The story behind the adhesion is an interesting one. It proves the Canadian government wanted land for agricultural settlement and anything else was irrelevant.

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If you look at a treaty map, you will notice that a little rectangle of land sits on the northern boundary of Treaty Six. It’s called the adhesion of 1889.

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The story behind the adhesion is an interesting one. It proves the Canadian government wanted land for agricultural settlement and anything else was irrelevant.

The late senator Angus Merasty, a member of the Lac La Ronge First Nation, told me the story of Chief James Roberts and his quest to sign Treaty Six. He was a trapper and resident of the Cree settlement at Lac La Ronge. He was also chosen by the people to lead them. At the time, the political organization in the north wasn’t as sophisticated as the Indigenous governance system in the south. Originally, they lived in family groups with summer and winter camps. The Churchill was a peaceful place. They didn’t need to band together for protection.

James Roberts decided he would travel south and meet with the Queen’s representative. At the time, the closest Indian agent was at Montreal Lake. His wife made him........

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