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- The Fort Victoria Treaties 1849-50. In 1849, the lands of Vancouver Island were granted to the Hudson's Bay Company - on the condition that they be opened for settlement as a crown colony. Before any settlers could be given title to the lands, it was considered necessary to extinguish the property rights of the native people. HBC representative James Douglas was given the task of adopting treaties with the Indian Tribes and began to negotiate the purchase of areas from the native people. By the spring of 1850, he had concluded nine agreements with the local Indians who occupied the south east portion of Vancouver Island. Songhees Treaty Number Six, Chekonein (April 30, 1850), included the land where the Univeristy of Victoria is now located. Dave Elliot Sr. When we got there all these piles of blankets plus other goods were on the ground. They told the Indians these bundles of blankets were for them plus about $200 but it was in pounds and shillings. After some discussion one man spoke, I think James Douglas wants to keep the peace. At the time, the Indians and whites were almost in a state of war. An Indian boy had been shot on the Douglas farm and cedar trees used for dug out canoes, were being cut at an alarming rate in Cadboro Bay and exported against the wishes of the Indians. They saw these bundles and goods and were asked to put X's on this paper. Our people didn't know what the X's were for ... they called them crosses. The Indian believed that the X was the sign of the cross the same one used by missionaries and they interpreted it as a sign of honesty and sincerity, so they signed the treaties. Later they found out they were actually signing their land away by putting these crosses on paper. The treaty with James Douglas said we could hunt and fish as formerly. We can't. One after teh other - land, fishing rights, hunting rights were legislated away. Source: Saltwater People as told by Dave Elliot Sr. School District 63 (Saanich), 1983. James Douglas. British Columbia Archives and Records Service HP2653. On receipt of that letter I summoned to a conference, the chiefs and influential men of the Songhees Tribe. After considerable discussion, it was arranged that the whole of their lands should be sold to the Company with the exception of village sites and enclosed fields. I was in favour of a series of payments to be made annually but the proposal was so greatly disliked that I yielded to their wishes and paid the sum at once. I informed the natives that ... they were at liberty to hunt over unoccupied lands, and to carry on their fisheries with the same freedom as when they were the sole occupants of the country. I attached the signatures of the native Chiefs and others ... to blank sheets on which will be copied the contract...as soon as we receive the proper form.
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