. These village locations and meeting places, and other areas, are important traditional sites to the First Nations peoples.

Many of these sites have been lost to settlement, agriculture, and development. The exact locations of these sites may not even be known by First Nations peoples themselves. The land may not have been visited for many generations because of the impact of historical laws restricting First Nations peoples to reserves and prohibiting ceremonial gatherings. Additionally, residential schools led to the loss of traditional teachings regarding the land.
Seasonal Round of the Northern Shoshone - Bannock Adapted from image appearing in North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment
© Lois Sherr Dubin. and Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

Thus, sites may have not been visited for some generations and families are only aware of them through oral history. The Alberta Government, through the Aboriginal Heritage Program, consults with Elders around the province to identify important sites. Once identified, these sites are GPS marked and protected through the Aboriginal Heritage Program which is part of the Historical Resources Act. Some common types of sites include:

  • historic cabins and cabin remains
  • cultural or historical community campsites
  • historic settlements and homesteads
  • unregistered grave sites, burial sites, and cemeteries
  • ceremonial sites and spiritual sites
  • ceremonial plant or mineral gathering sites
  • historic trail features
  • historic sites
  • sweat, thirst, and fasting lodges
  • oral history sites
There are thousands of Indigenous traditional uses sites throughout the province. For example, the Rossdale Burial Site is found within the City of Edmonton. Like the traditional harvesting sites, the locations of many are intentionally not shared with the larger public. Others, like Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park are well known and have become popular educational tourist sites.


Click each collapsible row to view more information.


Pixabay

Although the main source of food of First Nations in Alberta was meat from bison, deer, or other game, their diet also included many plants, herbs, berries, nuts, and other tree material. Vegetation played an important role in Indigenous cultures for its nutrients and medicinal purposes. Although the Plains Peoples of Alberta did not grow plants, they purposefully cultivated them by spreading the seeds or reseeding them, sometimes in specific places. For example, the Plains Cree re-seeded Prairie Turnip, also known as Indian Breadroot, for harvesting. The root was eaten raw, cooked, and/or sun-dried.


First Nations’ knowledge of the land and forests, and edible and medicinal plants, is something they shared with settlers as they helped the newcomers survive and become established farmers and ranchers. They also shared their knowledge of rainfall and frost patterns, the availability of water, where to find good summer pasturage and winter forage areas for horses. In fact, many reserves, and First Nations families, were on their way to become successful farmers until legislation was put in place to reduce the size of land developed and amount of harvest sold by First Nations. These laws were put into place because settlers voiced concerns about competition from First Nations reserves and individual farmers.



There is growing concern among First Nations and concerned citizens that Indigenous plant and land knowledge is being lost as the traditional teachings are not necessarily being passed down. In addition, native plants may be choked-out by invasive plants introduced by colonists and trade. This leads to further loss of knowledge and culture. There are projects underway to preserve plant and land wisdom, as well as the plants themselves. These projects also encourage all Canadians to learn about the uses of plants native to Canada; to sustainably gather; and to follow foraging rules.


Medicine Walk, Mahikan Trails, Sundre Alberta

 


Many First Nations used tobacco, sage, sweetgrass, or red willow for ceremonial, healing, and purification purposes. Spiritual ceremonies and rituals often not only include the use of plants but a protocol in the collection and preparation of them. Many of these plants are considered sacred and some of the places where these plants were harvested have special meaning to the Indigenous Peoples. When collecting sacred plants, respect had to be shown to Mother Earth for providing them and a protocol based on respect for the earth, the teachings of the Elders and ancestors had to be followed. For this reason, many sacred sites throughout Alberta and Canada, are not open to the public out of respect for the First Nations peoples and the traditional protocol and teachings that go with harvesting from these areas. This is one of the reasons First Nations peoples are consulted with prior to industry entering an area.


Pixabay

Another area of traditional knowledge is the use of planned burns to manage forests and reduce forest fires. Many Canadian Indigenous Peoples historically used fire to:

  • manage the buildup of combustible materials
  • manage regeneration and create grazing land for prey species and horses
  • manage pests
  • open and maintain trails and paths
  • stimulate productivity and growth of berry patches and medicinal plants
  • produce materials for basketry
  • create fuel breaks around camps and villages

When setting fires, the timing and location was based on traditional knowledge of the landscape, and air currents were used to ensure the fires burned only where they were supposed to. As First Nations peoples saw themselves as stewards of the land, they were very conscious about the use of fire as a tool.

For example, at Head-Smashed-in Buffalo Jump, fires were intentionally set several months before the buffalo were to be herded. The grasses of the gathering basin would be burned to produce lush grass to attract the grazing herds.

With an increase in forest fires throughout Canada, and the fact that many First Nations communities are remote and hard to reach, Forest Fires Management and Knowledge is more important than ever. Projects are underway to learn fire management techniques from Indigenous Elders; encourage Indigenous Fire Stewardship (IFS) among First Nations peoples; and help First Nations communities develop fire prevention and evacuation plans.



British Columbia’s Yunesit’in and Xeni Gwet’in First Nations share and knowledge of traditional fire management, and learn from Australian Victor Steffensen to share his knowledge.

 


Balance

Like all Canadians, Indigenous Peoples use the forests for a variety of different reasons. As mentioned previously, many have jobs in the forestry sector, and, like many Canadians, worry about the balance of industry and environment. First Nations communities are working with industry and government organizations to help bring balance. Treaty 8’s partnership with the University of Alberta on the “Tracking Change” project, which uses traditional knowledge to aid in the tracking of changes in river systems, is an excellent example.

The forests continue to be used by Indigenous Peoples to hunt, harvest food, and gather medicine for spiritual and ceremonial purposes. Like their ancestors, many Indigenous People are, through educational programs and eco-tourism, sharing their knowledge and traditions, not only with future generations of Indigenous Peoples, but with other Canadians and people around the world.

Watch the following video.

Pixabay


 


 


3.1 Assignment

Healing Plants


  1. Click the button below to access the file. Make a copy of the file in your own Google Drive.

    Google Slides
  2. Open this saved document.
  3. Enter your responses in the appropriate spaces.
  4. When you have completed the assignment, save it on your desktop (or documents folder).
  5. Once you have completed your assignment, click on the button below to go to the submission page.

    Submission Page

This assignment is worth 20% of your final grade.

Rubric

To learn the criteria for this assignment, view the following Rubric.


 4
 3
 2
 1
Knowledge
 Exceptional work. Provided more than the required information in an interesting and articulate way. Good work. Provided the required information in an interesting, easy to read way. Satisfactory work. Provided most of the required information. Unsatisfactory work. Much of the required information is missing.
Images / Videos
 Images/videos are thoughtfully chosen and supports the information on the slides. Images/videos chosen support the information on the slides. It is not clear how the images/videos support the information on the slides. No images / videos.

Images/videos do not support the information on the slides.
Mechanics
 Report has no misspellings or grammatical errors; overall, work is exceptional. Report has one or two misspellings or grammatical errors; overall, work is acceptable. Report has more than two grammatical errors and/or misspellings; overall, work is satisfactory. Report has misspellings and grammatical errors that hinder the intent of the presentation; overall, work is not satisfactory.

3.1 Quiz

Indigenous Peoples and the Land

It is now time to complete 3.1 Quiz. Click on the button below to go to the quiz page.

3.1 Quiz