Abishabis
Encyclopedia
Abishabis or Small Eyes was a religious leader of the Cree
First Nation who became the prophet of a millenarian
religious movement that swept through the Cree communities of northern Manitoba
and Ontario
during the 1840s. The religious philosophy of this movement was an admixture of Christianity
and Cree beliefs. However, after losing much of his influence, Abishabis murdered a First Nations family living near York Factory. Following his arrest and imprisonment at Fort Severn
, a group of three irate Cree forcibly removed him from his jail cell and took their revenge by smashing out his brains with an axe and burning his body.
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
First Nation who became the prophet of a millenarian
Millenarianism
Millenarianism is the belief by a religious, social, or political group or movement in a coming major transformation of society, after which all things will be changed, based on a one-thousand-year cycle. The term is more generically used to refer to any belief centered around 1000 year intervals...
religious movement that swept through the Cree communities of northern Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
during the 1840s. The religious philosophy of this movement was an admixture of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and Cree beliefs. However, after losing much of his influence, Abishabis murdered a First Nations family living near York Factory. Following his arrest and imprisonment at Fort Severn
Fort Severn, Ontario
Fort Severn First Nation is located on Hudson Bay and is the most northern community in Ontario, Canada.As of 2001, the population was 401, consisting of 90 families in an area of 40 square kilometres...
, a group of three irate Cree forcibly removed him from his jail cell and took their revenge by smashing out his brains with an axe and burning his body.