ABORIGINAL HISTORY

DOCUMENTS - Treaties - Saugeen Peninsula Treaty (1854) No. 72

Saugeen Peninsula Treaty (1854) No. 72

SURRENDER OF THE SAUGEEN PENINSULA
We, the Chiefs, Sachems and Principal Men of the Indian Tribes resident at Saugeen, Owen Sound, confiding in the wisdom and protecting care our Great Mother across the Big Lake, and believing that our Good Father, His Excellency the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, Governor General of Canada, is anxiously desirous to promote those interests which will most largely conduce to the welfare of His red children, have now, being in full Council assembled, in presence of then Superintendent General of Indians Affairs, and of the young men of both tribes, agreed that it will be highly desirable for us to make a full and complete surrender unto the Crown of that Peninsula known as the Saugeen and Owen Sound Indian Reserve, subject to certain restrictions and reservations to be hereinafter set forth. We have therefore set our marks to this document, after having heard the same read to us, and do hereby surrender the whole of the above named tract of country, bounded on the south by a straight line drawn for the Indian village of Saugeen to the Indian village of Nawash, in continuation of the northern limits of the narrow strip recently surrendered by us to the Crown; and bounded on the north-east and west by Georgian Bay and Lake Huron, with the following reservations, to wit: 1st. For the benefit of the Saugeen Indians we reserve all that block of land bounded on the west by a straight line running due north from the River Saugeen, at the spot where it is entered by a ravine immediately to the west of the village, and over which a bridge has recently been constructed, to the shore of Lake Huron; on the south by the aforesaid northern limit of the lately surrendered strip; on the east by a line drawn from a spot upon the coast at a distance of about (9 ½ ) nine miles and a half from the western boundary aforesaid, and running parallel thereto until it touches the aforementioned northern limits of the recently surrendered strip; and we wish it to be clearly understood that w wish the Peninsula at the mouth of the Saugeen River to the west of the western boundary aforesaid to be laid out in understood that our surrender includes that parcel of land which is in continuation of the strip recently surrendered to the Saugeen River.
We do also reserve to ourselves that tract of land called Chief's Point, bounded on the east by a line drawn from a spot half a mile up the Sable River, and continued in a northerly direction to the bay, and upon all other sides by the lake.
2nd. We reserve for the benefit of the Owen Sound Indians all the tract bounded on the south by the northern limit of the continuation of the strip recently surrendered; on the north-west by a line drawn from the north easterly angle of the aforesaid strip (as it was surrendered in 1851, in a north easterly direction); on the south-east by the sound extending to the southern limit of the Caughnawaga Settlement; on the north by a line two miles in length and forming the said southern limit. And we also reserve to ourselves all that tract of land called Cape Crocker, bounded on three sides by Georgian Bay, on the south-west by a line drawn from the bottom of Nochemowenaing Bay to the mouth of Sucker River, and we include in the aforesaid surrender the parcel of land contained in the continuation to Owen's Sound of the recently surrendered strip aforesaid.
3rd. We do reserve for the benefit of the Colpoy's Bay Indians, in the presence and with the concurrence of John Beattie, who represents the tribe at this Council, a block of land containing 6,000 acres, and including their village, and bounded on the north by Colpoy's Bay.
All which reserves we hereby retain to ourselves and our children in perpetuity, and it is agreed that the interest of the principal sum arising out of the sale of our lands be regularly paid to them so long as there are Indians left to represent our tribe without diminution at half yearly periods.
And we hereby request the sanction of our Great Father the Governor General to this surrender, which we consider highly conducive to our general interests.
Done in Council, at Saugeen, this thirteenth day of October, 1854. It is understood that no islands are included in this surrender.
Signed and sealed:
L. OLIPHANT, Supt. Genl. Indian Affairs.
PETER JACOBS, Missionary.
Witnesses:
JAS. ROSS, M.P.P.,
C RANKIN, P.L.S.,
A MCNABB, Crown Land Agent.
JOHN (totem) KADUHGEKWUN, [L.S.]
ALEX. (totem) MADWAYOSH, [L.S.]
JOHN (totem) MANEDSWAB, [L.S.]
JNO. THOS. (totem) WAHBUHDICK, [L.S.]
PETER (totem) JONES, [L.S.]
DAVID SAWYER, [L.S.]
JOHN H. BEATY, [L.S.]
THOMAS (totem) PABAHMOSH, [L.S.]
JOHN (totem) MADWASHEMIND, [L.S.]
JOHN (totem) JOHNSTON, [L.S.]
JOHN AUNJEGAHBOWH, [L.S.]
JAMES NEWASH, [L.S.]
THOMAS (totem) WAHBUHDICK, [L.S.]
CHARLES KEESHICK, [L.S.]