After years of disrespect and colonial intrusion, the collective Métis and Anishinaabe action at Mica Bay in November 1849 succeeded in forcing the Crown to deal with their shared grievances.
The following year, the Crown sent Treaty Commissioner William B. Robinson to Sault Ste. Marie to negotiate a treaty.
In a continued act of allyship, Anishinaabek Chiefs Shingwaukonse-ibun and Nebainagoching-ibun advocated for Métis inclusion in the treaty-making process and the setting aside of 100 acres of land for each Métis family.
Despite this continued advocacy from the Chiefs, Treaty Commissioner Robinson claimed he was not mandated to deal with the Métis and refused to include them as a distinct group in the treaty. The Métis were not included in the resulting Robinson-Huron Treaty.
However, during treaty negotiations, Treaty Commissioner Robinson recognized that the Métis were in “free and full possession” of their River Lots on the north side of the St. Mary’s River. He also promised to return to settle their distinct Métis claims in the future, having “little doubt that the government would do them justice.”
The Sault Ste. Marie Métis Community and their Anishinaabek allies continue waiting for Canada to return and fulfill its promises.