Grand Council Treaty #3’s overall goal is the protection, preservation and enhancement of Treaty and Aboriginal rights.
The Grand Council Treaty #3 existed in the territory of the Anishinaabe Nation, key to Canadian Confederation in that the British wanted to plan a route between Fort Garry and Fort William (now Winnipeg, MB and Thunder Bay, ON respectively).
Grand Council Treaty #3 was planned to be the first post-Confederation treaty, but the Anishinaabe held firm that they would not cede lands, nor allow farming or settlement, in their territory. On October 3, 1873, the 55,000 square miles of territory agreed to be shared between the Anishinaabe and the British.
The Chiefs negotiated, among other things, that British “business” would be allowed within the entire territory, and that both the land and resources would be shared between Anishinaabe and the British as “brothers.”