I've seen the myth that First Nations failed at farming because they didn't understand it repeated on this board a few times. That myth should had been quashed a long time ago, so I think this belongs in this thread.
Indian Act and the Permit System
https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/indian-ac...-permit-system-
Quote:
Agriculture was chosen as the path for First Nations to follow towards “civilization”. Hayter Reed, Deputy Superintendent General of Indian Affairs from 1893 – 1897 stated “agriculture was the great panacea of what was perceived to be the ills of Canada’s Indians” [1]. This is despite the fact that many reserves were located in areas that were unsuitable for agriculture. Government agencies later used the low success rate of First Nation farmers as reason to reduce the size of reserves.
Indian agents and farm instructors worked with the First Nations to teach them how to farm………although raising crops such as corn or rice was not new to some cultures. In Saskatchewan in particular, some of the First Nation farmers were very successful and grew crops and produce, as good or better, than that produced by the settlers. They formed collectives to share the costs of new equipment and labour.
“At Duck Lake in 1891, six or seven Indians together purchased a self-binder with the approval of the farm instructor. The implement dealer had to acquire the consent of the agent, who was ordered by Inspector McGibbon to object to the sale. No sale or delivery took place.” [2]
The unexpected farming success quickly became a problem and new policies were developed to protect the market share for the settlers.
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