From the 1830s (beginning in what was then so-called "Lower Canada") until the 1960s, an Indian agent was the Canadian government's representative on First Nations reserves.
The role of the Indian agent in Canadian history has never been fully documented,[1] and today the position no longer exists.
The powers of the Indian agent held sway over the lives of all First Nations peoples in their jurisdictions.
[3] Notable Indian agents in Canada included Henry Ross Halpin,[4] Ebenezer McColl,[5] and Alexander McKee.
As a result, the government began to slowly change its approach, including by withdrawing all Indian agents from reserves.