The Métis move north and west Laws of St. Laurent, Bison Hunt, Loss of the Bison The Métis move north and west

Manitoba Act Aftermath After the Manitoba Act was passed, the Métis thought that they could continue on with their way of life again…They were wrong! Manitoba Act ended the Provisional Government and Métis representation, Métis now under the control of the Federal Government Land Scrips! Macdonald sent troops to Keep the Peace Troops were mostly Militia from Ontario and members of the Orange Order Militia not peace keepers- want to avenge Thomas Scott Métis assaulted and murdered, no Militia man was ever punished More white farmers meant the buffalo herds left the area.

By the Mid 1870s, many of the Red River Métis had moved west along the Saskatchewan River and developed communities in present-day Saskatchewan and Alberta (at that time part of the North-West Territories).

The Métis established traditional communities Farms laid out in traditional patterns (lots about 200 meters across and 3 km long stretching from the river) Economy based upon subsistence farming, hunting bison

HBC is still involved with the Métis Métis hauling freight for the HBC (company still operating, just not in charge) Red River carts were used as transportation.

The Métis did run away from the white population and they did continue their traditional way of life….but not for long! More and more white settlers moved westward as well. Land in the East was filling up quick with immigrants from Europe.

"We left Manitoba because we were not free and we came here to what was still a wild country in order to be free. And still they do not leave us alone.” Gabriel Dumont

Dumont and the Métis were very concerned about the decline of the bison due to over-hunting and disappearing habitat and tried to strictly enforce the rules of the bison hunt.

Métis decided to take action! Bison the main source of food and trade for both Métis and First Nations in Western Canada Bison herds once numbered in the 1000s, now rapidly declining Métis decided to take action!

Laws of st. Laurent 1873 The Laws of St. Laurent formed the Métis constitution and formalized by the Métis council of the village. created to establish guidelines for the community to follow. based upon informal “laws of the prairies” They were not intended to contradict any laws passed by the Canadian government, but instead were seen as a way to gain more local autonomy.

Laws of the st. Laurent 1873 1. The community was to elect a council, which would have the authority to rule on any disputes in the community -Gabriel Dumont was elected Métis president of St. Laurent in 1873 2. The captain of the bison hunt was to regulate the hunt and all provisions

THE 1875 Incident Spring 1875 A group of Métis started hunting before the officially sanctioned hunt had begun Dumont (who was the hunt captain) arrested and fined the illegal hunters in accordance with the Laws of St. Laurent The charged Métis appealed to Magistrate Lawrence Clarke who issued arrest warrants against Dumont and his men

Fort Carlton Lawrence Clarke, the chief factor at Fort Carlton (the main HBC fort in the region) had been appointed magistrate of the area and considered himself the supreme authority. He believed the Métis were an inferior people and wanted to make their lives difficult. The Métis were very upset about this action as it was seen as a direct attack on Métis authority and their right to control their own community. They were worried this decision would lead to more decline of the bison.

Bison hunters now felt free to ignore Métis laws put in place to protect the bison and Métis culture

A Métis way of life gone forever

What happened to the bison? American campaign to slaughter the bison To force First Nations onto reservations so that American West could be made available to European settlers Bison hunting by Europeans was encouraged because the loss of the bison would mean the end of First Nations on the plains

General Phillip sheridan 1875 “Let them kill, skin and sell until the buffalo are exterminated. Then your prairies can be covered with speckled cattle and the festive cowboy”

1000s killed by the day! Facing starvation, many First Nations were eventually forced to seek government assistance. Now at the mercy of the government and treaties- more to come on that.