6. Reserves

The more pressure there was for settlement of Western Canada, the more the government pressured Indian people to settle on Reserves.

Reserve clusters were kept far enough apart to discourage Bands from forming alliances against the government.

Indian Agents and Farm Instructors were sent to Reserves. Life on the Reserves centred around them -- they lived on Reserves and made all decisions:

• they provided family and marriage counselling;
• they married and buried people;
• they kept law and order;
• they did the work of the public health nurse;
• sometimes they filled in as the teacher.