Frog Lake Massacre
Encyclopedia
The Frog Lake Massacre was a Cree
uprising during the North-West Rebellion
in western Canada. Led by Wandering Spirit
, young Cree warriors attacked the village of Frog Lake, North-West Territories
(now in Alberta
) on 2 April 1885, where they killed nine settlers.
population, the main source of food for the indigenous people, chief Big Bear
had been organizing the Cree for resistance. They were encouraged by the Métis
victory at the Battle of Duck Lake
.
Anger among the Cree in the area was directed largely to the Indian agent
, Thomas Quinn, who treated the Cree with harshness and arrogance.
Wandering Spirit
took Thomas Quinn hostage in his home in the early morning of 2 April. The Cree then took more white settlers hostage and took control of the village. They gathered the Europeans, including two priests, into the local Catholic
church, where mass was in progress. After the mass concluded, around 11:00 a.m., the Cree ordered their prisoners to move to a Cree encampment a couple of kilometres away.
Quinn steadfastly refused to leave the town; in response, Wandering Spirit shot him in the head. In the resulting panic, Wandering Spirit's band killed eight other settlers: the two Catholic priests, Leon Fafard and Felix Marchand, Fafard's lay assistant John Williscroft, as well as John Gowanlock, John Delaney, William Gilchrist, George Dill, and Charles Gouin.
One of the Hudson's Bay Company clerks, William Bleasdell Cameron, one of the men rounded up into the church, went to the Hudson's Bay shop to fill an order made by Quinn for Miserable Man after the mass. When the first shots were fired, he escaped with the help of sympathetic Cree, and made his way to a nearby Wood Cree camp, where the chief pledged to protect him.
Theresa Gowanlock and Theresa Delaney, wives of two of the slain men, their families and approximately seventy others from the town were taken captive.
. The massacre
prompted the Canadian government
to take notice of the growing unrest in Western Canada. The rebellion was put down.
Wandering Spirit and five other warriors: Round the Sky, Bad Arrow, Miserable Man, Iron Body, Little Bear, Crooked Leg and Man Without Blood, were convicted of treason for their actions in the Frog Lake Massacre. They were hanged with two other Cree convicted of murder in the largest mass execution in Canadian history.
Although Big Bear had opposed the attack, he was charged with treason because of his efforts to organize resistance among the Cree. He was convicted and sentenced to three years in the Manitoba Penitentiary
.
, North-West Territories
. Parks Canada
says the site designated by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada is extensive, but the national park service owns only a small portion, mainly a graveyard, where a stone cairn and federal plaque were erected in 1924. The geographic coordinates on this page are for that cairn.
In 2008, Christine Tell (provincial minister for tourism, parks, culture and sport) said "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."
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...
uprising during the North-West Rebellion
North-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
in western Canada. Led by Wandering Spirit
Wandering Spirit (Aboriginal)
Wandering Spirit was a Cree war chief of a band of Plains Cree.-Frog Lake Massacre:The Frog Lake Massacre was a Cree uprising during the North-West Rebellion...
, young Cree warriors attacked the village of Frog Lake, North-West Territories
Frog Lake, Alberta
Frog Lake is a small Cree community about a two and half hour drive east of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Frog Lake has 2,454 band members as of August, 2007...
(now in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
) on 2 April 1885, where they killed nine settlers.
Causes
Angered by what seemed to be unfair treaties by the Canadian government and the dwindling buffaloAmerican Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
population, the main source of food for the indigenous people, chief Big Bear
Big Bear
Big Bear or Mistahi-maskwa was a Cree leader notable for his involvement in the North-West Rebellion and his subsequent imprisonment.-Early life and leadership:...
had been organizing the Cree for resistance. They were encouraged by the Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
victory at the Battle of Duck Lake
Battle of Duck Lake
The Battle of Duck Lake was a skirmish between Métis soldiers of the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan and Canadian government forces that signalled the beginning of the North-West Rebellion.-Prelude:...
.
Anger among the Cree in the area was directed largely to the Indian agent
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the U.S. government.-Indian agents:*Leander Clark was agent for the Sac and Fox in Iowa beginning in 1866....
, Thomas Quinn, who treated the Cree with harshness and arrogance.
The Massacre
Against Big Bear's opposition, a band of Cree led by war chiefWar chief
War chief can refer to* Warlord* Tribal chief during wartime, particularly among Native Americans...
Wandering Spirit
Wandering Spirit
Wandering Spirit may refer to:*Wandering Spirit , an album by Mick Jagger*Wandering Spirit , a Cree war chief...
took Thomas Quinn hostage in his home in the early morning of 2 April. The Cree then took more white settlers hostage and took control of the village. They gathered the Europeans, including two priests, into the local Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
church, where mass was in progress. After the mass concluded, around 11:00 a.m., the Cree ordered their prisoners to move to a Cree encampment a couple of kilometres away.
Quinn steadfastly refused to leave the town; in response, Wandering Spirit shot him in the head. In the resulting panic, Wandering Spirit's band killed eight other settlers: the two Catholic priests, Leon Fafard and Felix Marchand, Fafard's lay assistant John Williscroft, as well as John Gowanlock, John Delaney, William Gilchrist, George Dill, and Charles Gouin.
One of the Hudson's Bay Company clerks, William Bleasdell Cameron, one of the men rounded up into the church, went to the Hudson's Bay shop to fill an order made by Quinn for Miserable Man after the mass. When the first shots were fired, he escaped with the help of sympathetic Cree, and made his way to a nearby Wood Cree camp, where the chief pledged to protect him.
Theresa Gowanlock and Theresa Delaney, wives of two of the slain men, their families and approximately seventy others from the town were taken captive.
Aftermath
The Cree moved on to Fort PittBattle of Fort Pitt
The Battle of Fort Pitt was part of a Cree uprising coinciding with the Métis revolt that started the North-West Rebellion in 1885. Cree warriors began attacking Canadian settlements on April 2...
. The massacre
Massacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...
prompted the Canadian government
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
to take notice of the growing unrest in Western Canada. The rebellion was put down.
Wandering Spirit and five other warriors: Round the Sky, Bad Arrow, Miserable Man, Iron Body, Little Bear, Crooked Leg and Man Without Blood, were convicted of treason for their actions in the Frog Lake Massacre. They were hanged with two other Cree convicted of murder in the largest mass execution in Canadian history.
Although Big Bear had opposed the attack, he was charged with treason because of his efforts to organize resistance among the Cree. He was convicted and sentenced to three years in the Manitoba Penitentiary
Stony Mountain Institution
Stony Mountain Institution is a federal medium-security facility located in Stony Mountain, Manitoba, about from Winnipeg. It opened in 1877 and can accommodate up to 570 inmates.- History :...
.
Legacy
The site of the massacre was designated the "Frog Lake National Historic Site" in 1923, at the location of the Cree uprising which occurred in the District of SaskatchewanDistrict of Saskatchewan
The District of Saskatchewan was a regional administrative district of Canada's Northwest Territories. Much of the area was incorporated into the province of Saskatchewan. The western part became part of Alberta, and the eastern part is now part of Manitoba. Its capital was Prince Albert...
, North-West Territories
Territorial evolution of Canada
The federation of Canada was created in 1867 when three colonies of British North America were united. One of these colonies split into two new provinces, three other colonies joined later...
. Parks Canada
Parks Canada
Parks Canada , also known as the Parks Canada Agency , is an agency of the Government of Canada mandated to protect and present nationally significant natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative...
says the site designated by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada is extensive, but the national park service owns only a small portion, mainly a graveyard, where a stone cairn and federal plaque were erected in 1924. The geographic coordinates on this page are for that cairn.
In 2008, Christine Tell (provincial minister for tourism, parks, culture and sport) said "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."
Further reading
- Cameron, W. B. (1926). The war trail of Big Bear (London : Duckworth). This work was published in three editions 1926-1930, and a revised edition was published in 1950 as Blood red the sun (Calgary : Kenway Pub. Co., 1950).
- Gallaher, Bill "The Frog Lake Massacre" (Though a novel, a highly accurate account of the massacre and aftermath. Touchwood Editions, Surrey, BC 2008)