Manitoulin Treaty Essay

Before the Manitoulin Treaty of 1862 the Anishinaabe people had occupied the island of Manitoulin for an immeasurable amount of time, living in relative isolation from colonialists with their own customs and traditions utilizing the entirety of the land. Their economic and agricultural practices, along with their nomadic lifestyle of moving throughout the island in accordance to optimal living conditions, resulted in an independent and self-sufficient people who respected the environment and all of creation. However, after the treaty came into effect in 1862 and the provisions of the document were implemented, the people were forcefully assimilated into nineteenth century English society through cultural integration tactics that disenfranchised

The Anishinaabe whom were a historically nomadic people were resettled and confined to a designated area on the island as to make room for new settlers and were now forced into a sedentary agriculture system, as well as constrained in their fishing rights. As Victor Lytwyn mentions in the Native Studies Review, “In those treaties, Native people believed that, among other things, their fishing rights would be 'free as by the past’. However, these expectations were not realized. Instead of protecting Native fishing rights, the government legitimized the takeover of Native fisheries by enacting legislation that. Effectively ignored the treaty promises and allocated the fishery resource to non-Native commercial interests”. These non-native commercial interests led to economic backlash for the Anishinaabe as the advantaged and capitalistic driven mentality of the settlers led to a monopolization in the fish industry surrounding the island. Consequently leading in thousands of pounds of fish being traded and sold, which limited the amount available for the Anishinaabe; who also had to compete with the other aboriginal occupants they were forced to share the island with as well the