1845 Alexander Christie Political and Economic Rights of the Peoples of the NWT
Analysis of the Document - (The Document follows below the Analysis)
In 1845, Alexander Christie, the Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Red River Settlement, authored a little-known but significant treatise titled Political and Economic Rights of the Peoples of the North-Western Territory, a document that dealt with the governance and future of the vast territories that stretched across what is now Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and much of Northern Canada. Though not as widely studied as some of the other political writings of the time, Christie’s document carried profound implications for the future of governance, economic rights, and the treatment of Indigenous and Métis populations within the North-Western Territory (NWT). The document stands as a window into the colonial mindset of the period, and it illustrates how political, economic, and social debates concerning this vast region foreshadowed many of the central themes that would later define Canada’s westward expansion, Indigenous relations, and the creation of a national economy.
In the 1840s, the North-Western Territory was under the control of the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), which operated as a de facto government in the region. The HBC, under the terms of its charter, enjoyed exclusive trading rights in the area and wielded significant authority over the lands and peoples of the territory. Christie’s document was written at a time when questions about governance, economic rights, and the status of the Indigenous and Métis peoples were becoming increasingly pressing. The expansion of European settlement into the Red River area, the growing fur trade, and the arrival of more missionaries and settlers from Canada East and Canada West created tensions between the HBC’s monopoly on trade and governance, and the rights of the people who lived and worked in the territory. Christie’s treatise sought to address these tensions by outlining a vision for the future of the North-Western Territory, one that balanced the economic interests of the HBC with the political rights of the people who inhabited the region.
At the core of Christie’s document was a defense of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s right to govern the territory and control its economic resources. He argued that the HBC, through its long-established trade networks and its relationships with Indigenous nations, was best positioned to manage the region’s resources efficiently and to provide stability in the face of potential conflict between settlers and Indigenous populations. For Christie, the HBC was not simply a commercial enterprise but an essential governing authority in the North-West, one that could ensure that the interests of both Indigenous peoples and European settlers were protected. He claimed that the company’s control over the fur trade allowed for a degree of regulation and order that was absent in other frontier regions, such as the United States, where westward expansion often led to violent conflict and dispossession of Indigenous lands.
However, Christie’s defense of HBC governance also raised deeper questions about the political and economic rights of the Indigenous and Métis peoples who lived in the territory. The Métis, who had developed their own distinct culture and economic practices, particularly around the buffalo hunt, had begun to assert their rights to land and political recognition in the Red River area. While Christie acknowledged the contributions of the Métis to the regional economy, particularly through their role in the fur trade and the transport of goods, his document largely framed the political and economic rights of the region’s inhabitants through the lens of the HBC’s authority. He suggested that the governance of the territory should remain under the control of the company, with limited input from the Indigenous and Métis populations, reflecting the paternalistic attitudes of the time. The document thus reveals the tensions between the colonial desire for control and the growing demand for self-determination among the region’s Indigenous and Métis communities.
Christie’s treatise also addressed the issue of land ownership, a topic that would become central to the future of the North-Western Territory and later, the entire Canadian West. He argued that the land in the North-West should remain under the control of the HBC, which would manage it on behalf of the Crown. This position was based on the belief that the company’s stewardship of the land was necessary to prevent disorder and ensure that the resources of the territory were developed in a sustainable way. At the same time, Christie’s defense of HBC control over the land ignored the land-use practices of the Indigenous peoples, who had inhabited the region for millennia. By framing the issue of land ownership in terms of European-style property rights and governance, Christie’s document set the stage for the later dispossession of Indigenous lands during Canada’s westward expansion in the latter half of the 19th century.
The economic rights of the people in the North-Western Territory, particularly the Indigenous and Métis populations, were another central theme in Christie’s document. While he recognized the contributions of these communities to the fur trade, his vision for the future of the region was heavily skewed toward maintaining the HBC’s control over trade and commerce. He argued that the company’s monopoly on trade was necessary to prevent the kind of economic exploitation and disorder that had occurred in other parts of North America. Christie’s view was that the fur trade, under the regulated control of the HBC, provided a stable and profitable economic system for the region. However, this position marginalized the growing aspirations of the Métis and Indigenous peoples to participate more fully in the economy on their own terms, outside of the company’s restrictive trading practices. Christie’s emphasis on maintaining economic order through corporate governance foreshadowed the broader economic policies that would later define Canada’s expansion into the West, where Indigenous economies were systematically undermined in favor of settler-based agricultural and industrial development.
Politically, Christie’s document envisioned a future in which the governance of the North-West would remain under the control of the HBC, with limited involvement from the local population. This was consistent with the broader imperial policies of the time, which sought to maintain British control over colonial territories while gradually introducing elements of self-government in areas with large settler populations. Christie’s approach, however, reflected the paternalistic attitudes that dominated colonial administration, particularly in relation to Indigenous governance. He suggested that while the Indigenous and Métis peoples of the region should be treated fairly and with respect, they were not yet ready to assume full political rights or responsibilities. This view perpetuated the idea that Indigenous peoples were subjects to be governed rather than partners in the governance of the territory, an attitude that would later be reflected in the policies of Canadian federal authorities as they negotiated treaties and expanded settlement across the West.
The implications of Christie’s document for the future of Canada are profound. His vision for the political and economic organization of the North-Western Territory laid the groundwork for many of the policies that would later shape Canada’s expansion into the region. The defense of HBC control over land and trade, the marginalization of Indigenous political rights, and the emphasis on economic development through resource extraction all anticipated the key themes of Canadian westward expansion in the late 19th century. The eventual transfer of the North-Western Territory from the HBC to the Canadian government in 1870, followed by the creation of the province of Manitoba and the signing of treaties with Indigenous nations, were in many ways a continuation of the ideas that Christie articulated in his 1845 document. The tension between centralized governance and local autonomy, particularly in relation to Indigenous rights, would continue to shape Canadian political and legal debates throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
In many respects, Christie’s document also foreshadowed the rise of Indigenous resistance to colonial governance, particularly in the Red River area. The Métis community, under the leadership of Louis Riel, would later assert their political and land rights during the Red River Resistance of 1869-70, which ultimately led to the creation of Manitoba as a province. Christie’s vision of governance, which marginalized Indigenous and Métis political participation, was directly challenged by the Métis’ demands for political recognition and control over their lands. This tension between the colonial governance model promoted by Christie and the aspirations of Indigenous peoples for self-determination would remain a central theme in Canadian history, as Indigenous nations across the country continued to assert their rights in the face of settler expansion and the imposition of Canadian federal authority.
In conclusion, Alexander Christie’s Political and Economic Rights of the Peoples of the North-Western Territory is a critical document that offers insight into the colonial mindset of the mid-19th century and the political and economic debates that would shape Canada’s westward expansion. Christie’s defense of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s control over the region, his paternalistic view of Indigenous governance, and his emphasis on economic development through resource extraction laid the foundation for many of the policies that would later define Canadian expansion into the West. The document also highlights the tensions between colonial governance and Indigenous rights, tensions that would continue to play out in the decades that followed. As such, Christie’s 1845 treatise is not only a reflection of the political and economic debates of its time but also a key piece in understanding the broader trajectory of Canadian history, particularly in relation to the West and the treatment of Indigenous nations.
