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138-575: The Red River Colony or the Selkirk Settlement included portions of present-day southern Manitoba , northern Minnesota and eastern North Dakota , in addition to small parts of eastern Saskatchewan , northwestern Ontario and northeastern South Dakota . The Proclamation defined the borders of the lands ceded to Lord Selkirk by the Hudson's Bay Company over which Miles MacDonell had been appointed Governor. The proclamation next outlined

276-530: A European system was the involvement of Thomas Douglas, 5th Lord of Selkirk. Douglas had a strong desire to relocate poor Scottish immigrants to profitable land settlements. The Red River and the pemmican industry would have been perfect for the Lord of Selkirk and his colonizers because Douglas had used his fortune to purchase enough HBC shares to be granted land in the Red River Settlement. This meant

414-616: A common past or present involvement with the Companies. While the end of the fur trade's inspired conflicts on the plains, the Red River settlement was able to grow in both population and economic importance with the expansion of commercially-oriented agriculture (raising of staple crops). The agricultural products, primarily wheat, began to rise in yearly yields. Flour production rose from over 9,100 kilograms (20,000 lb) annually from 1823 to 1829 to over 14,000 kg (30,000 lb) in

552-482: A counter-balance to English and Protestant dominance in the Canadian Confederation, while some hoped the province would be a political entity centered or at least heavily influenced by indigenous or Métis communities. Once the rebellion was put down and Manitoba was admitted, thousands of largely Protestant, anglophone Ontarians quickly began migrating to the prairies, and their presence swiftly shifted

690-528: A flood. Perhaps the most significant ecological disaster was the rapid depletion of the bison population. A vital food source, bison numbers had been dwindling since the 1760s due to heavy hunting pressure by Euroamerican traders as well as the aboriginal inhabitants of the prairies. In July 1811, Miles Macdonell sailed from Yarmouth , England to the Hudson's Bay post at York Factory with 36 primarily Irish and Scottish settlers. Due to persuasive efforts of

828-727: A group of Hudson Bay Company Officers and Selkirk Settlers vs. a party of Metis traders from the Red River and the Upper Assiniboine. Currently in Canada, there is a large debate to as who instigated the Seven Oaks Incident. Lyle Dick notes that reportedly, the first shot was fired by the Metis, however Contemporary Commissioner William Bachelor Coltman was sent by lower Canada (which is Now Quebec) to investigate

966-595: A growing population, Macdonell, now governor of Red River, issued the Pemmican Proclamation in January 1814 to prevent the export of pemmican from the colony. In doing so, Macdonell undermined the security of Red River and plunged the colony into a conflict with the North West Company that would not end until 1821. The Pemmican War that was initiated by Macdonell's proclamation was only

1104-569: A gunfight ensued when the settlers tried to arrest Boucher and seize his horse. Early reports said that the Métis fired the first shot and began the fray, but an ensuing investigation by Royal Commissioner William Bachelor Coltman determined with "next to certainty" that it was one of Semple's men who fired first. The Métis were skilled sharpshooters and outnumbered Semple's forces by nearly 3 to 1. The Metis killed 21 men, including Governor Semple, while suffering only one fatality. On

1242-503: A license for the same. The provisions procured and raised as above shall be taken for the use of the colony; and that no loss may accrue to the parties concerned, they will be paid for by British bills at the customary rates. And be it hereby further made known, that whosoever shall be detected in attempting to convey out, or shall aid and assist in carrying out, or attempting to carry out, any provisions prohibited as above, either by water or land, shall be taken into custody, and prosecuted as

1380-488: A long-lasting tradition of a semi-annual, commercial, buffalo hunt that took place throughout the prairies starting in the mid-1700s with the western fur trade. The Hudson's Bay Company's journals and a number of witnesses to these events stated that the united caravan was commonly known as a brigade. These brigades did not just focus on buffalo hunting but were used by buffalo hunters to trade and freight during this time. Women were fundamental in both actively participating in

1518-557: A nece-sary and indispensable part of my duty to provide for their support; in the yet uncultivated state of the country, the ordinary resources derived from the buffalo and other wild animals hunted within the Territory, are not deemed more than adequate for the requisite supply. Wherefore, it is hereby ordered, that no persons trading in furs or provisions within the Territory, for the Honourable Hudson’s Bay Company, or

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1656-814: A part of the Red River Colony following the signing of the Treaty of 1818 , in which the United Kingdom agreed to cede this territory to the United States . Growing up in Scotland in the wake of the Jacobite rising of 1745 , Lord Selkirk was constantly troubled by the plight of his Scottish kin. Selkirk was influenced by humanitarians including William Wilberforce and, following the forced displacement of Scottish farmers that took place during

1794-399: A party of about 60 mounted Métis and First Nations freighters, towards Seven Oaks (known to the Métis as la Grenouillière , or Frog Plain) to escort a shipment of pemmican to Lake Winnipeg to supply NWC canoe brigades from Montreal which had to pass by en route to Athabasca . In retaliation for the destruction of Fort Gibraltar , the group stopped a flotilla of HBC canoes coming down

1932-518: A political voice and political implications upon Canadian federal government. This rebellion also led to the Métis emerging as a unique, acknowledged group within Canada, and ultimately, the disappearance of the Aboriginal rights paradigm in the public view of Red River. The rebellion was successful in a sense that it allowed the Métis to have a political voice, but it impacted the perception of how other Aboriginals would be viewed in Red River. Once

2070-431: A quarter or less than that". The increased price of Pemmican, combined with the food shortage and tensions between the settlement of HBC and NWC territories ultimately developed into conflict. Tensions erupted in the end, which contributed to one of Rupert's Land more chaotic turns in 1814 with “The Pemmican Proclamation,” which attempted to regulate and control pemmican production by rival companies. This very issue sparked

2208-508: A reflection of their conservative morals, many settlers in the colony also claimed to observe differences between European and indigenous women; Alexander Ross, a Scottish author who lived in the Red River Colony for a number of years, stated in a book written by him on the colony's history that a friend informed him that European women were required to be "graceful" unlike indigenous women, who were exempt from this due to their bashfulness. The mixed ethnicity of indigenous and European peoples at

2346-501: A scarce food supply but plenty of fur. By the mid-1790s the first systems of small wintering posts had become massive food depots, with Montreal companies organizing depots in the Red River Valley. The Hudson’s Bay Company grew concerned during the turn of the century because their rival, the North West Company, was providing trappers in the north with enough Pemmican to allow them to specialize their hunting patterns to cater to

2484-487: A sense, became pivotal for Red River because it allowed for the success of the Métis in their rebellion. In 1870, the elected Legislative Assembly of Assinboia was created by Red River inhabitants to take the place of the unelected Assiniboia Council. The Canadian government was forced to develop the negotiations that allowed for the Métis demands that were legally entrenched in the Manitoba Act which eventually led to

2622-408: A southerly direction through the said lake, so as to strike its western shore in latitude fifty-two degrees; then due west to the place where the parallel of fifty-two degrees north latitude, intersects the western branch of Red River, otherwise called Ossiniboine River; then due south from that point of intersection to the height of land which separates the waters running into Hudson's Bay from those of

2760-549: A special inquiry into the incident, and appointed Lieutenant Colonel William Bachelor Coltman as Royal Commissioner, who set his investigation in motion in May 1817. Delivered to the British House of Commons on 24 June 1819, Coltman's report exonerated the Métis, concluding that the first shot was fired at François Boucher from Semple’s side. The fighting did not last longer than 15 minutes. Coltman also concluded that, before

2898-606: A suitable route of transportation for the Pemmican trade would be vital in securing economic prosperity. The Red River was beginning to see an increase in settlements and trading posts erecting in the area, as the Red River served as a vital mode of transportation. The NWC had previously built a strong relationship with the Metis, and ultimately the NWC positioned themselves as defenders of the Natives and Métis, and thus became opponents of

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3036-499: A two decades many thousands of international migrants, largely ethnic Ukrainians and Germans, had come to the province as agricultural settlers. The Catholic Church also continued to encouraged migration and settlement from Quebec and francophone Ontario to Manitoba, however these settlers were far outnumbered by English settlers as well international migrants whose communities would be assimilated in Anglo-Canadian society. In

3174-807: The Columbia District for British North America. The party crossed the Rockies into the Columbia Valley , near present-day Radium Hot Springs , British Columbia; then travelled south. Despite such efforts, the British government eventually ceded all claim to land south of the 49th parallel of latitude west of the Rockies to the United States as a resolution to the Oregon boundary dispute . American expansionists became heavily interested in

3312-498: The De Meuron and De Watteville regiments arrived from eastern Canada and captured the North West Company headquarters and supply base at Fort William . Selkirk attempted to prosecute several members of the NWC for murder and kept Boucher in prison for nearly two years without specific charges. The NWC men were tried at York, Upper Canada , in 1818. All trials ended in acquittals, and the remaining charges were dropped. Members of

3450-593: The Highland Clearances , decided that emigration was the only viable option to improve the livelihood of the Scottish people. Upon inheriting his father's title in 1799, Selkirk focused the majority of his time and resources on establishing a Scottish colony in North America. Selkirk became interested in the Red River region after reading Alexander MacKenzie 's Voyages in 1801; however, Selkirk

3588-734: The North West Company (NWC) which occurred on 19 June 1816 near modern-day Winnipeg , Manitoba. Resulting in a decisive victory for the NWC over their rivals in the North American fur trade , the confrontation was the climax in a long series of dispute in the Canadas . The battle is also known as the Victory of the Frog Plain ( French : la Victoire de la Grenouillère ) among Métis People , whose members fought for

3726-648: The Northwest Angle had also been ceded. The rivalling Hudson's Bay Company and North West Company were forced to merge in 1821 by the British government , and from then until 1870 the area was under the jurisdiction of the Assinboia Council , an appointed body with representatives of various sections of Red River society (francophone and anglophone, Roman Catholic and Protestant officials, Métis, Scottish, Irish, French-Canadian, etc.), all sharing

3864-850: The Qu’Appelle River and seized their shipment of stolen pemmican destined for the Red River Colony. Grant’s men escorted their boats of supplies back up the Assiniboine River and seized Brandon House trading post. The horsemen continued towards Lake Winnipeg divided in two groups, one on each side of the Assiniboine River. HBC employees spotted Grant's second group, and HBC Governor Robert Semple and 26-28 men (a group of HBC men and settlers) went out on foot to confront them. Catching up with Grant's men at Seven Oaks, Semple challenged them. The North West Company sent François-Firmin Boucher to speak to Semple's men. He and Semple argued, and

4002-548: The Red River Rebellion , the American annexationists hoped to take advantage of the disruption caused by these political conflicts and present themselves in the forefront as the ideal leaders of the Red River land. The annexation was led by Minnesota senator Alexander Ramsey, and was backed by Zachariah Chandler and Jacob M. Howard- who were both senators of Michigan and represented Detroit merchants. They all shared

4140-554: The British North American territories and stayed that way until the depleted herds could no longer feed the thousands of indigenous people and newcomers dependent upon them. Occasionally, regional game depletion or bad hunting weather limited the supply of raw materials needed to make pemmican; short supply tipped the market advantage to the Indians, who raised prices to meet increasing demand for their products. But by

4278-629: The Canadian government in Regina. His death provoked outcry among the French Canadian, First Nations and Métis communities, with particular uproar in Québec in reaction to the execution of a French-speaking, Catholic political leader, and Riel's death was seen on all sides (among those who saw Riel as a traitor who was rightly punished and those outraged at his arrest and execution) as symbolic of

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4416-566: The Canadian government, which was predominantly led by English-Canadian conservatives, initiated the Manitoba Act in 1870. They believed that this act would accomplish two purposes: this would be able to crush the rebellion, while at the same time, appeasing the French demands of increasing French influence in Canada because the act would create a Western province that was constitutionally supportive of French Canadian language and culture. This

4554-599: The Canadians against the Americans' colonization projects and sentiments of their Manifest Destiny ideologies. The early Manitoba provincial government initially struggled to be effective. Everything around it felt rushed because the Manitoba Act was mostly created to prevent another Red River Rebellion. Many of the government officials were inexperienced – especially the three delegates who went to Ottawa to negotiate union terms. None of them had experience with diplomacy or

4692-475: The Clergymen to benefit, in their opinion, from instruction in religion and civilization. Although these schools took in all children of the colony, mixed-ancestry children were a large focus due to them being tied to the fur trading post by their European fathers. John Halkett, a Committee member, wanted Metis families of retired HBC employees to be brought to Red River (from other nearby posts) to be put under

4830-507: The Cree nation are thought to have come into contact with French and later French-Canadian traders bringing Catholic priests and missionaries in their wake, later Scottish traders and the Company brought Protestant missionaries and clergy into Ojibwe-dominated areas. This division into a Cree-French-Catholic oriented group and an Ojibwe-Scottish-Protestant oriented group can be seen in the rise of

4968-581: The English trading posts rather than the HBC. “ The impact of the European factory system on traditional pemmican production has yet to be fully studied, especially at carryover places and between watersheds where large communities of indigenous people gathered. Indeed, it became so commonplace for woodland hunters to visit and even inhabit trade routes and major transshipment points where they might gain access to

5106-724: The Forks and to establish the Red River Colony (also known as the Red River Settlement). In 1812, Selkirk’s men began building Fort Douglas on the west side of the Red River, downstream from the NWC’s Fort Gibraltar. The Métis saw the Settlement as a threat to their way of life. Because the project was so poorly planned, the settlers went hungry in 1812 and 1813. They would move south for winter at

5244-705: The Governor and Company of Hudson's Bay, have ceded to the Right Honourable Thomas Earl of Selkirk, his heirs and successors, for ever, all that tract of land or territory, bounded by a line running as follows, viz:--Beginning on the western shore of the Lake Winnipic, at a point in fifty-two degrees and thirty minutes north latitude; and thence running due west to the Lake Winipigashish, otherwise called Little Winnipic; then in

5382-424: The Governor submitting a plan to gather up a number of children to care for and educate. He stated that he created this plan when he saw these children being raised in a way he deemed ignorant and idle. The above-mentioned differences in religion, ways of life, and ethnic origins largely followed a pattern based on the initial contact between individuals, groups, and institutions. For example large communities within

5520-636: The Governor, (Signed) . John Spencer, Secretary ." “In order to expand their food supply, fur companies traded large quantities of dried bison meat and fat in fall and early winter to produce at their posts blocks of pemmican (pronounced “pimigan” in the Cree), a word meaning “he makes grease.” An energy-rich, cheap food source, pemmican consisted of pounded dried meat, soft fat (unsaturated fats derived from bone marrow) and hard fat (saturated fats taken from body fat and converted into tallow), bosses (fatty hump meat), and/or dépouille (strips of fat that lay along

5658-404: The HBC colonization scheme that would illegally dispossess the native peoples. Furthermore, it was vital for these companies to secure an alliance when trading Pemmican because the native expertise in buffalo hunting would serve as the most productive way obtaining Pemmican ingredients. Also, since there had been a food shortage in these areas since 1776, Pemmican became a prominent source of food in

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5796-524: The Hudson's Bay Colony, the North West Company and the Métis—who who supplied the NWC with pemmican—viewed it as a ploy by Selkirk to monopolize the commodity, which was important to the NWC. The Métis did not acknowledge the authority of the Red River Settlement, and the Pemmican Proclamation was a blow to both the Métis and North West Company. The NWC accused the HBC of unfairly monopolizing

5934-425: The Hudson's Bay Company and North-West Company began establishing various territories and boundaries where they could exercise the Pemmican trade. Both the HBC and the NWC needed to establish their trade routes in the area to secure the economic benefits of Pemmican. Therefore, the need to establish a trade route led to conflict between the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company that erupted in 1812. "In 1812,

6072-404: The Hudson's Bay Company. This would lead Riel into becoming the leader of the provisional government, and he composed and sent a list of rights to Ottawa. The demands mainly consisted of the Métis wanting Red River to be entered into Canadian confederation as a province, security for their land claims, making English and French the official languages of the colony, as well as financial support for

6210-525: The Hudson's Bay or North West Company , the dominant fur trading companies at the time, was essential to the establishment of a colony at Red River. By 1811, the Hudson's Bay Company had reconsidered Selkirk's proposal and granted Selkirk 300,000 km (116,000 sq mi), an area five times the size of Scotland, to establish an agricultural settlement in the region of Red River. Supplies of "produce, such as flour, beef, pork and butter..." would be affordable to manufacture in this colony, and would reduce

6348-534: The Hudson’s Bay Company established the Selkirk agricultural colony on the banks of the Red River. This posed a strategic threat to the North West Company since the colony lay astride its provision supply line in that quarter. The seriousness of the danger was manifest in the winter of 1814. The colony was seriously short of provisions." The need for the North West Company and Hudson's Bay Company to establish

6486-467: The Lord of Selkirk's men (he promised 200 annually to the HBC) could take over the pemmican production, stop the Metis from supplying the NWC, and interrupt fur trades routes of rival company trappers. He did not plan for the extreme weather conditions and scarcity of food because of said conditions that would come in the years of 1811-1813. This would lead to the settlers’ dependence on the Metis for survival and

6624-695: The Metis and the introduction of the Pemmican Proclamation, considering the ties he had severed with those he now depended on in the area. The Proclamation was submitted as evidence during the Pemmican War Trials held in Montreal in 1818. and published in the: Report of trials in the courts of Canada, relative to the destruction of the Earl of Selkirk's settlement on the Red River With observations (p. 61-62) by Amos Andrew in 1820. For

6762-598: The Metis. Lyle Dick, author of the article “The Seven Oaks Incident and the Construction of a Historical  Tradition, 1860-1970”, notes the Seven Oaks Incident of 1816 was a direct result of the Pemmican War. Dick further suggest the Pemmican War played a minor role in motivating the Red River Rebellion of 1870. The Seven Oaks Incident occurred on June 1816, as a violent clash took place between

6900-674: The Mississouri and Mississippi Rivers; then in an easterly direction along the height of land to the source of the River Winnipic, (meaning by such last named river the principal branch of the waters which unite in the Lake Ságinagas,) thence along the main stream of those waters and the middle of the several lakes through which they pass, to the mouth of the Winnipic River; and thence in a northerly direction through

7038-548: The Métis chiefs at their camp at Frog Plain. On 20 June 1815, Pangman instructed Fidler that no colonists were to remain, but that a limited number of HBC servants might stay, as it was to the advantage of the Métis to have competing trading companies in the area. In March 1816, the HBC seized and then destroyed Fort Gibraltar to prevent the NWC from trans-shipping pemmican from the Forks to their brigades coming in from Fort William on Lake Superior . On 19 June 1816, Cuthbert Grant led two groups of North West Company employees,

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7176-617: The Métis in command of the settlement, having seized Fort Douglas. The battle marked one of the first documented times the Red River Métis declared their nationhood , asserting themselves as la Nouvelle Nation ('the New Nation') with rights to trade as they wished and travel freely on their own land. It was also one of the first times that the flag of the Métis Nation was flown. The British government called for

7314-486: The Métis side, 16-year-old Joseph Letendre dit Batoche died, and Joseph Trottier was wounded. One of the main assumptions as to why many fewer of Grant's men were killed than Semple's is because the latter mistakenly thought they had won. After the first round of fire, the Métis threw themselves on their backs to reload their firearms, but the colonists perceived them to be on the ground because they were killed, and began celebrating. Semple’s men were then taken by surprise when

7452-420: The Métis side, as well as the Irish who were initially hired to prepare the way for the settlement, as their contracts expired on June 1. The Métis thereafter increased their demands that the settlers leave the Forks, under order from the four chiefs of the Métis: Grant, William Shaw, Robert Bonhomme Montour, and Peter Bostonais Pangman. Surveyor and Brandon House district manager Peter Fidler negotiated with

7590-422: The Métis to no longer be considered as Canadian Aboriginals – they became regarded as their own social group, and were distinct from other Aboriginal groups. In order to pacify the Métis resistance further, the Canadian government gave them generous land grants in 1869–70 that were carefully structured to be given in severalty, rather than in common. Red River was now developing its own provincial government that had

7728-441: The Métis, having reloaded, rose up and resumed firing. According to oral tradition, the Métis gathered that night in their Frog Plain camp to celebrate their victory. There, Métis poet and balladeer Pierre Falcon , Grant’s brother-in-law, wrote “La Chanson de la Grenouillère” about the battle. Demoralized from the losses, the settlers gathered their belongings the day after the battle and sailed north for Norway House , leaving

7866-543: The NWC during the battle. The event would mark one of the first times the Métis asserted themselves as la Nouvelle Nation ('the New Nation') and fly the flag of the Métis Nation . For many years, the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers—whose access had previously been controlled by the Assiniboine people —had been a meeting place for the fur trade in British North America (in modern-day Winnipeg , Manitoba). The Forks were also home to Ojibwe newcomers, Cree traders, and Métis buffalo hunters . In

8004-445: The NWC for trade relations, it was a common practice among European employees of both companies due to the various policies by the companies which only allowed males to emigrate to fur trading outposts. When female settlers did eventually start emigrating to the settlement, tensions between the European and indigenous communities were heightened due to the highly restrictive gender norms these women brought with them from Europe. In part

8142-401: The Nor'Wester proposals. The following year Semple and twenty other settlers were killed in the Battle of Seven Oaks and the settlement was abandoned once again. The imminent arrival of Selkirk in 1817, who had been en route to the colony prior to the incident at Seven Oaks, prompted the settlers to return to the colony shortly after. Travelling with a force of approximately 100 soldiers from

8280-446: The North West Company counter-sued Selkirk, whose health and influence subsequently declined. Selkirk died in 1820, and the two companies merged in 1821. The Hudson's Bay Company gave Cuthbert Grant an annual salary in 1828 and the position of "warden of the plains of Red River." The Manitoba Historical Society erected an obelisk monument in 1891 commemorating the battle at the intersection of Main Street and Rupertsland Boulevard in

8418-436: The North West Company with a decisive advantage prior to 1810. After 1810, the combination of new management within the Hudson's Bay Company and the approval of a company-sponsored colony at Red River put the North West Company on the defensive. The establishment of a Hudson's Bay colony in the Red River region denied the Nor'Westers access to vital supplies and restricted the company's ability to expand westwards. Additionally,

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8556-479: The North West Company, only 18 settlers actually arrived at Red River in August 1812. As the planting season had ended before the settlers could complete the construction of Fort Douglas , they were forced to hunt bison for food and were completely unprepared for the arrival of 120 additional settlers in October. More settlers were scheduled to arrive in 1813, but due to a fever outbreak on their ship, they did not arrive until June 21, 1814. Dogged by poor harvests and

8694-477: The North-West Company, or any individual, or unconnected traders or persons whatever, shall take out any provisions, either of flesh, fish, grain, or vegetable, procured or raised within the Territory, by water or land carriage, for one twelvemonth from the date hereof; save and except what may be judged necessary for the trading parties at this present time within the Territory, to carry them to their respective destinations; and who may, on due application to me, obtain

8832-487: The Pemmican Proclamation that would ban the export of pemmican from the Red River Settlement to avoid starvation. This would be the beginnings of the Pemmican War that would ensue shortly after. Red River Colony The Red River Colony (or Selkirk Settlement ), also known as Assiniboia , was a colonization project set up in 1811 by Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk , on 300,000 square kilometres (120,000 sq mi) of land in British North America . This land

8970-422: The Red River Colony, known as Metis, were not always referred to by that name in the beginning years of their existence. Augustus Chetlain , an author who lived in the colony, wrote in his book that they were often called "Brules, Metifs, or half-breeds, the bastard sons of Indian concubines". The culture and lifestyle of the Metis community living in Red River were not only present at the colony. Metis people had

9108-403: The Red River people. The Americans became too acquisitive because they were eager to create a political union. This ultimately caused the annexation of the North West to fail, despite it being almost within reach. All this ultimately benefited the cause of Riel and the Rebellion. As a result, the Metis were able to successfully defy Canadian expansion into Rupert's Land. This political chaos, in

9246-399: The Red River population. Riel hoped to accomplish a sense of equality for the Métis; he wanted to present them as a civilized people that were deserving of the same rights of any British subject. The rebellion became a pivotal moment in acquiring land rights and a political voice for the Métis, who were constantly disregarded for their Aboriginal status. The aftermath of the rebellion caused

9384-413: The Red River settlements. Pemmican would be an important food source during the winter months and would serve as an offset or back-up to inconsistent crop-growth within settlements. With the food shortage however came an increase in the price and trade of Pemmican. "In such circumstances, Indian suppliers drove up prices on provisions offered to Europeans. While volumes increased to meet European demands by

9522-422: The Red River. Conflict arose from the situation because not only was Douglas granted a massive chunk of the Red River Settlement but he did not want trade to profit the rival North West Company, which led to the Lord of Selkirk cutting off the Metis inhabiting  the Red River colony and interfering with NWC trade routes. The harsh living conditions and scarcity of food would eventually lead to Douglas’ reliance on

9660-407: The Selkirk's success at Red River and resulted in the colony becoming the central focus of seven years of inter-company warfare. Red River first came under attack from the North West Company in the summer of 1815. Convinced that Macdonell's proclamation was a deliberate attempt to block Northwest trade, the company destroyed Fort Douglas and burned down all of the surrounding buildings. The fort

9798-441: The US because it embodied the popular Manifest Destiny ideology. This was meant to help the cause of annexation, the idea being that their support of the Red River Rebellion would encourage local resistance against the Canadian government, and help swing local opinion in favour of independence – then ultimately America would step in to offer the protection of the United States government to the Red River Métis and assert themselves as

9936-554: The Woods and Rainy River . West of the Selkirk Concession, it is roughly formed by the current boundary between Saskatchewan and Manitoba. These covered portions consisted of present-day southern Manitoba , northern Minnesota , and eastern North Dakota , in addition to small parts of eastern Saskatchewan , northwestern Ontario , and northeastern South Dakota . The lands south of the 49th parallel north ceased to be

10074-401: The area. A notable example would be James W. Taylor: he was an American special agent and Winnipeg consul who used his political power to shape the destiny of the valley, which called for the removal of all English-Canadian influence. The Canadian government, however, did not allow these attempts at U.S. expansionism to succeed. The proposal was met with a significant amount of resistance from

10212-625: The article “ Market Economies in the British Buffalo Commons in the Early Nineteenth Century”, notes these changes stating “In the earlier provisions trade, local Indian hunters clearly controlled the hunt and the price of provisions on the market. Indians demanded ever-higher prices from British traders for their products, including dried meats, fats, and pemmican. But with the amalgamation of British fur trade companies in 1821, almost all plains hunters inhabiting

10350-579: The authority of the Roman Catholic Mission or Church Missionary Society. This plan was largely related to keeping retired Metis employees from continuing trade with the Indigenous peoples; however, its effect led to Christianity being a prominent part of culture for the Metis community. The Chaplain of the Hudson's Bay Company, John West , was also interested in the religious educating of Metis children. According to his book, he wrote to

10488-601: The bag is sewed up and laid in store. Each bag when full weighs one hundred pounds. It is calculated that, on an average, the carcass of each buffalo will yield enough pemmican to fill one bag Ultimately, the pemmican trade was a major factor for the expanding provisions that were being streamlined and developed within the Red River Area, as well as Winnipeg and other parts of the Prairies located between Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The two Major trading companies which were

10626-399: The battle, neither side intended to engage in a fight. He also argued that Selkirk and Semple should have known that their enforcement of the Pemmican Proclamation showed "a blameable carelessness as to the consequence, on a subject likely to endanger both the peace of the country and the lives of individuals." On 12 August 1816, Selkirk and a force of 90 soldiers who had been discharged from

10764-419: The betterment of his colonial venture and ironically it was Selkirk's death in the spring of 1820 that ultimately ended Northwest aggression against his beloved colony. The lands south of the 49th parallel north ceased to be a part of the Red River Colony following the signing of the Treaty of 1818 , in which the United Kingdom agreed to cede this territory to the United States . It was later discovered that

10902-559: The bloody Battle of Seven Oaks in 1816, which saw the Métis clash with settlers who had earlier seized and now competed for the high-priced food supplies of the NWC coming from the Assiniboine River. The Pemmican Proclamation was a key factor in the onslaught of the Pemmican War that took place from 1812-1821. During the Pemmican War, the Métis suffered immensely and had a tough time legally hunting for food. Carolyn Podruchny, author of

11040-543: The book Contours of People: Metis Family, Mobility and History notes the Metis struggled to during the Pemmican War to survive stating “ the Winter of 1814-15 was a difficult one as the Metis buffalo hunters were increasingly hostile to the colony”. One of the many issues which arose during the Pemmican Proclamation was the Battle of Seven Oaks . The Pemmican War worsened the relationship of white European settlers in Canada and

11178-585: The brigade hunts or trade, as well as the bringing together of people prior to the excursion. By studying the social network of the Trottier Brigade, a community of people from the White Horse Plains in Red River, it is notable that biologically related women brought the majority of the men together. Throughout the time that Metis people were a part of the Red River community they developed into several different identities, rather than just

11316-436: The case; however, Corbett was freed from jail shortly after by a group of settlers who were opposed to the trial. The courts did not challenge this, fearing a possible insurrection, demonstrating the weakness of the colonial authorities in the nascent colony. In the establishing years of the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company, male settlers frequently took a First Nations or Metis spouse. Though only encouraged by

11454-567: The colony and were travelling to Fort Simpson on the Mackenzie River . 49°00′00″N 97°14′15″W  /  49.00000°N 97.23750°W  / 49.00000; -97.23750 Battle of Seven Oaks 21 killed The Battle of Seven Oaks —also known as the Seven Oaks Massacre and the Seven Oaks Incident —was a violent confrontation of the Pemmican War between the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and

11592-435: The common depiction of the bison-hunting French Catholic Metis. Metis identity, at that time as it is today, was diverse and complex due to the different livelihoods and practices followed. Metis who chose not to live on prairies and hunt buffalo for the winter remained on lakes such as Manitoba, Winnipegosis, and Winnipeg to ice fish. Over the course of the first half of the 19th century, up to forty households had developed on

11730-439: The company. Historians seeking to defend this claim have argued that although Selkirk did buy a considerable number of Hudson's Bay shares between 1811 and 1812, Selkirk received his initial grant in 1811. The early settlement of the Red River region was marked by a long series of crises and ecological disasters and within the first decade of settling the region it had already suffered renewed warfare, epidemics, prairie fires and

11868-428: The conflict between Hudson's Bay and Montreal, at that point represented by the predominantly Scottish North West Company, intensified. The conflict reached its peak in 1801 and witnessed both companies expending more resources on out-competing each other than were expended on the exploration of new fur grounds. Between 1803 and 1804, Hudson's Bay morale had plummeted in the face of fierce Northwest competition and forced

12006-479: The costly shipments from Britain. The grant was also pending the annual provision of 200 men to the company and Selkirk's assurance that the colony would remain out of the fur trade. Selkirk, who once mocked the fur trade for rarely grossing more than £200,000 and only having three ships employed in its service, gladly agreed to the terms. Selkirk referred to this new territory as the District of Assiniboia . At

12144-488: The creation of new governments. Due to the hurried nature of the creation of this province, the officials of this new government presented themselves as overwhelmed and unprepared, and this shows that Manitoba was essentially created to re-stabilize political unrest within Canada. Many in French Canada had seen the establishment of Manitoba, officially bilingual and with a large francophone and Catholic population, as

12282-409: The creation of the province of Manitoba. The political disputes put the Métis on a platform to voice their disapproval of Americans ignoring their concerns over these land disputes. They had legitimate claims to the land and they stated that they were the "descendants of the lords of the soil.". Also, under Louis Riel's leadership, the Metis rebels were able to capture Fort Garry – a fortified post of

12420-643: The danger that could result from contesting Canadian government policy. Riel would subsequently be claimed as a hero and martyr by the French-Canadian, Métis, and various First Nations for decades. The Canadian government was starting to punish the rebels for their defiance, but the rebellion is still considered a success in the sense that the Metis were still able to acquire the land rights they hoped to achieve, as well as no longer being ignored when it came to federal matters. The Red River rebellion needed to be finally be put to rest. In order to accomplish this,

12558-417: The demographic, national, and linguistic profile of the province, which in turn meant the election of provincial governments decisively oriented towards Ontario and English Canada, rather than French Canada, Métis, First Nations, or balance between these groups. The Manitoba government also sought to encourage immigration and the immediate establishment and expansion of stable agricultural communities, and within

12696-503: The dispute between HBC/Selkirk settlers and the Metis, and came to a different conclusion. Commissioner Coltman stated the first shot was fired by the HBC/ Selkirk Settlers, and the Metis most likely reacted in self defense. The aftermath of the confrontation between the two groups left The HBC/ Selkirk Settlers with 21 deaths and one survivor, whereas the Metis only had one man killed. Robert Semple , Governor of Assiniboia

12834-411: The early 1830s. The supply of flour reached over 23,000 kg (50,000 lb) by the mid-1830s, rapidly deflating the price the HBC paid the farmers for the product. Numbering over 1,000 by 1827, the farmers began to complain about the deflating rates they received and lack of markets for their goods. In 1841, James Sinclair guided 200 settlers from the Red River Colony west in an attempt to retain

12972-411: The economic potential the territory of the Red River Colony possessed. The ideal soil, climate and socio-economic potential of the area convinced many Americans that they needed to make the territory part of the United States. The result ended up being an annexation proposal of Red River in 1870, in order to convert it into land that American settlers could use for economic purposes. Due to the outbreak of

13110-633: The education of some First Nations children, including James Settee and Henry Budd of the Cree nation, both of whom were later ordained as priests. In 1822, the CMS appointed Revd West to head the mission in the Red River Colony. He was succeeded in 1823 by the Revd David Jones who was joined by the Revd W and Mrs Cockran in 1825. The mission expanded and by 1850, the missionaries were active throughout

13248-508: The establishment of an agricultural colony made the Hudson's Bay company nondependent on the profitable fur trade, a factor that the Nor'Westers simply could not compete with. Moreover, by establishing an agricultural colony, the Hudson's Bay Company gained a decisive advantage over the North West Company by virtue of a viable fallback economy as well as a readily available food source during economic slumps. Much of this new-found confidence hinged on

13386-505: The first decade of the 19th century, the Hudson’s Bay Company established a small depot across the river, at what is now St. Boniface . In 1809, the North West Company arrived to establish Fort Gibraltar at the Forks, which would be built in 1810 by John Wills, Cuthbert Grant’s brother-in-law. During this time, Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk , sought to settle the Red River region, planning to bring Scottish settlers to

13524-534: The fur trade. On 7 June 1815, Métis leader and NWC clerk Cuthbert Grant established a Métis camp La Grenouillère (Frog Plain), 6.4 kilometres (4 mi) down the Red River from the HBC’s headquarters at Point Douglas. On June 10, during a shootout between Métis and remaining settlers at HBC’s Fort Douglas, one of Macdonell’s men was killed when a cannon exploded, and three others were wounded. At this time, Cuthbert gained more men as many of Selkirk’s people went over to

13662-399: The fur trade. In 1815 through 1816, environmental conditions left pemmican in short supply, and the arrival of the Selkirk settlers only made the shortage worse. MacDonnell resigned as governor of the Red River Colony in 1815, after several conflicts and suffering from "severe emotional instability." He was replaced by Robert Semple , an American businessman with no previous experience in

13800-401: The high-priced food supplies of the NWC coming from the Assiniboine River.” A major contributor to the controversy surrounding the Red River Settlement was the purchasing of Hudson’s Bay Company shares by Thomas Douglas, the 5th Lord of Selkirk. Douglas, in an attempt to provide new opportunities for Scottish settlers, purchased enough shares from the HBC to be granted a large land settlement in

13938-500: The inhabitants of the Red River as they were given the chance to address their grievances about the potential loss of land and becoming part of an American colonization project through a proclamation by the Governor-General of the dominion. Americans who supported annexation by the U.S. government tried to depict themselves as favorable figures in the eyes of the Métis by associating themselves with Louis Riel . The Rebellion

14076-542: The junction of the Pembina and Red rivers, relying on the meat provided by the Métis and the NWC, as well as corn purchased from the Peguis Band . On 8 January 1814, Miles MacDonell , governor of the Red River Colony, issued the Pemmican Proclamation , which prohibited export of pemmican from the colony for the next year. While Macdonell claimed that the proclamation was meant to guarantee adequate supplies for

14214-515: The lakeshore of Lake Manitoba. Fishing and trading had become year round practices and the Metis families involved would trade with HBC and ‘Freemen’- traders that did not work at the post. Christianity played a vital role in shaping the community within the colony, especially for the Metis people. In the early 19th century, considerations were made by the Committee in London to open schools run by

14352-675: The large territories of the Blackfoot Nations (Kainai, Siksika, and Piikani), the Atsina (Gros Ventre), the Assiniboine-Nakota, and the Plains Cree lost bargaining power to a consolidated and systematic provisions buyer. By the 1830s, pemmican cost the equivalent of 2 pence per pound (d/lb), a price at least four times lower than it had been three decades earlier. Prices remained remarkably low across vast stretches of

14490-464: The late 1820s, HBC managers developed a standing order system and a region-wide buying strategy that stabilized the market and significantly undermined Indian bargaining power. The HBC in turn enjoyed an enviable advantage as a consumer of pemmican; it progressively enlarged its purchases and use of this cheapened energy source”. The Pemmican Proclamation caused many issues for the Metis and aboriginal population of Canada for many years after its legislation

14628-449: The laws in such cases direct; and the provisions so taken, as well as any goods and chattels, of what nature soever, which may be taken along with them, and also the craft, carriages and cattle instrumental in conveying away the same to any part, but to the Settlement on Red River, shall be forfeited. Given under my hand at Fort Daer, (Pembina,) the 8th day of January, 1814. (Signed) . MILES MACDONELL, Governor By order of

14766-546: The legal status of women is as dependents of a male authority, which included fathers, husbands or brothers. In an extremely rare example of a woman successfully challenging this status-quo, Maria Thomas, a 16-year-old Métis domestic servant, took her employer, Rev. Owen Corbett, to court for repeatedly raping her and subjecting her to illegal abortions . Thomas, in her testimony, used the laws in place to challenge Corbett's actions; citing British law against forcing individuals to undergo abortions, which were illegal. She won

14904-468: The major fur posts. Ultimately, the Pemmican trade began to establish its position within the Red River and other parts of the prairies, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), and North West Company (NWC). To procure pemmican in sufficient quantities, the HBC and NWC traded for it at several outposts in the Red River District and shipped it to their Bas de la Rivière depot on Lake Winnipeg where it

15042-425: The majority of his fortune, defending his actions at Fort William. When Selkirk arrived at Red River in 1817, the stability of the colony dramatically improved, especially after the removal of all Indigenous claims to the land. Selkirk achieved this by signing a treaty between the Red River colonists and the local Cree, Assiniboine and Ojibwa. Between 1817 and 1820, Selkirk committed all of his available resources to

15180-443: The middle of the Lake Winnipic, to the place of beginning. Which territory is called Ossiniboia, and of which I, the undersigned, have been duly appointed Governor. And whereas, the welfare of the families, at present forming Settlements on the Red River, within the said Territory, with those on the way to it, passing the winter at York and Churchill Forts in Hudson's Bay; as also those who are expected to arrive next autumn; renders it

15318-438: The new leaders and Red River would become American land. They ultimately wanted to create a situation where the Red River could become American territory by allying with the discontented Métis Nation. However, this aggressive propaganda ultimately backfired upon the proposal of annexation. It created even more hostility towards the annexation party and the United States. This great emphasis on materialism never seemed appealing to

15456-601: The plains-trade pemmican stockpiled there that the HBC eventually outlawed its crews from making such exchanges and sternly rebuked traders who made it available around their posts.” The early nineteenth century saw competition increase between food trading companies in and around the Red River settlement. This led to a steep increase in Pemmican prices, which would become a problem in 1811 when winter conditions became extremely harsh. By 1813, companies instructed their traders to offer Native hunters “extraordinary payment” for hunting beyond their specific provisions. “Competition over

15594-448: The province's first few decades of existence (1870-1900), Manitoba experienced conflicting interests between French and English Canadians. A quarter-century after the implementation of the Manitoba Act which legally guaranteed a place for the French language in the province's administration, lawmaking, and judiciary along with a clause ensuring state funding for both Catholic (often de facto French) and Protestant schools, English had become

15732-432: The reasons and the means by which the governor would control the flow of food, mostly pemmican from the area. The Proclamation was submitted as evidence during the Pemmican War Trials held in Montreal in 1818. and published in the: Report of trials in the courts of Canada, relative to the destruction of the Earl of Selkirk's settlement on the Red River With observations (p. 61-62) by Amos Andrew in 1820. "Whereas

15870-502: The rebellion ended, Riel and several of his comrades fled to the United States in 1870 upon being informed that several government soldiers and irregulars were looking to kill him to exact revenge for several incidents, in particular, the execution of Thomas Scott . Riel, however later returned to Canada in 1885 to help lead the North West rebellion . This caused him to face trial in a Canadian court, and eventually to being executed by

16008-441: The recently disbanded Swiss and German Regiment de Meuron and De Watteville's Regiment , Selkirk captured Fort William, the North West Company headquarters, and captured several key agents including William McGillivray , Kenneth McKenzie and John McLoughlin . Although the arrival and subsequent settlement of Selkirk's private army finally broke the back of the North West Company, Selkirk spent much of his remaining years, and

16146-513: The role of French in these new public schools was to be highly limited, mainly to use as means of instructing young students who started school not speaking English. The position of many women in the Red River Colony was determined within the Hudson's Bay Company 's 1670 Charter; this document gave legislative and judicial powers in Rupert's Land to the company. It is stated within the Charter that

16284-475: The same economic vision for the annexation: Ramsey believed that the Red River valley would serve as an important commercial adjunct for his state, while Chandler and Howard believed that annexing the Red River would benefit their Great Lakes Trade. This was done under the belief it would help them in their attempts to colonize the region, as it prevented the Canadian government from establishing sovereignty over

16422-537: The settlers living near the Red River on the edge of the prairie, the Pemmican Trade was an important source of trade for the Red River Valley, almost comparable to what the beaver-pelt trade did for the Natives farther north. This trade was a major factor in the emergence of a distinct Métis society. Pemmican was made of dried buffalo meat pounded into a powder and mixed with melted buffalo fat in leather bags. Packs of pemmican would be shipped north and stored at

16560-404: The sole means of communication in the legislature and the judiciary, while the provincial government attempted the introduction of a secular, English-only public school system which would be the sole recipient of any public funding. The policy was eventually implemented with minor concessions such as the teaching of Catholic doctrine at the end of the day where the number of students warranted, and

16698-510: The spine of the animal). Although Indians produced some pemmican and traded it directly to European posts, more commonly, British commerce came to depend on pemmican mass-produced by Europeans at their own posts.” Pemmican became the main source of food throughout the Bison trade nearing the end of the eighteenth century. The Hudson’s Bay Company relied on the food to provide a source of energy for their fur-traders who had relocated to areas that had

16836-466: The summer hunt, is a species of food peculiar to Rupert's Land . It is composed of buffalo meat, dried and pounded fine, and mixed with an amount of tallow or buffalo fat equal to itself in bulk. The tallow having been boiled, is poured hot from the caldron into an oblongbag, manufactured from the buffalo hide, into which the pounded meat has previously been placed. The contents are then stirred together until they have been thoroughly well mixed. When full,

16974-454: The tail end of a much larger conflict between the Hudson's Bay Company and its fur trade rivals, both English and French, in Montreal. The conflict dates back to King Charles II 's generous grant of Rupert's Land to emigrants who were members of the nobility in 1670. Cause for conflict arose from the inability of either the Montreal traders or the Hudson's Bay Company to gain a monopoly over the North American fur trade . Between 1800 and 1821,

17112-401: The time of the concession, Red River was the only Hudson Bay Colony that had been established within the company's 610,000-hectare (1.5-million-acre) territory. There is continuing debate as to whether Selkirk forced the concession of Assiniboia through a controlling interest of Hudson's Bay stock. The argument against Selkirk claims that he received the concession by controlling the shares in

17250-469: The trade, poor winters, and hunters burning the plains escalated prices and, in the end, contributed to one of Rupert’s Land’s more chaotic turns in 1814 with the advent of the “Pemmican Wars”—where the Selkirk settlers, under the Pemmican Proclamation, attempted to regulate and control pemmican production by rival companies.21 This very issue sparked the bloody Battle of Seven Oaks in 1816: Métis clashed with settlers who had earlier seized and now competed for

17388-417: The turn of the century, so did the traded value, or price, of these commodities, especially in areas hard hit by changing game conditions. In 1801 intense local competition between traders raised prices overall. Lower Red River outfits, by then supplying massive amounts of food to the trading companies, priced depot pemmican at an astronomical shilling per pound—in better circumstances, Europeans could get it for

17526-429: The two companies into negotiations but neither side could come to terms. Negotiations broke down again in 1805 and despite employing more aggressive agents and the provision of incentive programs, the Hudson's Bay Company was ready to abandon the fur trade in 1809. The Nor'Westers ability to make region-wide plans based on first-hand knowledge in addition to their ability to react quickly to changing circumstances provided

17664-432: The two main Métis languages: Mitchif , a French and Cree -based mixed-language whose speakers were largely Catholic, and Bungi , a form of speech that developed from Ojibwe , Scots , English , Gaelic , and Cree and was mostly spoken by Protestants (Anglican, Presbyterian). The Church Missionary Society (CMS) provided financial assistance in 1820 to Reverend John West , chaplain to the Hudson's Bay Company , towards

17802-498: The unanimous hero or victim. The Pemmican Proclamation was a main reason the Battle of Seven Oaks to take place and is one of many confrontations between the Metis and white settler Europeans. The Pemmican Proclamation also led to European's control of the pemmican market in the 1820s. The price of pemmican during the Pemmican War was kept low until small amounts of buffalo or meat could be found, when pemmican prices would grow causing many issues for Metis. George Coltpitts, author of

17940-536: Was an unarmed conflict started by the Métis because Canada was attempting to claim possession of Rupert's Land without any concern for the grievances of the Métis. However, the main American intention behind their decision to support Riel and the Rebellion was an attempt to sway the Métis in favour of the annexation by the US. One of their tools was the New Nation newspaper which elicited rhetoric that advocated annexation by

18078-411: Was distributed to brigades of north canoes passing between Fort William and Athabasca or transported to Fort William where it was issued to brigades going to the company's eastern and southern districts. The majority of the NWC's pemmican was purchased from the local Métis and to a lesser degree from the local First Nations people and freemen. The pemmican, which forms the staple article of produce from

18216-411: Was further distanced from Red River. Through the act, the Red River colony was now christened as Manitoba: a new Canadian province that was self-governed, and that had its own rights and responsibilities. It was no longer being viewed as a territory and was now officially part of the Canadian confederation. Provincial status was accelerated by Louis Riel's rebellion . Riel wanted to secure Red River for

18354-606: Was granted to Douglas by the Hudson's Bay Company in the Selkirk Concession . It included portions of Rupert's Land , or the watershed of Hudson Bay , bounded on the north by the line of 52° N latitude roughly from the Assiniboine River east to Lake Winnipegosis . It then formed a line of 52° 30′ N latitude from Lake Winnipegosis to Lake Winnipeg , and by the Winnipeg River , Lake of

18492-406: Was killed in the gunfire. Which group fired the first shot is still a debated subject among scholars, however Lyle Dick notes it has been dubbed “The Seven Oaks Massacre” by scholar of the time period George Bryce in 1870. The notion the Battle of Seven Oaks was a massacre was a new “master narrative” of Western progress in 1870, which depicts Metis as savage villains, and white European settlers as

18630-494: Was later rebuilt but the engagement resulted in the capture of approximately 150 settlers including Macdonell. He was replaced by Robert Semple who took over as governor the following winter and reinforced the colony's 45 survivors with 84 additional settlers. In 1815, the North West Company once again entered into negotiations with the Hudson's Bay Company under the threat of invasion of Northwest territory. Negotiations were headed by Selkirk himself and he promptly threw out all of

18768-626: Was passed. During the late 1790s and heading into the turn of the century, pemmican became a leading source of food throughout the fur trading monopolies. This transition to pemmican began because it was a source of energy that could be stored and preserved for long periods of time, which allowed fur traders to venture beyond designated areas to find game because of this new unspoiled food. From first establishing small food systems to organizing massive food depots, companies began to realize that they could heavily profit from an entirely European run production of pemmican. A major step towards this transition to

18906-503: Was prevented from settling the region in 1802 when the Hudson's Bay Company raised concerns that the proposed colony would interfere with the running of the company. During the first decade of the nineteenth century Selkirk established two unsuccessful agricultural colonies in British North America but continued to pursue the settlement of the Red River region. By 1807, Selkirk acknowledged that an alliance with either

19044-482: Was the first steps towards the creation of the present-day province of Manitoba. The act was given royal assent on May 12, 1870, and the commencement of Manitoba with a provincial status came to fruition on July 15, 1870. After the passage of the Manitoba Act , the Métis Provisional government was disbanded. There was an assimilation of the Métis people and the European settlers, and the Aboriginal influence

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