Numbered Treaty Five, 1875

Document Summary:
Cree, Saulteaux and other Aboriginals give up their land rights to the government of Canada for European settlement in current-day Manitoba forever. In return for giving up these rights, they received:

• Six hundred square meters of reserve land for each family of five. These reserves may be sold by the government of Canada with due compensation, so long as they have the permission of Aboriginal bands and any such sale is done for the benefit of the First Nations.
  
  
• $5 per person at the treaty signing and an additional $5 each year; $25 per chief upon treaty signing and $25 each additional year, plus a coat and silver medal. Chiefs also receive a suit of clothing every three years. Three headmen per band also received $15 at the signing, an additional $15 annually, and a suit of clothing every three years.
  
  
• Farming tools.
  
  
• The right to hunt and fish on ceded land, except land used for forestry, mining, settlement or other purposes.
  
  
• $300 a year for ammunition and fishing net twine.
  
  
• Schools on reserve land whenever the government deems one advisable and the Aboriginals desire it.
  
  
• A census to keep track of how many Aboriginals there were in each band, mainly for financial compensation purposes.

In return for the aforementioned items, the Aboriginals had to:

• Promise they would keep the peace and maintain law and order.
  
  
• Never possess any liquor on their reserves. (The introduction of alcohol in Aboriginal society had led to disorder in the past.)