THE WINTER OF 1884-5
When in the year 1875 Saskatchewan Indians met the commissioners
appointed to treat with them for the cession of their rights, the only
chief of importance to refuse the proposals made by the government was
Big Bear. Acceding probably to the demands of the more unruly element
in his following, he gave as a reason his objection to the white man’s
law which permitted hanging. He also wished, he said, to see how the
promises made to the tribes would be kept by the government.
The action of Big Bear in thus declining to subscribe to the document
surrendering his country and his liberties to the white man’s dominion
gathered about him the independent spirits among his people and he soon
came to be recognized as the most powerful chief of the Cree nation.
While the buffalo continued plentiful the band lived much as they had
done before emissaries had come from the Big White Mother to buy their
heritage. They became a band of nomads and drifted south, across the
line into Montana. The buffalo, mercilessly hunted for their robes
by white men, soon disappeared; Big Bear and his followers became a
menace to the ranchmen of the treasure state and were driven back into
Canadian territory. Reduced to the extremity of want and wretchedness,
in 1883 at Fort Walsh Big Bear at length affixed his mark to the treaty.
But though they had come into treaty, Big Bear’s band obstinately
deferred following the example of the others and selecting a
reservation. They excused their tardiness on the plea that there were
so many fine locations it was hard for them to agree on a choice. Thus
while reservation Indians when in need—as often happened—got help from
the government, for Big Bear there was no such provision. During the
first winter—1883-4—they did as a matter of fact get a few supplies
from the Indian agent, but this was in payment for work done. With the
advances they received from the Hudson’s Bay Company on account of
their treaty money and furs and game they killed, they managed to live
through the winter.
The following summer, as has been seen, found them at Poundmaker’s
reserve, where the incident just related—the flare-up precipitated by
the ruffianly Kahweechetwaymot—occurred. Shortly after this affair Big
Bear’s band returned to Fort Pitt for the payments already described,
and this brings the story to the winter of 1884-5. During the spring
of 1884 while trading on my own account among the Saskatchewan
reservations I had spent some time at Frog Lake. I was, therefore, no
stranger to these Indians when I returned the following New Year to
take up residence in their territory in a new capacity.
The months of January and February passed uneventfully. Big Bear and
his band were camped in the timber along Frog Creek not far from the
mill site. They cut wood for the police detachment, freighted for the
Hudson’s Bay Company and got some occasional help from Indian Agent
Quinn. The old chief often had dinner with me; thus I had frequent
opportunities to study his deeply-lined, intelligent face. Big Bear was
then perhaps sixty years of age. He had an amazing voice and when he
talked, as he often did, with his right arm free and the left holding
the blanket folded across his broad chest, with the dramatic gestures
and inflections natural to him, he reminded me of an imperial Cæsar
and was one of the most eloquent and impressive speakers I have ever
listened to.
On my trips to Pitt during this period I spent several days with Mr. W.
J. McLean, chief officer of the Hudson’s Bay Company for the district,
and his hospitable family. We played cards, danced, sang, took snowshoe
tramps, organized rabbit hunts. I made the round of his trapline across
the big river from the fort once or twice with Stanley Simpson and
helped him to bring in seven foxes.
About March the first rumours reached us of impending trouble between
the government and the French half-breeds at Duck Lake. Louis Riel, who
had incited the rebellion among these people in 1870 and been outlawed
for his action, was again their leader. We had, in fact, known earlier
that half-breed runners from Duck Lake had visited Big Bear’s band,
but had not anticipated any serious outcome. The half-breeds claimed
their title in the country had never been extinguished and professed to
believe they were to be dispossessed of their land holdings. They were
ripe for hostilities and sought the co-operation of the Indians.
Andre Nault, a French half-breed cousin of Riel, was arrested at Fort
Pitt while on his way early in March from Duck Lake to Frog Lake and
detained, on suspicion of being the bearer of incendiary messages
from Riel to Big Bear, for several days by Captain Dickens. On being
liberated he boasted openly that he would soon be in a position to
revenge himself on the police. How successfully the rebel Riel, through
specious promises, had drawn Big Bear’s lawless followers into a league
with him against the whites was shortly to appear. The half-breeds had
a logging camp at Moose Creek, twenty miles west of Frog Lake. I have
always believed that Nault was a Riel spy.