White Bear First Nations' Participation in World Wars

boundaries eh; just a territory which was Sioux or Cree and you couldn’t go west because the Blackfoot were controlling the foothills and mountain areas. That’s my understanding (WBFNs Elder George Sparvier, 2012). That was the Riel Rebellion. The paranoia of the soldiers and the people; they sent them down here. Grandfather was registered in Turtle Mountain. (During the Riel Rebellion) They didn’t want them to get involved in the Riel Rebellion (WBFNs Elder Almer Standingready, 2012). Especially the young men. So a number of them went down (to Turtle Mountain) (WBFNs Elder Phyllis Gibson, 2012) Upon the end of this rebellion, the Government of Canada convicted 19 Métis and 33 natives of offenses related to the uprising. Ironically, only a few Métis were hanged but Canadians witnessed a mass hanging of non-Métis native people who participated in the rebellion. Cree Chiefs Big Bear, Poundmaker, and One Arrow were each found guilty of treason-felony, and sentenced to three years in Stoney Mountain Penitentiary. A fourth Chief, the Dakota leader White Cap, was acquitted of charges despite being a member of Riel’s Exovedate9 Council (Canadian Encyclopedia, 2012). After the Northwest/ Riel Rebellion the Government instituted a series of repressive policies against the indigenous peoples. These measures, which went against the spirit of the treaties, included forcible confinement to Reserves, the dismantling of aboriginal culture and the removal of children to residential schools for assimilation (Stonechild, 2007). These measures were in stark contrast to the results of the first resistance in Manitoba and had deep and lasting effects upon indigenous peoples in Canada including the White Bear First Nations, despite the fact that White Bear did not participate in the Rebellion. White Bear First Nations’ Participation in World Wars Throughout early North American History, the Three Fires Confederacy, the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi showed themselves to be a fierce and unstoppable force. This Confederacy pushed the so called undefeatable Iroquois from southwestern Ontario, participated in Queen Anne’s War, the Seven Year’s War, in what can be called the Pontiac Rebellion and fought in the War of 1812. Their participation often decided the success or failure of the European and Settler wars or conflicts. After the conclusion of the War of 1812 and the resulting failure of the British to support the rights of the native peoples, the American expansionist momentum blossomed. The exclusion of other European powers from North America allowed the Americans to crush any assertions against their manifest destiny which was articulated in the Munroe 9 The term ‘exovedate’ was invented by Riel. Derived from the Latin “ex” and “ovis”, it means sheep chosen from the flock. Riels “Exovedate Council” was composed of 20 men, mostly Metis, but included Gabriel Dumont, two French Canadians, 1 English speaking Methodist, and the Sioux Chief White Cap. 35 Doctrine shortly afterwards. The Anishinaabe who supported their brothers in the US were crushed or forced to retreat into Canada. Their allies, the British, failed to defend their privileges gained by their victories during the War of 1812. Shortly after this War the British adopted a policy of land acquisition, attempting to push the First Nations into agricultural pursuits. This was followed by a movement towards assimilation. However, the Ojibwe People continued that fierce reputation and many members of the White Bear First Nations Ojibwe, Assiniboine, Cree and Sioux, served in both World Wars. Man Who Gives Warhoop - Saulteaux Paul Kane Painting 1848. Photo courtesy of White Bear First Nations. 36 Figure 6: Migration from Massacres Treaty After Canadian Confederation (1867) the Government of the Dominion of Canada wished to prepare the west for settlement and economic development. But first they had to obtain the right to use the lands, and therefore they had to deal with aboriginal title to the lands. In order to accomplish this and to facilitate settlement, they initiated what are called the ‘numbered treaties.’ At this time many Aboriginal communities were not adverse to treaties primarily because the elimination of the buffalo and other wildlife extinctions had threatened them with starvation. In fact many communities requested Treaty. These numbered treaties cover present-day Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and parts of Yukon and British Columbia: When the Reserves were made, the Indians were starved. White Bear and my father went down to Dakota and Turtle Mountain for about six years and the people starved. The Government gave them rations but the ones who should give it out did not do it right. Some went hungry; White Bears father had the grub in his shack. His name was Pouatses. My father was half-brother to White Bear (WBFNs Elder Fred Standingready, 2012). 37 Figure 7: Numbered Treaties of Canada Treaty 2 (The Manitoba Post Treaty 1871) involved nine First Nations who resided in the eastern areas of this region and was concluded in 1871 with predominately Saulteaux (Nuh kaw e) people living in the southern regions of Lakes Manitoba and Winnipeg. The White Bear Reserve is located in the southwest corner of the Treaty 2 area but White Bear is included under Treaty 4. In an attempt for the Crown to achieve Canadian sovereignty in the area and check American expansion coming out of Minnesota and North Dakota, the creation of Treaty 4 (The Qu Appelle Treaty) began. This Treaty is also called the ‘Qu’Appelle Treaty’ as its first signings were conducted at Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan on September 15th, 1874. This Treaty was entered into with the Nah kaw e, Cree, and some Assiniboine people who agreed to share the land to the depth of a plough with the newcomers. The area covered by Treaty 4 represents most of current day southern Saskatchewan, plus small portions of what are today western Manitoba and southeastern Alberta. According to the Crown’s interpretation, Treaty 4 extinguished 50,000 square miles of First Nation traditional territory in what is now southern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba. In 1875 the Treaty commissioners were sent to encourage Chief White Bear and his people to sign Treaty (INAC, 2009). He was not inclined to sign, and waited considering what he would do for quite some time. Chief White Bear was opposed to the Treaty, but it is documented that his Councilors were in favour of it. In 1875 a Treaty Adhesion was created – an agreement to the terms and conditions as set out in Treaty 4. On September 9th, 1875, the Chippewa, Cree and Assiniboine who had not been present at Qu'Appelle 38 .

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