Fort Battleford

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Fort Battleford
At the confluence of the North Saskatchewan and the Battle rivers in Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada
Pano Fort Battleford.jpg
Fort Battleford National Historic Site
TypeFort
Site information
Controlled byFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Site history
Built1876
In use1876-1924
MaterialsWood
Battles/wars North-West Rebellion
Official nameFort Battleford National Historic Site of Canada
Designated1923
Garrison information
Garrison North-West Mounted Police

Fort Battleford was the sixth North-West Mounted Police fort to be established in the North-West Territories of Canada, and played a central role in the events of the North-West Rebellion of 1885. It was here Chief Poundmaker was arrested, and where six Cree and two Stoney men were hanged for murders committed in the Frog Lake Massacre and the Looting of Battleford. In reference to the hanging, Prime Minister John A. Macdonald said in a letter that "the executions... ought to convince the Red Man that the White Man governs." [1]

Contents

Ford Battleford Fort Battleford plaque.jpg
Ford Battleford

Its location near the confluence of the North Saskatchewan and the Battle rivers offered access to fresh water, as it was many years before an on-site well was made available; and offered an alternative means of transportation to the Red River cart. As the site was on a plateau, the fort was easily defensible, and offered clear lines of sight for the surrounding area and to Government Ridge – thus providing warning against possible attacks. The fort sheltered around 500 people, and they helped to fortify Battleford.

Battleford being designated capital of the North-West Territories played a substantial role in the decision to locate the fort there. The government's belief was that the presence of the NWMP would act as a civilizing influence on the First Nations in the area and help them to transition from their nomadic lifestyle to a more stationary one, modelled on European societies. They also hoped that the NWMP would assist settlers in their homesteading efforts and their presence in the area would encourage the people to respect the law.

The difficulties that had plagued Native American–government relations in the United States, along with the high Aboriginal population in the Battleford area, further prompted the federal government to establish a strong NWMP presence. Both the Canadian government and the First Nations were quite aware of what had transpired south of the "Medicine Line" and sought to follow a different path.

The original Canadian Pacific Railway route was also to pass through Battleford, along the Qu'Appelle route, but it was eventually built on a more southerly route, which resulted in the moving of the capital of the North-West Territories from Battleford to Regina, then known as Pile o' Bones.

Legacy

A newspaper clipping from December 1885 which closely followed the hangings suggests that Judge Charles Rouleau, who heard the case, was biased. Battleford Hangings - Bias of the Judge, Article from the Saskatchewan Herald, December 14th, 1885.jpg
A newspaper clipping from December 1885 which closely followed the hangings suggests that Judge Charles Rouleau, who heard the case, was biased.

In the spring of 2008, Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Christine Tell proclaimed in Duck Lake that "the 125th commemoration, in 2010, of the 1885 Northwest Resistance is an excellent opportunity to tell the story of the prairie Métis and First Nations peoples' struggle with Government forces and how it has shaped Canada today." [2]

Fort Otter was constructed at Battleford's government house located at the capital of the North-West Territories (1876 and 1883). The largest Canadian mass hanging occurred here when eight First Nations men were executed for murder in the aftermath of the Frog Lake Massacre.

The fort was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1923, known as Fort Battleford National Historic Site, to commemorate its role as military base of operations for Cut Knife Hill, Fort Pitt, as a refuge for 500 area settlers and its role in the Siege of Battleford. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North-West Rebellion</span> 1885 resistance by the Métis and Cree peoples against Canada

The North-West Rebellion, also known as the North-West Resistance, was an armed resistance movement by the Métis under Louis Riel and an associated uprising by Cree and Assiniboine of the District of Saskatchewan, North-West Territories, against the Canadian government. Many Métis felt that Canada was not protecting their rights, their land, and their survival as a distinct people. Fighting broke out in late March, and the conflict ended in June. About 91 people were killed in the fighting that occurred that spring before the conflict ended with the capture of Batoche in May 1885.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battleford</span> Town in Saskatchewan, Canada

Battleford is a town located across the North Saskatchewan River from the City of North Battleford, in Saskatchewan, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Cut Knife</span> 1885 battle of the North-West Rebellion near Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada

The Battle of Cut Knife, fought on May 2, 1885, occurred when a flying column of mounted police, militia, and Canadian army regular army units attacked a Cree and Assiniboine teepee settlement near Battleford, Saskatchewan. First Nations fighters forced the Canadian forces to retreat, with losses on both sides.

The Battle of Frenchman's Butte, fought on May 28, 1885, occurred when a force of Cree, dug in on a hillside near Frenchman's Butte, was unsuccessfully attacked by the Alberta Field Force. It was fought in what was then the District of Saskatchewan of the North-West Territories.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Fish Creek</span>

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Leif Newry Fitzroy Crozier, commonly known as L. N. F. Crozier, was a Canadian Militia officer and a superintendent of the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP), now best remembered for his role in the North-West Rebellion of 1885, a resistance movement headed by Métis leader Louis Riel in what is now the modern province of Saskatchewan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Fort Pitt</span>

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The Provisional Government of Saskatchewan was an independent state declared during the North-West Rebellion of 1885 in the District of Saskatchewan of the North-West Territories. It included parts of the present-day Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The name was given by Louis Riel. Although Riel initially hoped to rally the Countryborn, Cree, and European settlers of the Saskatchewan Valley to his banner, this did not occur. The government, with the exception of Honoré Jaxon and Chief White Cap, had an entirely French-speaking and Métis leadership. Gabriel Dumont was proclaimed adjutant general in which capacity he became supreme military commander, although Riel could, and did, override his tactical decisions. The Provisional Government was declared by Riel on March 19, 1885. It ceased to exist following the defeat of the Métis militarily during the Battle of Batoche, which concluded on May 20, 1885. During its existence the government only exercised authority over the Southbranch Settlements along the South Saskatchewan River. Other major centres in the area such as Prince Albert, Saskatoon, and most First Nations reserves remained outside of its control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duck Lake, Saskatchewan</span> Town in Saskatchewan, Canada

Duck Lake is a town in the boreal forest of central Saskatchewan, Canada. Its location is 88 km (55 mi) north of Saskatoon and 44 kilometres (27 mi) south of Prince Albert on Highway 11, in the Rural Municipality of Duck Lake No. 463. Immediately to the north of Duck Lake is the south block of the Nisbet Provincial Forest.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Looting of Battleford</span>

The Looting of Battleford began at the end of March, 1885, during the North-West Rebellion, in the town of Battleford, Saskatchewan, then a part of the Northwest Territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1885 hangings at Battleford</span> Hanging of 8 indigenous men in Canada

The hangings at Battleford refers to the hanging on November 27, 1885, of eight Indigenous men for murders committed in the North-West Rebellion. The executed men were found guilty of murder in the Frog Lake Massacre and in the Looting of Battleford. These murders took place outside the military combat that took place during the North-West Rebellion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North-West Mounted Police during the North-West Rebellion</span>

The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) played a significant role during the North-West Rebellion in Canada in 1885. The NWMP suffered early reverses and, although they supported the relief force sent to the region under the command of Major-General Frederick Middleton, their performance was heavily criticized. Commissioner Acheson Irvine resigned from his command of the police as a result.

The 300-kilometre (190 mi) Swift Current–Battleford Trail was an important late-19th century transportation and communications link between settlements of Swift Current and Battleford – the result of a brisk trade, in buffalo bones which resulted heavy traffic between the two regions. Because of the large volume of Red River cart traffic, the ruts created during this period are still visible. The historical significance of this resulted in The Battleford Trail becoming a provincial heritage site in 1982.

References

  1. Wright, Barry; Binnie, Susan, eds. (2009). Canadian State Trials: Political Trials and Security Measures, 1840-1914. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. p. 480. ISBN   9781442640153.
  2. "Tourism agencies to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Northwest Resistance/Rebellion". Home/About Government/News Releases/June 2008. Government of Saskatchewan. 7 June 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
  3. Fort Battleford . Canadian Register of Historic Places . Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  4. "Saskatchewan settlement experience". 1880-1890 - North-west Rebellion The 'siege of Battleford' as reported in the Saskatchewan Herald. Saskatchewan Archives Board. 2005. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
  5. Payette, Pete; Phil Payette (2006). "Saskatchewan Forts: Northwest Rebellion". American Forts Network. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
  6. "Parks Canada - Fort Battleford National Historic Site - History". Government of Canada. 22 June 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
  7. Yanko, Dave (1997–2007). "Virtual Saskatchewan - Fort Battleford National Historic Site" . Retrieved 20 September 2009.

52°43′38″N108°17′46″W / 52.72722°N 108.29611°W / 52.72722; -108.29611