56 PROTESTANT AGRICULTURAL ZIONS FOR THE WESTERN INDIAN By Fritz Pannekoek Three evangelical Protestant denominations e Anglicansth , , Methodists and Presbyterians established missions in the Canadian West from 182 o 1870.t 0 ' Their succes s marginalwa s , wito n h missionary achievin e ultimatgth e goa f self-sufficieno l predomd an t - inantly agricultural communities. Their existenc s nevewa e r more than fragile. Agriculture was retarded, only in a few cases spon- taneous, and always ancillary to hunting and "tripping".2 The missionaries were themselves responsible for many of the shortcoming agriculturae th f so l missions Anglicane Th . s were unable to change their idyllic conception of agriculture to suit the harsh environment of the West. The Methodists were reluctant to impose civilization d thereforan , e agriculture until Christianit s firmlwa y y established. The Presbyterians were divided, the missionary adhering e Anglica e missioth th o t d nan e Methodisboarth o t d t view. Most important however l denominational , s believe Indiae dth n inferiod an r incapabl f existenceo e withou missionary'e th t s protectio leaderd nan - ship. The missionar thiw sysa inferiorit repeatee cause th th f s eo ya d failur f agriculturao e l experiment. Successs feltwa , t i coul, e b d achieved if the Indian were taught diligence, and if bountiful aid were extended. Until a complete conversion were made, the hunt, fisheries, and trip would be tolerated. Unfortunately given the harsh climate, the geography of the Canadian Shield and the absence of a substantial market, agriculture coul t functiodno souna s na d basr efo the mission economy. The constant exhortation to pursue agriculture, e continueth d e missionary'failurth d ean s equally continuous assist- ance combined with the decline in wildlife after 1860 to bind the Indian to the missionary. After 1870, with the failure of the principal mean f supporto s , i.ee hunt th .e fisherie th , especialld an s e tripyth , and renewed increase in population, the idea of independent agri- cultural missions was completely abandoned. Instead the reserve syste adopteds mwa agriculturae Th . l missions faile sustaio dt n what fragile prosperity they experienced from 184 o 18600t . They became the pockets of poverty that dot the Shield today. Although the first Anglican clergyman was in Rupert's Land as earl s 1820ya , agricultur t enthusiasticallno s wa e y entered into until Reve th . William Cockran mose ,th t diligen Churce th f o t h Missionary Society's clergymen, propose . Peter'St e dth s Indian Settlemenn i t I 1829. His views on agriculture dominated all future plans for I Anglican settlement, and influenced both the Methodists and Pres- byterians. 56 PROTESTANT AGRICULTURA WESTERE L ZIONTH R SFO N INDIAN Initially agriculture was to play only a minor role in the evangelization of Rupert's Land. Benjamin Harrison, the Evangelical on the London Committee of the Hudson's Bay Company, the Rev. John West, the first Anglican clergyman in the West, and George Simpson l powerfual e th , l governo f Rupert'o r s Land, envisaged nothing as elaborate as a network of agricultural settlements. A school establishee b e educatio o Rived th t e Indiar s Re th fo r t wa f da o n n children. Agriculture's only function would be to recover the Indian youths from their "savage habit customs,d an so reduc t d e th an "e expense to the Church Missionary Society of keeping the children. Afte completioe th r f theino r education, they returnee werb o et o dt their relative interioe th n si r wherehopeds wa t i , they would spread Christiae th n gospel.3 This early scheme never cam maturito s completelet wa d yan y abandone e latth e n i d1820' bot y e b Hudson's th h y CompanBa s y and the Society. West's successor, the Rev. David Jones, was con- vinced that sending the Indian boys into the wilderness to propagate the gospel would result in failure. Their Christianity was too fragile. theio t losa s same t rsa a th future s t e A timwa fearee e H .eh d that the habits and disposition of the Indian would "burst over the feeble barrie School-boy'e th f o r s restraint."4 His solution addition i , agricultureo nt , involved instruction ni trades suc s rougha h carpentr weavingd yan t mosA . t howevers hi , ideas were very incomplete and his plans for the boys' future never more than a conviction that they would be absorbed into the Red River community r eventuallo , y eve sene nb t int interiore oth . Jones balked y suggestioan t n agriculturaa a f o n l Indian mission which would absorb those boys too old for the school. He feared that such inter- ference wit nativee hth s "would brinunpleasann a n go t collision" with Company.e th " The Rev. William Cockran had no such fear and almost im- mediately upon his arrival commenced a vigorous campaign for an agricultural mission. He condemned the former neglect of the Indian, especiall e adultyth Joney b ,Westd an s . Cockran discarde e idedth a of itineracy, the idea that the Methodists and Presbyterians were to seize d whican , h indee e Companth d y would have preferrede H . though t impossibli t e to benefi e nativth t e while they continueo t d hunt o preacT . h effectivel e continuallth o t y y wandering Indian would requir a emissionar r almosfo y t every family. Equally ludicrous, Cockra s certainnwa , woul a missionar e db t everya r yfu post. The Indians were seldom at the posts, they only came when they wer wann ei f foo o tr trad o d e goods. Furthermore Cockran reasoned that the Chief Factors did not want the Indians about the posts. They constituted a substantial drain on the often scanty stock of provisions. No method, Cockran was convinced, would be effective save "civiliza- \ 57 PROTESTANT AGRICULTURA WESTERE L ZIONTH R SFO N INDIAN tion." Indians must gatherebe d into self-sustaining Christian villages ohundredx f si fiv o t e , totally dependen agriculturen o t . Huntind gan tripping must be abolished.6 The principal valu f agricultureo Cockra o et s abilit it s o yt nwa inculcate habit f industro s economyd yan . Barbaris e verth ys mwa cause of indolence which in turn led to poverty, want and debt. Cockran d indeean , l missionarieal d s irrespectiv f denominationo e , glorified work as the "greatest friend Piety has on earth." Not work in the ordinary sense, or for its own sake, but Work for the Glory of God. Work established worldly comfort, but more important it freed man from his struggle for survival and allowed him to contemplate natur e existencs th Gods hi f hi e o .d Idlenesfirse an th ts steswa n po the path to hell, a path Cockran was certain the Indian was well e belie s th fir down n mfwa i e Indian thae th H f .i t s became agricul- turalists, they would become "rational beings." They would acquire "steady habits, d raisan " e "respectable families. f theI " y became hunters they woul e "foreveb d r lost." Cockran's son-in-lawa , missionar f lesseyo r note, roundly denounce7 e huntth d , certain that the character and habit's of the hunter [are] diametrically opposed to the right development of Gospel principle and prac- tice. His habits are inseparable from prodigality, idleness and his never failing conditio . tha . f beggar o . tn extremd an y e want.8 There was equal opposition to tripping. Those Indians engaged in transporting supplies from York to Red River were in Cockran's opinion "the most base, unprincipled, immoral people that inhabit this continent."9 Cockran's blueprin e Indiath r nfo t Settlement envisionea d blissful, idylli pastorad can l existence Indiane Th . s would procure their livelihood in an honourable honest manner within the sound of the Gospel and the House of God, where their souls d wit e breafe shal th h e f d lifeb whero dl an , e they shale b l reminded of their duty to God, their neighbour and their own soul.10 Since the Indian, deep in poverty and ignorance, would be unable to procure eve e baresth n t essential o commenct s e farming, Cockran reasoned that the missionary, at least in the initial stages, would have to supply all. He intended to distribute not only the tools and seeds, oxeo tilo tw nt sufficiena ld t eve an bu provido nt n ma t ea quantit y firse ofth soitr cropfo l modesA . t hous rood ean t fishincellaa d an r g t werne esuppliede alsb o ot . Later when enough settler estabd ha s - lished themselves, a grist mill would be built. Clothing was essential. To Cockran 58 PROTESTANT AGRICULTURAL ZIONS FOR THE WESTERN INDIAN another article of economy and convenience [was] a bed. spendn A ma tims thire sfourta hi thi n ei f on d o sr ho position . Ipersoa f n throws himself dow a t grounnighte na n th o n r o ,do floor in the same apparel, which he wears in the day, it will not last more than half the time it would do if used in a proper manner. If the Capot is used for the day and the blanket for nighe th thein i t r right order, both articles will last longer than if used promiscuously." e centeth t f evero A r y village e missiowoulth e b d n fard man school.