The James Bay Treaty - (Treaty No. 9) is an agreement between Ojibway (Anishinaabe), Cree (including the Omushkegowuk) and other Indigenous Nations (Algonquin) and the Crown (represented by two commissioners appointed by Canada and one commissioner appointed by Ontario). The treaty, first entered into in 1905-1906, covers the James Bay and Hudson Bay watersheds in Ontario, about two thirds of the province’s total landmass. The treaty embodies the nation-to-nation relationship between First Nations and the Crown.

This exhibit explores different interpretations of the James Bay Treaty, the background behind the treaty’s creation and its impact on Indigenous communities, and the role that archival records and other forms of memory have come to play in the story of Treaty No. 9.

A treaty is a formal agreement between two or more nations about sharing the land and resources, and living together in peace and in friendship. Treaties between Indigenous peoples and the Crown are solemn agreements that set out promises, obligations, and benefits for both parties. Treaty and Indigenous rights that flow from such agreements are constitutionally recognized in Canada.