TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION: Crown Indigenous Relations Joint Research Project

On October 30th 2017, descendants from an Indian community located adjacent the Chaudiere falls in Gatineau, Quebec, hand delivered legal notice to Canada (AANDC) that there is potential for the existence of an aboriginal right as well as spiritual appreciation for their ancestral land, see https://unpublishedottawa.com/letter/174294/kanatso-first-nation-recognition-requisition-gatineau

 

Canada's Crown Indigenous Relation department has acknowledged the presented information and has decided that a joint research project with Kana:tso members would be the appropriate next step for the Indigenous rights assertion.

 

At 2:38pm on 2018-05-22, via e-mail, AANDC presented Kana:tso members with a list of professional research companies that are eligible to conduct research under Canada's contracting authorities. Kana:tso members chose Nicole Read's History Group from AANDC's list, Nicole Read's research company has offices in Vancouver, British Columbia and Ottawa, Ontario. See: http://www.thehistorygroup.com/ for more information. 

 

Canada's claims assessment and treaty mechanisms directorates have proposed the following questions for the project:

 

1. Review Kana:tso Kanienkehaka presentation materials and CATMD Response to October 30 presentation, including documents collected by CATMD.
2. Identify and review secondary and primary sources to determine the date(s) when Iroquois families/individuals first appear in historical record as being residents in Hull, Quebec. What was the nature of this group? Were they extended families or unrelated groups that clustered in a particular area? If they arrived at a particular time, did they arrive as a group? Were they located in a particular location?
3. Philemon Wright encountered Indigenous persons in his early visits to, and when he settled in, the Ottawa-Hull region. Is there any indication as to the First Nation identity of these indigenous persons encountered?
4. Locate the Department’s letter requesting medical attendance to the Indian encampment in Hull, dated February 20^th, 1872, referred to in the letter of 23 April 1872 from Dr. Malloch to the Secretary of State for the provinces.
5. Identify and review secondary and primary sources to determine location of the ‘Indian Encampment’ in Hull and the property claimed by the Scott family from which certain Indigenous families were evidently removed in 1903.
6. Identify and review secondary and primary sources to determine where the families formerly on the disputed Scott property or elsewhere in Hull may have relocated circa 1903. That is, determine if the families remained in the Ottawa-Hull region, or left for other locales such as the Wahta (Gibson) reserve in Ontario or relocated to Oka, Quebec.
7. Identify and review secondary and primary sources to identify the purpose of ‘reserves’ shown on certain maps of Ottawa-Hull, more specifically the Map of the City of Ottawa, 1874 (NMC4239). Determine and compare location of ‘reserve’ with property from which the Iroquois families were evicted (if the latter can be determined).
8. A letter dated 15 September, 1902 from J.D. McLean (Indian Affairs) to Louis Jackson enclosed a number of documents from the late nineteenth century concerning the ‘Indians’ resident in Hull. These included letters dated 25 November 1885, 6 September 1887 and 24 July 1888. Undertake research to locate the enclosed documents (CATMD will provide information on its search for the letters).
9. Undertake research to locate court records pertaining to the ejectment of Indigenous individuals from the disputed Scott property in Hull, 1903.
10. Produce a narrative report, document collection and document index regarding the findings. 

Kana:tso Research Questions:

1. Jean Des Brebeuf sojourned at Kana:tso in August of 1626, Why did he stay? and What was written about his stay at the Kana:tso Indian Village?
2. Philemon Wright scouted Kana:tso before 1800, is there any notes regarding the indigenous?
3. Location of Kana:tso Indian village/encampment/community when Philemon Wright arrived in 1800, what was the origin and names of the indigenous population?
4. Location of Kana:tso Indian encampment in 1843 when the Indian burial ground was desecrated, what is the origin and names of the indigenous population?
5. Location of Kana:tso Indian encampment when fire destroyed Hull (Kana:tso) in 1865, what is the origin and names of the indigenous population?
6. Location of Kana:tso Indian encampment in 1900 when fire destroyed Hull (Kana:tso), what is the origin and names of the indigenous population?
7. Location of Kana:tso Indian encampment in 1901/03 before eviction, what is the origin and names of the indigenous people?
8. Indian Branch records requesting medical attendance to the Indian encampment in Hull (Kana:tso) February 19^{th and} 20^th 1872?
9. Which community members from the Kana:tso Indian village/encampment/community perished from the Smallpox disease?
10. What happened to our ancestors remains after Smallpox?
11. What was the registry number for the Kana:tso band in Hull?
12. Where are our Kanienkehaka ancestors located in the Hull Cemetery?
13. Locate the document of the 25th of November 1885 regarding Kana:tso Indians.
14. Locate the document of the 6^th of September 1887 regarding Kana:tso Indians.
15. Locate the document of the 24th of July 1888 regarding Kana:tso Indians.
16. Locate written and audio transcripts of civil court that "Illegally" evicted Indian village/encampment/community.
17. Is AANDC the Reporting Organization for the Windmill development at the Chaudiere falls?
18. Why is the Department of Aboriginal Affairs listed as the Reporting Organization for the Windmill Development located at the Chaudière Falls on  the 2014 DST Environmental Assessment?
19. Identify and review secondary and primary sources to identify the purpose of "Indian Reserve" on page 175 on the DST environmental assessment of 2014?
20. Kettle Island lease and the reasons it is listed on the Canadian document of Reserves of 1902? 

"In the past, INAC has destroyed certain documents, or records of events that they felt unnecessary to preserve".

AANDC stated in email dated, 9/12/2018, that their department is looking forward to commencing this research project and having a completed report available by March 31, 2019.

 

If any reader has any relevant questions for research, you can respectfully leave your questions in the comment section below or e-mail Chief Jason Arbour at 

tsit-kanaja@hotmail.com.