Treaty Promises, Indian Reality

In this book ... Forcing the Indians from the Cypress Hills The transformation of Indian society on the Prairies from self-sufficient hunters to regulated farmers Early relations with settlers around the reserve Government control and power in daily life One person's residential school experience

In a respectful and personal account of his life and the Cowessess people, Harold LeRat, shares the history and many successes of Indian peoples, despite the numerous challenges they faced.The federal government promised to care for the Indians in perpetuity and in return, the nomadic Indians would sign treaties, settle on reserves, and learn to be farmers. Many Indians, including those led by Chief Cowessess, were forced out of their traditional territory by the government and driven by hunger to reserves where agents of Indian Affairs controlled every aspect of life on and off the reserve. With the assistance of writer Linda Ungar, Harold LeRat relates the history of the Cowessess people through stories told by elders and historical research, providing a look at the reality of many First Nations peoples as well as the development of reserves on the Prairies. In a respectful and personal account of his life on an Indian reserve and in residential schools, LeRat points to the many successes of Indian peoples despite the countless challenges they faced.