the leaders of the plains were interested in signing the treaty because they had concerns about the course of their lives. people had become aware that their resources were rapidly depleting due to overhunting and commercialization of the usage of animals with the hudson’s bay company. diseases such as smallpox that were taking lives of the old, young and children and it was becoming increasingly more difficult to control disease as it spread easily throughout communities where there wasn't immunity to these foreign disease. the plains people and their leaders were also concerned about their future and culture and what the influx of american settlers and traders would mean for their communities. they saw the number treaties as an association with the monarchy and as a way for them to gain the government's protection of their land and resources before american settlers came to take over their territories. they were able to trust that the queen and her people would keep their word because the canadian mounties had done well in keeping american traders out of southern alberta.