[1] On March 11, 1886, James started working for the Government of Canada as a third-class clerk in the Privy Council Office in Ottawa.
On May 23, 1887, James was assigned to the Department of Indian Affairs, where he became private secretary to the superintendent general, Sir John A. Macdonald.
Later that year, James was sent to negotiate a settlement with the government of British Columbia, in return for the province granting Canada land to build its planned transcontinental railway on.
[1] In 1899, James participated under Indian Commissioner David Laird in negotiations on Treaty 8 with indigenous peoples in the District of Athabasca and the northeastern section of British Columbia.
The first proposed change was that indigenous peoples should be given the option of receiving land in severalty (separated portions) as opposed to a unified reserve.
Final decisions on the wording of the treaty were made by Sifton, who accepted the first proposal, and rejected the second based on Laird's advice.
While in this role McKenna was known to support the incumbent policies of residential schooling, as well as measures taken to suppress traditional indigenous dances and attire, especially off-reserve.
[1] His new work took him on inspection tours of Catholic boarding and industrial schools from Fort Frances, Ontario, to St Albert, Alberta.
On May 24, 1912, James was reassigned to become the Dominion of Canada's representative in negotiations with British Columbia regarding a number of grievances lodged by indigenous peoples.
It created a royal commission with representatives of both governments to examine reserves and adjust their size, with the consent of indigenous peoples.
McBride allegedly refused to consider "aboriginal title or native franchise" within the scope of the commission, and McKenna reportedly agreed without complaint.
under Harlan Carey Brewster in 1916 caused further delays after the new government made new demands, including that a clause requiring indigenous consent to any reserve border changes be removed.
[1] In February 1918, James published a series of articles in British Columbia newspapers where he argued that the dominion should return lands to B.C.