Community of Batoche
Village of Batoche
Northwest Rebellion
Battle of Batoche
Gabriel Dumont

The Northwest Rebellion of 1885

All groups occupying the Northwest, whites, Indians and mixed bloods, felt they had significant complaints with Dominion government policy in this territory. The list of their grievances was recorded in the newspapers in the Northwest at that time and in the List of Rights sent to the federal government in 1884 and 1885. As tensions mounted during the extremely difficult winter of 1885, the possibility for a peaceful negotiated settlement waned. The resulting military confrontation was not simply an inevitable clash between complex and primitive societies. Such an interpretation leaves the impression that there was nothing vital in the culture or society of groups then inhabiting the Northwest. It also presumes that those in the Northwest presented a monolithic front prior to and during the events of 1885. The events which preceded the outbreak of violence involved complicated political and economic factors as well as the cultural and social issues traditionally emphasized.

The 1870's and 1880's were difficult times for the three major groups living in the Northwest. First, there were Indians, the original inhabitants of the land. The disappearance of the buffalo completely changed their way of life, and many faced starvation. They were encouraged by government to give up their claims to vast tracts of land and live on reserves where they were assured they would be looked after. But government assistance in teaching them how to farm was slow to come, and they were faced with the constant advance of settlement. White settlers were moving west in increasing numbers, and they too had grievances with the government. Resentment was especially strong in the Prince Albert area. The promised railway line took a southerly route, crops were poor, freight rates were high, and high tariffs protected eastern Canadian business at the expense of the west. There were the Metis; mostly French-speaking descendants of early white fur traders and Cree or Ojibwa Indians. Their community was originally centered around the Red River near present day Winnipeg. But they became disillusioned with the creation of the province of Manitoba and the resulting increased settlement. Many Metis families left the Red River and headed west, searching for a place where they could continue their traditional way of life. They found the area between the North and South Saskatchewan Rivers ideal. Here, they lived on farms on long narrow river lots, hunted buffalo, made pemmican, and worked as freighters on York boats and overland expeditions. Thriving Metis settlements were established at St. Laurent, and at Batoche, which became the centre of the community. It wasn't long before the Metis were confronted with similar problems they had faced in Red River. Discontent came to a head when government surveyors began surveying Metis land in square sections, disregarding the long river lots already in use. The Metis were also told they had no legal right to occupy the land they lived on. It was the culmination of these problems that led the Metis at Batoche to send for Louis Riel, a Metis who had helped them voice their concerns several years earlier in Red River. Riel was living in Montana, but returned to Canada to help his people. Riel urged Metis, whites and Indians alike to join together to present their grievances to Ottawa, and at first he received widespread local support. But as time passed and Riel favored resorting to arms, he lost the support of white settlers and English-speaking Metis. Frustrated by government inaction, Riel declared a provisional government at Batoche on March 19, 1885. One week later, fighting broke out at Duck Lake when Riel's forces, led by Gabriel Dumont, clashed with North West Mounted Police (NWMP) officers and volunteers from Prince Albert. In response, the government mobilized the Northwest Field Force under Major General Frederick Middleton. The militia was to stop Riel and quell uprisings that had broken out near Battleford and Fort Pitt. The militia broke into three columns. Middleton led the main contingent towards Batoche. He encountered the Metis at Fish Creek and later at Batoche where the decisive battle was fought. The second column continued by train to Swift Current, then marched north to Battleford and Cut Knife to confront the Cree at Chief Poundmaker's camp. The third column went to Fort Calgary, marched north to Fort Edmonton, then travelled down the North Saskatchewan River to the Fort Pitt area to confront followers of Cree Chief Big Bear.

GPS: 52d 45.00m N, 106d 07.16m W, 1460 feet 10 July 96, 2:00 pm, Fuji Velvia 50, F8 1/60s 80k QTVR preview 300x192

Essentially there were five significant engagements during the North West Rebellion. The North-West Field Force was involved in four of them; Fish Creek, Cut Knife Hill, Batoche and Frenchman's Butte. At Duck Lake, the skirmish was between the Metis and the North-West Mounted Police under Superintendent Crozier. One other major event occurred during the campaign, the Frog Lake "Massacre", where whites and Metis in the community were either killed or taken hostage by the malcontents of Big Bear's Cree. Only the Battle of Batoche gave the government forces a decisive victory. The only clear Metis victory came at Duck Lake, the initial outbreak of violence. The other three conflicts, Fish Creek, Cut Knife Hill and Frenchman's Butte, were all stand-offs in one form or another. At Fish Creek, the Metis retreated after an indecisive battle; at Cut Knife Hill, Otter withdrew after meeting stiff resistance from Poundmaker's Cree; and at Frenchman's Butte, Big Bear's Cree retreated from the barrage of fire into their defensive alignment although the militia were unable to pursue them through the muskeg.