“as long as the grass is green and the rivers flow”

      That was the promise to us from the Royal Proclamation on North America October 7 Th 1763. The following are excerpts taken from the proclamation pertaining to us……

      And we do further declare it to be our royal will and pleasure, for the present as aforesaid, to reserve under our sovereignty, protection, and dominion, for the use of said Indians, all the land and territories not included within the limits of our said three new governments,  or within the limits of the territory granted to the Hudson’s Bay Company; as also all the land and territories lying to the westward of the sources of the rivers which fall into the sea from the west and northwest as aforesaid; and we do hereby strictly forbid, on pain of our displeasure, all our loving subjects from making any purchases or settlements whatever, or taking possession of any of the lands reserved, without our special leave and license for the purpose first obtained.

      And we do further strictly enjoin and require all persons whatever, who have either willfully or inadvertently seated themselves upon any lands within the countries above described, or upon any other lands which, not having been ceded to or purchased by us, are still reserved to the said Indians as aforesaid, forthwith to remove themselves from such settlements.

      And whereas great frauds and abuses have been committed in the purchasing lands of the Indians, to the great prejudice of our interests, and to the great dissatisfaction of the said Indians; in order, therefore, to prevent such irregularities for the future, and to the end that the Indians may be convinced of our justice and determined resolution to remove all reasonable cause of discontent, we do, with the advice of our Privy Council, strictly enjoin and require, that no private person do presume to make any purchase from the said Indians of any lands reserved to the said Indians within those parts of our colonies where we have thought proper to allow settlement; but that if at any time any of the said Indians should be inclined to dispose of the said lands, the same shall be purchased only for us, in our name, at some public meeting or assembly of the said Indians, to be held for that purpose by the Governor or commander in chief of our colony respectively within which they shall lie: and in case they shall lie within the limits of any proprietary government, they shall be purchased only for the use and in the name of such proprietary’s, conformable to such directions and instructions as we or they shall think proper to give for that purpose.

     And we do, by the advice of our Privy Council, declare and enjoin, that the trade with the said Indians shall be free and open to all subjects whatever, provided that every person who may incline to trade with the said Indians do take out a license for carrying on such trade, from the Governor or commander in chief of any of our colonies respectively where such person shall reside, and also give security to observe such regulations as we shall at any time think fit, by ourselves or commissaries to be appointed for this purpose, to direct and appoint for the benefit for the said trade………..

     And we do further expressly enjoin and require all officers whatever, as well as military as those employed in the management and direction of  Indian affairs within the territories reserved as aforesaid, for the use of the said Indians, to seize and apprehend all persons whatever who, standing charged with treasons, misprisions of treason, murders, or other felonies or misdemeanors, shall fly from justice and take refuge in the said territory, and to send them under a proper guard to the colony where the crime was committed, of which they shall stand accused, in order to take their trial for the same.  

Given at our Court in St. James’s, the 7th day of October 1763, in the third year of our reign.

This is a very important document for Original nations people. It says that we have the first right to the land, our freedom to be Sovran, to enjoy a peaceful way of life and that Her Majesty’ military, as those employed to keep us safe from harm and if they stand accused for not obeying these orders, they would be charged for that crime. I believe this document will forever stand as the Royal Proclamation as proclaimed by King George III.

Historical dates from the Proclamation to the present;

1. In 1755 the British Crown established the British Indian Department.
2. In 1860 responsibility was transferred from Great Britain to the Province of Canada.
3. 1880 the Department of Indian Affairs was established.