21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality

by Bob Joseph

In Saskatchewan, in particular, some of the Indian farmers were very successful and grew crops and produce that were as good as or better than that produced by the settlers, and were in a position to compete with the settlers on a commercial basis. Settlers objected, claiming the Indians were being mollycoddled and receiving unfair advantages. The government responded with the permit-to-sell system. Indian farmers were then placed in the position of requiring a permit to leave their reserve and a permit to sell farm products (see #11 “Restricted Indians from leaving their reserve without permission from an Indian Agent”). To solidify the effectiveness of the permit system, settlers were prohibited from purchasing goods and services from Indian farmers.