Treaty 4 was signed on September 15, 1874, at the Qu'Appelle Lakes in what is now southern Saskatchewan. It covers much of the south of the province, plus small parts of Manitoba and Alberta. We are based in Saskatoon on Treaty 6 territory, but many of the people we work with and sell to live in Treaty 4 territory. This guide looks at this one treaty in detail.
If you want the bigger picture first, start with our overview of the numbered treaties. Here we stay focused on Treaty 4: the signing, the people, the land, the terms and what the treaty means today.
Why Treaty 4 was negotiated
Treaty 4 is often called the Qu'Appelle Treaty. Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) publishes a treaty research report that explains the background. It says the Canadian government wanted treaties to prevent conflict and open the West to settlement.
First Nations had their own reasons. According to the same report, the buffalo were declining. People had also learned that the Hudson's Bay Company had "sold" their lands to Canada. They wanted agreements that protected their interests before settlement sped up.
By 1873, Canada had already made three numbered treaties. The Canadian Encyclopedia notes that Treaty 4 followed those earlier agreements.
The 1874 signing at Fort Qu'Appelle
Three commissioners represented the Crown. They were Alexander Morris, Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba and the North-West Territories; David Laird, Minister of the Interior; and William J. Christie, a former Hudson's Bay Company officer. CIRNAC's research report says they arrived on September 8, 1874, with a militia escort.
Talks were hard. The research report describes divisions among the First Nations present, and strong protest over the Hudson's Bay Company land sale. People said the Company had taken their land and asked about the 300,000 pounds sterling it was paid. The report says Morris treated these concerns as obstruction and did not see how closely they tied to the question of land.
After a week of talks, the treaty was signed on September 15. The Canadian Encyclopedia says 13 chiefs signed.
Who signed
The Canadian Encyclopedia lists the nations of Treaty 4 as Cree, Saulteaux (Ojibwe) and Assiniboine peoples of the Qu'Appelle region. Leaders named in its account include:
- Loud Voice, a Plains Cree chief who led the Cree at the talks
- The Gambler, a Saulteaux leader
- Kamooses, a spokesperson
- Pasqua, a Saulteaux chief
CIRNAC's report also names Chief Coté among the Saulteaux leaders. It notes that most Assiniboine were absent in 1874 and signed later.
What land Treaty 4 covers
The treaty text on the CIRNAC site describes a tract of about 50,000 square miles. It runs west from the western boundary of Treaty 2 to around 110 and a half degrees west longitude.
The Canadian Encyclopedia puts it simply. Most Treaty 4 lands are in present-day southern Saskatchewan. Small portions are in western Manitoba and southern Alberta. Fort Qu'Appelle, where the treaty was signed, sits in the heart of it.
Adhesions: who joined later
Not everyone was at Qu'Appelle in 1874. Other bands signed on through adhesions, which are later agreements to join an existing treaty. The CIRNAC treaty text lists adhesions at:
| Place | Date |
|---|---|
| Fort Ellice | September 21, 1874 |
| Qu'Appelle Lakes | September 8 and 9, 1875 |
| Swan Lake | September 24, 1875 |
| Fort Pelly | August 24, 1876 |
| Fort Walsh | September 25, 1877 |
The Fort Ellice adhesion involved a Saulteaux band whose territory crossed both Treaty 2 and Treaty 4 lands. The Canadian Encyclopedia says the band chose Treaty 4 because its terms were more favourable than those of Treaty 2.
The written terms of Treaty 4
The written treaty, as published by CIRNAC, sets out these main terms:
- Reserves: one square mile for each family of five, or in that proportion for larger or smaller families.
- Payments at signing: $25, a coat and a silver medal for each chief; $15 and a coat for headmen (up to four per band); $12 for every other person.
- Yearly payments: $25 for chiefs, $15 for headmen and $5 for every other person. We explain how these work today in our guide to treaty annuities.
- Clothing: a suit of clothing for chiefs and headmen every three years.
- Ammunition and twine: $750 a year, shared among the bands.
- Farming support: tools, seed, oxen, cattle and carpenter's tools for families who farmed.
- Schools: a school on each reserve once people settled there.
- Hunting, trapping and fishing: allowed throughout the surrendered tract, subject to government regulation and except on land taken up for settlement and other uses.
- Liquor: no alcohol to be brought in or sold on reserves.
Oral promises and broken ones
The written text is only part of the story. The Canadian Encyclopedia cites a 1986 Federation of Saskatchewan Indians report. It says Treaty 4 signatories understood they were not permanently giving up their land. They bargained for help to develop and prosper, for protection from the Crown, and to keep the right to govern themselves.
The same source says scholars point to a lack of legal counsel and hurried commissioners. Together, these left First Nations with little bargaining power.
Problems started early. Reserve selection did not begin until 1876, which delayed farming. In 1875, Treaty 4 peoples held off taking their annual payments for four days to protest unmet demands. Chief Piapot argued the treaty should also provide farm instruction, medicine, gristmills and farm machinery.
"The interpretation of the treaty, though, is somewhat different from the treaty parties — there were issues around language, understanding, and translation." — Dan Bellegarde, File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council, speaking to 620 CKRM in 2026
Treaty 4 today
The Canadian Encyclopedia says Treaty 4 today includes 35 First Nations in southern Saskatchewan, southern Alberta and western Manitoba. Several organizations represent them, including the File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council, which represents 11 nations.
The same source notes two modern milestones. In 1995, the federal government awarded Treaty 4 peoples $6.6 million and allowed the purchase of up to 1,300 acres near the original Treaty Grounds. In 1999, 30 Treaty 4 chiefs signed an agreement-in-principle on self-government.
In 2024, the treaty reached 150 years. The Office of the Treaty Commissioner marked it with a documentary called Voices of Treaty 4, directed by Benji Noon. It shares oral histories from Elders and knowledge keepers across Treaty 4 nations and is free to watch online.
The Treaty 4 Gathering in Fort Qu'Appelle
Every September, the File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council hosts the Treaty 4 Gathering at the Treaty 4 Grounds in Fort Qu'Appelle. It marks the anniversary of the September 15 signing. The 2025 program listed a feast, youth, Elders and chiefs forums, a career fair, a fastball championship, a powwow, a parade and daily flag raisings.
The 2026 Gathering ran September 14 to 20 and marked 40 years. According to 620 CKRM, students from over 50 schools in southern Saskatchewan took part.
Why this matters to us
We are two brothers who started XUSI in Saskatoon in 2020. You can read more about who we are and about the Treaty 6 land we work on. Treaties shape life across this whole province, not just in the past.
If you live in the southern part of the province, there is a good chance you live on Treaty 4 land. Learning its history is a good start. Supporting the people and nations of that territory is the next step. See our page on Indigenous clothing in Saskatchewan for where we fit in.
Questions people ask
When and where was Treaty 4 signed?
On September 15, 1874, at the Qu'Appelle Lakes, near present-day Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan.
Which provinces does Treaty 4 cover?
Mostly southern Saskatchewan, with small portions in western Manitoba and southern Alberta.
How many First Nations are in Treaty 4?
The Canadian Encyclopedia says 35 First Nations are part of Treaty 4 today.
Where can I learn more from Treaty 4 people directly?
Watch the Office of the Treaty Commissioner's Voices of Treaty 4 documentary, or attend the Treaty 4 Gathering in Fort Qu'Appelle each September.
Sources
- Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada: Treaty Texts, Treaty No. 4
- Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada: Treaty Research Report, Treaty Four (1874)
- The Canadian Encyclopedia: Treaty 4
- The Canadian Encyclopedia: Treaty 4 (Plain-Language Summary)
- Library and Archives Canada (archived): Treaty 4 digitized text
- Office of the Treaty Commissioner: Voices of Treaty 4 available online
- File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council: 39th Annual Treaty 4 Gathering
- 620 CKRM: Treaty 4 gathering marks 40 years of learning, remembrance in Fort Qu'Appelle
Written by XUSI, an Indigenous-owned clothing and screen printing brand from Saskatoon on Treaty 6 territory. Our story · What the words mean