Treaty No.8 (1899)

The negotiations for Treaty No.8 began on 20 June 1899 and lasted two days. An enormous amount of land was at stake – the northern half of what is now Alberta, and parts of present-day British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories; it was home to Woods Cree, Beaver, Sekani, Chipewyan, and other peoples. They sought to protect the traditional way of life and to secure additional benefits so that the survival of future generations would be assured. For its part, the Canadian government wanted to guarantee safe passage for prospectors on their way to the Yukon gold rush and to open the area for training and settlement.