Henry Budd facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Henry Budd
The Revd Henry Budd
Reverend
Born	circa 1812 Norway House, Rupert's Land
Died	April 2, 1875 The Pas, Manitoba
Venerated in	Anglican Church of Canada
Feast	2 April, 22 December

Henry Budd (born around 1812 – died April 2, 1875) was a very important person in Canadian history. He was the first Native American to become an Anglican priest. He spent his life helping First Nations communities.

Henry's Early Life

Henry Budd was born to Cree parents in a place called Norway House. This area was part of the Red River Colony back then. His first name was Sakachuwescam.

In 1822, a missionary named Rev. John West baptized him. He was renamed Henry Budd after his mentor. Henry went to a school set up by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in the Red River Colony. This area is now part of Manitoba. Other students there included James Settee and Charles Pratt (Askenootow).

Missionaries like John West, George Harbridge, and David Jones helped raise and teach Henry. In 1828, he went back home to help his mother and sister-in-law. He got a job with the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). Later, he married Betsy Work, whose father worked for the company. After his contract with the HBC ended, Henry and Betsy bought a farm. It was near the Red River's big rapids, in what is now St. Andrew's. They had six children: Henry, John, Elizabeth, and three other daughters.

Becoming a Leader

In September 1830, Henry Budd began studying to become a priest. It would take him twenty years to become a deacon, which is the first step to becoming a priest. In 1837, Henry started teaching at the St. John's church school.

In 1840, two missionaries, John Smithurst and William Cockran, asked Henry for help. They wanted to start a mission for the Cree people in the Cumberland House District. Henry, his wife, and his mother moved to Paskoyac. This place is now known as The Pas. They worked there with little help from the church until 1844.

Henry worked hard to make the mission self-supporting. He taught the local people how to farm. Before this, they mostly hunted, fished, and traded furs with the Hudson's Bay Company. When an English missionary named James Hunter arrived, Henry helped him learn the language and understand the local ways.

Helping Communities Grow

On December 22, 1850, Bishop David Anderson made Henry Budd a deacon. Then, in 1853, he became a priest. Bishop Anderson also dedicated Christ Church, a church Henry had worked hard to build. He faced challenges from the HBC and some local leaders, but he succeeded.

After James Hunter left in 1854, Henry continued his work from The Pas. Later, he was asked to start a new mission at Fort a la Corne. This mission was also on the Saskatchewan River. The Church Missionary Society even published some of his journals.

In 1857, Henry trained Rev. Henry George to take over his work at The Pas. Then, Henry Budd moved north to the Nepowesin Mission. For ten years, he helped the Plains Cree people in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Facing Challenges

Life at the Nepowesin Mission was not always easy. In 1864–1865, a serious illness called scarlet fever spread. Henry lost his wife, his oldest son, and a daughter to the disease. He sent his three other children to live at Red River. He also got hurt after falling off a horse, which made his work even harder.

In 1867, the church committee decided that The Pas mission needed a local pastor. Even though he was paid less than white missionaries, Henry returned to The Pas. He worried about how the mission had changed while he was away.

A Lasting Legacy

Henry Budd was respected for his skills in managing things and for speaking both Cree and English very well. He spent the last eight years of his life at The Pas. He successfully rebuilt the mission, even though the local fur trade had declined.

Henry died in 1875 from the flu. He also felt great sadness after another son died in 1874. Two of his daughters survived him, and the Church Missionary Society helped care for them.

Henry Budd did important work by translating the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into the Cree Language. People remembered him as a very important spiritual leader. One First Nations man said that Henry's death felt even worse than losing his own father.

The Anglican Church of Canada remembers Henry Budd on April 2, the day he died. This day is part of their Canadian Calendar of Holy Persons.

Today, there is a special school named after him. The Henry Budd College for Ministry is in The Pas. It helps train First Nation, Métis, and other people for ministry in the Diocese of Brandon.

External Sources

• Anglican history: Henry Budd 1814-1875