Answer to Question #212417 in Sociology for uyr6urtnhggfs

Question

1. Examine the treaty process at the beginning of the 20th century and look at the rationale behind the Government of Canada’s desire to have signed agreements—specifically Treaty No. 9—with Indigenous peoples. Please give your understanding of what the terms “cede,” “surrender,” “release” and “give up” mean to you as a non-Aboriginal peoples. 

Answer 1

The treaty process is a constitutionally permitted and supported procedure by the Canadian government. The official procedure of treaty-making in Canada is divided into two constitutional parts based on the treaty's scope and the parties involved. Treaties between the Canadian government and other nations are protected under international relations legislation. The treaty signatories are well-known individuals who have a vested interest in the treaty process. The section in question is Section 132 of the 1867 Constitution Act. Section 35 of the Constitution Act of 1862 deals with treaties between the Canadian and Indian communities.

One party proposes a cooperative venture, including a procedure or a set of policies during the treaty-making process. The proposal is then received with either resistance or acceptance. The treaty provisions are then drafted, and talks between the Canadian government and the parties begin. When both sides reach a point of agreement, the treaties are signed. Signatories are typically community leaders or persons with vested interests. At this point, the next stage for national treaties is implementation and all that. The demand for signed documents in Canada is a relic of British colonial authority as a formal means to solidify agreements and preserve the historical element of the standard arrangement. The words cede, release, and give up are all used. In English, the phrases imply the transfer of authority to a different monarch. The words were used regularly in treaty negotiations with Aboriginal people who could not know English and were thus all employed as a ruse to acquire power.