Fort Pitt Provincial Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fort Pitt
waskahikansis  (Cree) (little fort) Itakapioxis  (Blackfoot) (circle of houses)
Battle of Fort Pitt
Location	Frenchman Butte, Saskatchewan, Canada
Built	1829
Original use	Trading post
Demolished	1885
Rebuilt	1886 (partial)
National Historic Site of Canada
Official name: Fort Pitt National Historic Site of Canada
Designated	7 June 1956

Fort Pitt was an important fort built in 1830 by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). It was also a trading post located on the North Saskatchewan River in an area once known as Rupert's Land. The fort was built under the direction of Chief Factor John Rowand from Fort Edmonton. Its main purpose was to trade for bison hides, meat, and pemmican. Pemmican, which is dried buffalo meat, was a vital food supply for the HBC's northern trading posts.

By the 1870s, the large numbers of buffalo in the area had greatly decreased. This was due to too much hunting to meet the growing demand from the HBC for furs and pemmican. One expert noted that "pork had replaced pemmican altogether." This shows how much the HBC's activities affected the local buffalo population.

Fort Pitt was built where the lands of the Cree, Assiniboine, and Blackfoot peoples met. It was located on a big bend in the river, just east of today's Alberta–Saskatchewan border. It was the main trading post between Fort Edmonton and Fort Carlton. In 1876, Fort Pitt was one of the places where Treaty 6 was signed. It was also the site of the Battle of Fort Pitt during the North-West Rebellion of 1885. The site was named a national historic site of Canada in 1954.

In 1986, about 10.4 hectares (25.7 acres) of land around the remains of Fort Pitt became Fort Pitt Provincial Park. This park was created by the government of Saskatchewan.

Discovering Fort Pitt's Past

Fort Pitt (1829–1890) was a trading post on the prairies. It was located on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan River. The fort was about 10 miles east of the Alberta border. It mainly traded pemmican and buffalo robes with the Blackfoot, Cree, and some Métis people. People also farmed and raised horses there. The fort was named after Thomas Pitt, who was on the HBC governing board.

Bison and Fort Pitt's Beginnings

bison

In 1690, Kelsey Henry from the Hudson's Bay Company was one of the first Europeans to see the vast numbers of bison on the prairies. For thousands of years, First Nations peoples had hunted bison. Before Europeans arrived, bison were the most common grazing animals. Some guess their numbers were between 30 million and 75 million.

By the early 1800s, making pemmican on the plains became a huge operation. Bison also provided pelts, hides, and other food. Fur-trading companies started placing trading posts along the northern waterways. The Saskatchewan River was important for reaching different areas. In 1830, the Hudson's Bay Company built Fort Pitt. It was in what was then called "the heart of buffalo country." Chief John Rowand built the fort to get buffalo meat, hides, and pemmican for the Hudson's Bay Company.

Patrick Small, an HBC clerk, started building the fort in September 1829. Small and his men lived in tents during the first winter. The fort was not finished until the spring of 1831. It closed in 1832 because people feared attacks from the surrounding Cree and Blackfoot. However, it reopened in the fall of 1833.

In 1843, John Rowand, the son of the elder John Rowand, became the master of the fort. In 1854, the elder Rowand visited his son on his way to retirement. He died of a heart attack while trying to stop a fight. Artist Paul Kane visited the fort in 1848.

Why Bison Numbers Dropped

By 1873, the bison trade almost completely stopped at Fort Pitt. Between 1868 and 1881, an estimated 31 million bison were killed because of the trade. The high demand from trading companies quickly reduced the bison population. Even when staff tried to find bison, they often returned empty-handed.

After the bison were gone, most of the food for the fort had to come from far away. Buying these supplies became very expensive. The loss of bison had a huge impact on Indigenous communities. As food and resources became scarce, it created difficult situations for Indigenous peoples.

How This Affected Indigenous Peoples

After bison disappeared near Fort Pitt, Indigenous peoples tried farming. However, their first attempts often failed. This was because the land they chose for reserves was better for hunting and gathering than for growing crops. Also, the farming help promised in treaties, like tools, animals, and seeds, was slow to arrive and not enough.

The government expected farming to be an instant success. They were more concerned with saving money than providing help. As trade and resources decreased, the government became less willing to meet its treaty promises. This caused a lot of tension between Fort Pitt and Indigenous leaders like Big Bear.

Smallpox's Impact

The arrival of smallpox had terrible effects on Fort Pitt and the surrounding area. This illness made the already limited resources at Fort Pitt even worse. The lack of buffalo, a main food source, combined with little knowledge about smallpox, led to many deaths. Between 1869 and 1870, 100 Cree lives were lost. Some estimates suggest that smallpox might have killed half of all Cree people, possibly up to 10,000 deaths.

However, smallpox did not spread much inside Fort Pitt itself. Only a few people inside the fort got sick. This was likely because Mr. John Sinclair had vaccinated everyone living there early in the summer.

Fort Pitt offered some hope to those seeking help. Many Cree set up temporary camps nearby, hoping the fort could provide medicine. This large gathering of Cree around Fort Pitt might explain why death tolls were so high in the surrounding areas. When it became clear the fort could not or would not provide medicine, some Cree believed they could return the illness to the fort to be free of its effects.

Growing Tensions with the Blackfoot

As the relationship between Fort Pitt and the Cree grew stronger, so did the tension between Fort Pitt and the Blackfoot. The Blackfoot saw any allies of the Cree as their enemies. This meant they might attack them. The Blackfoot believed the Hudson's Bay Company was working with the Cree. Because many Cree had married HBC employees, the Blackfoot started to see the traders as enemies too.

In 1863, the Blackfoot began to raid Fort Pitt itself. Increased trading with the Woods and Plains Cree made the Hudson's Bay traders at Fort Pitt worried. They feared that trading with the Cree would attract Blackfoot raiders and lead to attacks on the post. Fort Pitt was often short on staff because many were away hunting or with boat brigades. The Blackfoot often tried to stop trading parties on their way to the fort and also attempted to raid the fort.

Big Bear: A Leader for Peace

Big Bear at Fort Pitt, Saskatchewan

Big Bear was an important leader among the Plains Cree. He greatly influenced the relationship between Fort Pitt and the Cree Nation. Big Bear was known for supporting peaceful talks between Indigenous peoples and European settlers. His presence helped create a less hostile environment. He played a big role in how the Plains Cree acted during the 1885 rebellion.

Even though they faced hardship and felt betrayed, Indigenous peoples had promised to live in peace during treaty talks. They were not ready to start a war. Instead, Big Bear and other Cree chiefs patiently sought peaceful solutions. Big Bear's care for human life was clear in how he treated Hudson's Bay Company members at Fort Pitt during the Cree takeover in 1885. Many people from Fort Pitt chose to join the Cree camp for protection. This was hard for non-Indigenous people to understand. Many Fort Pitt residents felt comfortable with the Cree and walked into their camps even after fighting had occurred.

Big Bear and 14 of his band members were put on trial in Regina. They were accused of taking part in the events of 1885, including the capture of Fort Pitt. Even though Big Bear did not take part in the violence and spoke against it, he was accused of treason. He was convicted and served three years in Stoney Mountain Penitentiary.

Chief Sweet Grass: A Treaty Negotiator

While Big Bear was a powerful leader, Chief Sweet Grass also played a big part in securing Treaty 6. He was a key figure in dealing with the government. Alexander Morris, a government negotiator, favored Chief Sweet Grass. This was partly because Big Bear already had a difficult reputation with some officials.

Even though Sweet Grass had fewer lodges (25) compared to Big Bear (65), the government saw him as important. They believed he could convince other council members to sign the treaty. To try and ensure his people's safety and well-being, Chief Sweet Grass told the governors: "When I hold your hand and touch your heart, let us be as one; use your utmost to help me and help my children so that they may prosper. It is for that reason I give you my hand."

Chief Sweet Grass is remembered as a main negotiator for Treaty 6. He converted to Christianity in 1870 and was baptized Abraham. He later died after being shot by his brother with a pistol given to him for signing the treaty. His legacy continues today with the Sweet Grass reserve in Battleford, Saskatchewan.

Treaty 6: A Promise for the Future

Before Treaty 6, other numbered treaties had appeared as the Canadian government moved west. Because there were no clear provincial borders, some treaty lines overlapped. As conditions worsened for Métis and other Indigenous peoples in Manitoba, they moved west. This put more pressure on the diminishing buffalo population in Saskatchewan.

This left the Indigenous people of Fort Pitt and nearby areas with few choices. They had to seek an agreement with the Canadian government through a treaty. This was to protect their interests. The main inhabitants of the land were Cree, with some Assiniboine, Saulteaux, and Chipewyan. However, the treaty mainly focused on the Cree people.

Treaty 6 was special because it included promises for medical treatment and help during disease or famine. Although Chief Big Bear felt the treaty was unfair, it was signed without him. Negotiations began on September 5, 1876. In exchange for their land, Indigenous peoples received horses, wagons, and farming equipment. They also got the promise of aid.

During the talks, officials said that the people of Fort Pitt would get the same treaty terms as those at Fort Carlton. After discussions, Cree Chief Sweet Grass accepted the terms. He also pleaded for his people's survival and prosperity. The treaty included yearly cash payments to chiefs and band members, ranging from $5 to $25. It also set aside reserve lands, promised schools on reserves, and provided farming equipment like wagons, horses, livestock, twine, and ammunition.

Wandering Spirit: A War Chief's Actions

Wandering Spirit was a "war Chief" under Big Bear's leadership. He had different ideas than Big Bear. Wandering Spirit was more open to using violence, unlike Big Bear who preferred peaceful talks. Wandering Spirit started the killing of nine men at Frog Lake on April 2. This act of defiance against Big Bear's peaceful efforts was a turning point for the Plains Cree. The war chiefs soon took control, ending Big Bear's ten-year struggle for better conditions.

One of Wandering Spirit's first actions after the Frog Lake events was to go to the Hudson's Bay trading post at Fort Pitt. He demanded that the Mounted Police guarding it surrender. In return for a peaceful surrender, the Mounted Police were allowed to leave unharmed. Wandering Spirit gave the Hudson's Bay Company employees and their families a choice. They could leave with the police or surrender to the Cree. All the HBC employees chose to surrender. Wandering Spirit ordered his men to raid the fort, taking food, clothes, and supplies. The Cree then returned to Frog Lake with 44 hostages from Fort Pitt. Most hostages were placed under the care of the Woods Cree.

In May 1885, Wandering Spirit and Big Bear's Cree visited Fort Pitt again. By this time, the Cree camp had grown to about 300 men, 700 women and children, plus hostages, dogs, and horses. The Cree again took resources from the fort. This time, they left for Frenchman's Butte. As they left, the Cree set fire to many buildings at Fort Pitt. This was one of the most destructive actions against the fort.

While Wandering Spirit showed more aggression than Big Bear, he often tried to avoid violence. Giving the Mounted Police the option to surrender and leave Fort Pitt shows that violence was not his only goal. There is some debate about whether this decision was Wandering Spirit's idea or if Big Bear influenced it.

Wandering Spirit was not against the Hudson's Bay Company being in the Northwest Territories. However, he strongly opposed the government. His target in May 1885 was the police force at Fort Pitt, not the traders and their families. Hostility was never shown towards the traders or their families. They were welcomed into the Cree camps.

Wandering Spirit eventually surrendered with other Cree members at Fort Pitt. He and others were accused of their crimes and involvement in the violence of 1885.

Francis Jeffery Dickens: A Commander's Retreat

In 1883, 25 North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) were sent to Fort Pitt. They were commanded by Francis Dickens, the son of the famous writer Charles Dickens. Dickens arrived several days late. He met a large camp of Indigenous peoples who were unhappy because they had not received their promised farming equipment. At this time, Fort Pitt saw more unhappy Plains Cree in the area. The lack of resources and growing tensions led to the 1885 rebellion.

After violence broke out at Duck Lake, John Rae asked Dickens to track Big Bear's Cree. There was a growing fear that more Cree would join the Métis, creating a bigger threat.

Dickens failed to keep control of Fort Pitt. He and his men retreated to Battleford. This ended Dickens' active duty with the Mounted Police. Dickens later worked as a justice of the peace. He oversaw some early hearings for the rebels. In 1886, he left government work and moved to the United States. He planned a lecture tour but died on June 11 from a suspected heart attack before it began.

W.J. McLean: Fort Pitt's Supervisor During the Uprising

W.J. McLean was a Chief Trader who supervised Fort Pitt starting in 1884. He had worked for the Hudson's Bay Company for twenty years. His wife, Helen, was partly of Indigenous background and was born at Fort Dunvegan. They had eight children. In the spring of 1885, Helen McLean was expecting another child. The three oldest McLean daughters were well-educated. They could also ride, shoot, and spoke Cree and Saulteaux fluently.

After the Frog Lake events, Fort Pitt's population grew. People from nearby areas came seeking protection. There were 23 NWMP officers at the fort, led by Francis Dickens. This included police members who had left Frog Lake. On April 14, when Big Bear and his Plains Cree arrived, they specifically asked to speak to McLean. McLean was friendly with these people and believed he and his family were safe. Discussions lasted two days. However, a violent clash happened when the Cree thought they were under attack.

McLean later blamed Inspector Dickens for this. The day before, Dickens had sent two NWMP officers and one civilian to find out where Indigenous groups were. Their sudden appearance made the Cree believe they were being attacked. Three Cree members and one NWMP officer were killed. During this event, all the people in Fort Pitt, except the remaining NWMP, agreed to leave the fort and join Big Bear's camp.

The North-West Rebellion and Fort Pitt

There was much unrest between European settlers and Indigenous peoples in the mid-1880s. Fort Pitt was no exception. However, some evidence suggests the relationship between European settlers and the Cree there was different from other areas. There was violence around Fort Pitt, but not always inside the fort itself. Many accounts say the violence was about "settling personal scores." Landowners in the area were targeted because of their past relationships with Indigenous peoples. This anger was not directed at all European settlers, but at specific people and the government.

Some historians say that "many of the killings were the settling of personal scores." They also point to situations like those described by Bill Waiser in his book "A World We Have Lost Saskatchewan Before 1905." Waiser suggests the relationship between the Mounted Police at Fort Pitt and the Cree was not as hostile as often thought. If the Plains Cree had truly wanted war, they would have attacked the fort right away. The fact that they waited days confirms the violence was not planned. It was largely driven by the need for food and supplies for their large camp. Some officers at Fort Pitt were spared because of their kindness.

The only European life lost during the capture of Fort Pitt happened when a search party sent by Dickens accidentally rode through a Cree camp. The surprised Cree started a brief fight, fearing an attack. David Cowan was fatally wounded, and Constable Lawrence Loasby was wounded but escaped. A third officer was captured but not hurt. This event influenced Dickens to retreat, leaving the fort empty of police. He surrendered to the Cree's occupation with little resistance. Three Cree also died in this short battle.

Dickens was also convinced by the threat that the Cree might burn the fort instead of attacking it. The Indigenous people told McLean they had enough coal oil from Frog Lake to set the small fort ablaze.

On April 17, 1885, the Mistahimaskwa Cree Nation took control of Fort Pitt. They successfully negotiated the evacuation of the North West Mounted Police. The Mistahimaskwa Cree Nation kept control of Fort Pitt until July 2, 1885, when they surrendered to the North West Mounted Police.

After the police left, the remaining men, women, and children were given a choice: leave the fort or stay as "hostages." Most chose to stay. By most accounts, they were treated with respect. This supports the idea that the actions at Fort Pitt were not pure aggression. They were driven by the need for food and supplies.

During the second raid on Fort Pitt on April 9, the Cree, under Wandering Spirit's orders, took remaining resources. They then set fire to the fort, destroying all but one building.

On May 26, a mounted column arrived at Fort Pitt. They saw the remains still smoldering. They were saddened to find the body of Constable David Cowan. His heart had been removed and placed on a nearby pole. Fort Pitt's location, at the meeting point of many trails, led the column to reclaim it and set up headquarters.

The actions of the Cree warriors at Fort Pitt and Frog Lake during the 1885 Rebellion led the government to create the Alberta Field Force on April 20, 1885. This force had one thousand men. Its job was to end the rebellion and bring peace. They marched from Calgary east. Their first major resistance was near Fort Pitt. The Alberta Field Force interrupted a group of Cree performing a "thirst dance" at Frenchman's Butte. The Cree were seeking spiritual guidance. This encounter and the fighting that followed were described as "one of the most indecisive skirmishes" of 1885.

Frenchman's Butte is about 18 km northwest of Fort Pitt. It is an important historical site for its role in the Battle of Batoche. Here, the Alberta Field Force marched on some of Big Bear's Cree while they were doing a Thirst dance. The Cree had left Fort Pitt. The interruption led the Cree to retreat to rifle pits. A short battle happened. Soon after, the Canadian military realized Big Bear's men had a better tactical position. They had to retreat to Fort Pitt. Big Bear's men retreated in the opposite direction, surprised by the Alberta Field Force's firepower.

Fort Pitt After the Rebellion

The next September, Angus McKay rebuilt the fort. In 1887, a smaller post was built at Onion Lake, about 20 miles to the northwest. In 1890, everything was moved to Onion Lake, and Fort Pitt was closed.

In 1944, Robert Hougham bought Fort Pitt. He planned to farm the land. When he started farming, he found shallow graves near the fort's remains. The details about these remains are unknown. Many tombstones were destroyed during the fires and rebellion in 1885. Hougham farmed the land for 16 years until he died in 1960. Robert Hougham was buried on the property in 1960.

In 1954, the Canadian government named Fort Pitt a "National historical site." According to Parks Canada, Fort Pitt is important because:

• The Hudson's Bay Company built it to trade in buffalo hides, meat, and pemmican.
• It was the site where Treaty No. 6 was signed in 1876.
• Big Bear's followers burned it during the 1885 rebellion after the police left for Battleford.

Fort Pitt Provincial Park

In 1986, about 10.4 hectares (25.7 acres) of land around Fort Pitt became a provincial park. Fort Pitt Provincial Park is about 5 km northwest of Hewitt Landing in Western Saskatchewan. The historical site includes the remains of two forts. They have been partly dug up and are presented for visitors to learn from. The outlines of the first two forts are also visible. There is also one rebuilt building designed like the second fort.

It is free to enter the park. It has a picnic area and a pit toilet for visitors. It also offers geotracking as a fun activity. The park is connected with the RCMP, NWMP, natural history, and natural sciences. It is also linked to settlement history, provincial historical parks, and roadside monuments. It is a member of the Museum Association of Saskatchewan and has a provincial Heritage Property Designation.

Images for kids

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  1885 Rebellion