Treaty 45 converted all of Manitoulin Island into an Indigenous reserve, representing a notable moment in British Crown-Indigenous relations in Upper Canada.
Key Facts
- Date signed
- August 9, 1836
- Indigenous signatories
- 16 Odawa and Ojibwe leaders
- Crown representative
- Francis Bond Head
- Territory affected
- Whole of Manitoulin Island
- Document held by
- Library and Archives Canada
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Francis Bond Head travelled to Manitoulin Island for an annual exchange of presents with Indigenous leaders. While there, he pursued a broader colonial objective of designating land for Indigenous peoples, taking more decisive action than the visit's original ceremonial purpose implied.
In August 1836, Bond Head negotiated Treaty 45 with 16 Odawa and Ojibwe leaders. Critics, including The Canadian Encyclopedia, suggest Bond Head effectively collected signatures rather than conducting genuine negotiation, converting the entirety of Manitoulin Island in Upper Canada into a reserve under British Crown authority.
The treaty established Manitoulin Island as an Indigenous reserve, with the English-language document preserved in Library and Archives Canada. Its conclusion was commemorated on Manitoulin Island in August 2011. The term 'Manitoulin Island treaty' later also became associated with a separate 1862 treaty.
Political Outcome
Manitoulin Island was converted into an Indigenous reserve under British Crown authority.
Manitoulin Island held without formal treaty reserve status
Manitoulin Island designated as an Indigenous reserve under the Crown