Treaty Parchments
The original treaty documents between Indigenous nations and the British Crown, and later between Indigenous nations and the government of Canada, are housed in various locations, either in government of Canada offices or at Library & Archives Canada. Shortly after each treaty was signed, the government produced a limited number of poster-sized commemorative reproductions on parchment. These "treaty parchments" are typescript copies of only the preliminary treaty content and signatures, without the adhesions. Some of these treaty parchments were sent to government officials and some were distributed to the signatory chiefs and headmen, as promised, but some were not. The Peel library houses treaty parchments for several treaties, all of which can be viewed and printed online: Treaty 4 (1874), Treaty 6 (1876), Treaty 7 (1877), and Treaty 8 (1899). The treaty parchments can also be viewed in person at Bruce Peel Special Collections by making an appointment in advance.
Collection Formats: 19th Century -- click to see other collections with this format