Petition: St. Laurent, Feb. 1, 1878


Petition: St. Laurent, Feb. 1, 1878
In the late 1870's, the Metis in the North-West, like the Indians, were in the throes of transition from a buffalo-hunting to an agrarian economy. To maintain their distinct society, Gabriel Dumont and other Metis at St. Laurent saw the need for French-speaking representation in the courts and on the North-West Council, as well as provision for schools and additional scrip. (Reprinted in the Sessional Papers No 45, 1886. To His Honor the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Territories. The Petition of the undersigned half-breeds of the parish of St. Laurent, in the North-West Territories- RESPECTFULLY SHOWETH: That on the 1st February instant, in public meeting assembled, in the said parish, Mr. Gabriel Dumont being chairman, and Mr. Alexander Fisher, secretry, the undersigned, your petitioners, adopted the following resolution: That the population of the North-West Territories is for the greater part composed of French half-breeds, without a single stipendiary magistrate understanding and speaking their language, and without any person of their race to represent them in the proceedings of the North-West Council; Resolved, therefore, that an humble petition be forwarded to His Excellency the Governor General, praying that the two members of the Council remaining to be appointed under the authority of the Act of 1875 and its amendments, may be selected from amongst the old residents of the country, and that at least one of them be a French half-breed, and that in order to do full and perfect justice to your petitioners' race, provision may be made for the immediate appointment of a person of French origin as a stipendiary magistrate; That with a view to provide for he interests of education by the establishment of schools in the chief centres of the Territories, an allowance of five dollars per head for each child be made, up to the limit of two hundred dollars; that sum added to the product of voluntary subscriptions will, in many localities, render possible the building and operating of schools which would otherwise be indefinitely retarded; That there be granted to all half-breed heads of families and to their children who have not shared in the distribution of scrip and lands in the Province of Manitoba, like scrip and grants of land as in the said Province; That the sudden transition from a prairie life to an agricultural life, caused by the rapid disappearance of the buffalo and the hunting ordinance of the North-West Council has reduced your petitioners to the last extremity, and compels them to apply to the Dominion Government for help in farm implements and seed grain, such as has been granted to certain foreign immigrants in the Province of Manitoba. Farm implements are exceedingly scarce, and the prices are so high that it i simply impossible for your petitioners to procure them; and hence, should the Government be unable to grant this help, many of your petitioners, notwithstanding their anxiety to engage in cultivating the soil, would be forced to return to prairie life at the risk of infringing the ordinance providing for the protection of the buffalo, however just that ordinance may be, inasmuch as the time during hunting is permitted is too short and the buffalo is now too scarce to enable them to lay in a sufficient supply for themselves and their families for the remainder of the year; That His Honor the Lieutenant Governor be respectfully requested to lay this petition before His Excellency the Governor General in Council, with such remarks as his own desire for the good and prosperity of the country may suggest. And your petitioners will ever pray. GABRIEL X DUMONT, Chairman. ALEX. FISHER, Secretary. In the folloing two letters, the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Territories David Laird and the Minister of the Interior David Mills exchange correspondence on the subject of the St. Laurent Metis' petition of 1878. On the important subject of surveying the river lots in the traditional narrow fashion the Metis favoured over the square, only a portion of the work was done in this way, creating intense frustration amongst the Metis. (Both letters reprinted in the Sessional Papers No. 45, 1886) Government House, Battleford, N.W.T., 13th February, 1878. The Hon. Dvid Mills, Minister of the Interior, Gov't of Canada, Ottawa SIR,- I have the honor to transmit herewith a petition of certain half-breeds of St. Laurent relating to several matters affecting their interests in this country. Though the petition is addressed to the Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Territories, yet as it refers to questions for the most part wholly under the control of the Dominion Parliament and Government, I am requested to forward it to His Excellency the Governor General in Council. I hope you will have the goodnes, at an early day to lay it before his Excellency in Council. Should it be the intention of the Government to appoint any additional members to the Council of the North-West Territories, the prayer of the petitioners, that such should be selected from the old residents of the country, is well worthy of consideration. It is important that the land policy of the Government towards old settlers and others living for many years in the Territories should be declared. It appears to me that they have a claim to some more speedy means of acquiring title for settlement purposes than the homestead provisions of the Dominion Lands Act. To prevent disputes between neighbors, it is highly desirable that the survey of lands settled upon along the principle rivers should be prosecuted with all convenient speed. With respect to the prayer for assistance in procuring seeds and implements to commence farming operations, it is similar to the request made to me by the half-breeds of Bow River during the Blackfoot Treaty negotiations, and which I forwarded to you and commended to the favorabe consideration of the Government. I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant, DAVID LAIRD, Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Territories. The Hon David Laird Minister of the Interior, Ottawa.18th March, 1878. SIR,- I ave the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 47, of the 13th ultimo, covering a petition addressed to you by certain half-breeds of the parish of St. Laurent, relating to several matters affecting the interest of the half-breeds in the North-West. 2. You are requested to inform the petitioners that I shall have much pleasure in submitting their petition for the consideration of His Excellency the Governor General in Council. 3. In the meantime you may intimate to the petitioners that it should be thought desirable to appoint additional members to the Council of the North West, I shall be prepared to recommend to His Excellency's consideration their application that such members should be selected from the old residents in the Territories, and that if possibl, one of them should be of French Canadian origin. 4. The propriety of passing an Act to secure for the half-breeds some more speedy means of acquiring a title for settlement purposes than under the provisions of the present Homestead and Dominion Lands Act has for some time past engaged my attention. 5. As regards the application of the petitioners for an early survey of settled lands along the principal rivers, I have to request you to inform the petitioners that the surveys of such lands has already been carried out to some extent and will be prosecuted as rapidly as funds at the disposal of the Department will permit. 6. The application of the petitioners to be aided by the Government with seed and agricultural implements in their farming operations, I confess I am not disposed to view favorably-I don't see upon what grounds the half-breeds can claim to be treated differently from the white settlers in the Territories. 7. The half-breeds who have in sme respects the advantage over new settlers in the Territories, should be impressed with the necessity of settling down in fixed localities, and directing their energies towards pastoral or agricultural pursuits, in which case lands would no doubt be assigned to them in the same way as to white settlers. But beyond this they must not look to the Government for any special assistance in their farming operations. 8. The petitioners are in error in supposing that the Government has given seeds or farming implements to any other class of white settlers in the North-West. Money has been advanced in some cases to certain settlers on the distinct understanding that it would be repaid to the Government by the parties to whom it was advanced. I may add that the result of this experiment has not been such as to induce the Government to repeat it. I have the honor to be, Sir, your humble servant, DAVID MILLS, Minister of the Interior. Battleford, N.W.T.

In the late 1870's, the Metis in the North-West, like the Indians, were in the throes of transition from a buffalo-hunting to an agrarian economy. To maintain their distinct society, Gabriel Dumont and other Metis at St. Laurent saw the need for French-speaking representation in the courts and on the North-West Council, as well as provision for schools and additional scrip. (Reprinted in the Sessional Papers No 45, 1886.
To His Honor the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Territories.
The Petition of the undersigned half-breeds of the parish of St. Laurent, in the North-West Territories-
RESPECTFULLY SHOWETH:
That on the 1st February instant, in public meeting assembled, in the said parish, Mr. Gabriel Dumont being chairman, and Mr. Alexander Fisher, secretry, the undersigned, your petitioners, adopted the following resolution:
That the population of the North-West Territories is for the greater part composed of French half-breeds, without a single stipendiary magistrate understanding and speaking their language, and without any person of their race to represent them in the proceedings of the North-West Council; Resolved, therefore, that an humble petition be forwarded to His Excellency the Governor General, praying that the two members of the Council remaining to be appointed under the authority of the Act of 1875 and its amendments, may be selected from amongst the old residents of the country, and that at least one of them be a French half-breed, and that in order to do full and perfect justice to your petitioners' race, provision may be made for the immediate appointment of a person of French origin as a stipendiary magistrate;
That with a view to provide for he interests of education by the establishment of schools in the chief centres of the Territories, an allowance of five dollars per head for each child be made, up to the limit of two hundred dollars; that sum added to the product of voluntary subscriptions will, in many localities, render possible the building and operating of schools which would otherwise be indefinitely retarded;
That there be granted to all half-breed heads of families and to their children who have not shared in the distribution of scrip and lands in the Province of Manitoba, like scrip and grants of land as in the said Province;
That the sudden transition from a prairie life to an agricultural life, caused by the rapid disappearance of the buffalo and the hunting ordinance of the North-West Council has reduced your petitioners to the last extremity, and compels them to apply to the Dominion Government for help in farm implements and seed grain, such as has been granted to certain foreign immigrants in the Province of Manitoba. Farm implements are exceedingly scarce, and the prices are so high that it i simply impossible for your petitioners to procure them; and hence, should the Government be unable to grant this help, many of your petitioners, notwithstanding their anxiety to engage in cultivating the soil, would be forced to return to prairie life at the risk of infringing the ordinance providing for the protection of the buffalo, however just that ordinance may be, inasmuch as the time during hunting is permitted is too short and the buffalo is now too scarce to enable them to lay in a sufficient supply for themselves and their families for the remainder of the year; That His Honor the Lieutenant Governor be respectfully requested to lay this petition before His Excellency the Governor General in Council, with such remarks as his own desire for the good and prosperity of the country may suggest.
And your petitioners will ever pray.
GABRIEL X DUMONT, Chairman.
ALEX. FISHER, Secretary. In the folloing two letters, the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Territories David Laird and the Minister of the Interior David Mills exchange correspondence on the subject of the St. Laurent Metis' petition of 1878. On the important subject of surveying the river lots in the traditional narrow fashion the Metis favoured over the square, only a portion of the work was done in this way, creating intense frustration amongst the Metis. (Both letters reprinted in the Sessional Papers No. 45, 1886)
Government House, Battleford, N.W.T.,
13th February, 1878.
The Hon. Dvid Mills,
Minister of the Interior,
Gov't of Canada,
Ottawa
SIR,- I have the honor to transmit herewith a petition of certain half-breeds of St. Laurent relating to several matters affecting their interests in this country.
Though the petition is addressed to the Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Territories, yet as it refers to questions for the most part wholly under the control of the Dominion Parliament and Government, I am requested to forward it to His Excellency the Governor General in Council.
I hope you will have the goodnes, at an early day to lay it before his Excellency in Council.
Should it be the intention of the Government to appoint any additional members to the Council of the North-West Territories, the prayer of the petitioners, that such should be selected from the old residents of the country, is well worthy of consideration.
It is important that the land policy of the Government towards old settlers and others living for many years in the Territories should be declared. It appears to me that they have a claim to some more speedy means of acquiring title for settlement purposes than the homestead provisions of the Dominion Lands Act.
To prevent disputes between neighbors, it is highly desirable that the survey of lands settled upon along the principle rivers should be prosecuted with all convenient speed.
With respect to the prayer for assistance in procuring seeds and implements to commence farming operations, it is similar to the request made to me by the half-breeds of Bow River during the Blackfoot Treaty negotiations, and which I forwarded to you and commended to the favorabe consideration of the Government.
I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant,
DAVID LAIRD,
Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Territories.
The Hon David Laird
Minister of the Interior, Ottawa.18th March, 1878.

SIR,- I ave the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 47, of the 13th ultimo, covering a petition addressed to you by certain half-breeds of the parish of St. Laurent, relating to several matters affecting the interest of the half-breeds in the North-West.
2. You are requested to inform the petitioners that I shall have much pleasure in submitting their petition for the consideration of His Excellency the Governor General in Council.
3. In the meantime you may intimate to the petitioners that it should be thought desirable to appoint additional members to the Council of the North West, I shall be prepared to recommend to His Excellency's consideration
their application that such members should be selected from the old residents in the Territories, and that if possibl, one of them should be of French Canadian origin.
4. The propriety of passing an Act to secure for the half-breeds some more speedy means of acquiring a title for settlement purposes than under the provisions of the present Homestead and Dominion Lands Act has for some time past engaged my attention.
5. As regards the application of the petitioners for an early survey of settled lands along the principal rivers, I have to request you to inform the petitioners that the surveys of such lands has already been carried out to some extent and will be prosecuted as rapidly as funds at the disposal of the Department will permit.
6. The application of the petitioners to be aided by the Government with seed and agricultural implements in their farming operations, I confess I am not disposed to view favorably-I don't see upon what grounds the half-breeds can claim to be treated differently from the white settlers in the Territories.
7. The half-breeds who have in sme respects the advantage over new settlers in the Territories, should be impressed with the necessity of settling down in fixed localities, and directing their energies towards pastoral or agricultural pursuits, in which case lands would no doubt be assigned to them in the same way as to white settlers. But beyond this they must not look to the Government for any special assistance in their farming operations.
8. The petitioners are in error in supposing that the Government has given seeds or farming implements to any other class of white settlers in the North-West.
Money has been advanced in some cases to certain settlers on the distinct understanding that it would be repaid to the Government by the parties to whom it was advanced. I may add that the result of this experiment has not been such as to induce the Government to repeat it.
I have the honor to be, Sir, your humble servant,
DAVID MILLS, Minister of the Interior.
Battleford, N.W.T.