No. 3.] G. M. DAWSON INDIANS OP CANADA. 135 



Province, conceded to the Indians the right of occupying their 

 old hunting grounds, and their chiim to compensation for its sur- 

 render, reserving to itself the exclusive privilege of treating with 

 them for the surrender or purchase of any portions of the land. 

 This is distinctly laid down in the proclamation of 1763, and the 

 principle has since been generally acknowledged, and rarely in- 

 fringed upon by the Government." These statements are interest- 

 ing in connection with the difficulty — referred to further on — as 

 to Indian title in British Columbia. In carrying out this 

 policy, we find the Government paying sums of money to certain 

 tribes, and providing them with annuities as their lands become 

 desirable for settlement. The payments thus made, though often 

 apparently large, were always small in proportion to the extent 

 of territory ceded. The country, for instance, north of Lakes 

 Superior and Huron remained in possession of the Ojibways till 

 1850, when the whole of this vast region, at least equal in extent 

 to England, and inhabited by between 2,000 and 3,000 Indians 

 was surrendered to the Canadian Government for $16,640 paid 

 down, and $4,400 in perpetual annuity. On this, the Commis- 

 sioners remark : " If we considered that it came properly within 

 our province, we should not hesitate to express our decided 

 regret that a treaty, shackled by such stipulations, whereby a 

 vast extent of country has been wrung from the Indians for a 

 comparatively nominal sum, should have received the sanction 

 of the Government." In a table prepared under the same com- 

 mission is the following summary of areas of land given up, at 

 different times, by the Indians of Canada, with the price paid to 

 them per acre : 



Ojibways, 2Jd per acre 7,373,000 



^d. " 6,737,750 



Ottawas, Pottawatamies, Chippewas and 



Hurons, y^g^c?. per acre 2,001,078 



Delawares, 2s. 



Saugeen Indians, 3^6?. per acre 1,500,000 



Ojibways of Lake Superior, as already 



given. Acreage not known. 



Average rate per acre about \\d.' 



In view of such facts, we may well ask upon what principle 

 they have been remunerated for their lands ; certainly not by 

 any standard either of their absolute or relative value, rather 



