James Settee facts for kids

James Settee (born around 1809 – died 19 March 1902) was a very important person in Canadian history. He was from the Swampy Cree people. When he was baptized in 1827, he received the name James Settee.

He became the second Indigenous person to be ordained as an Anglican priest. The first was Henry Budd. James Settee married Sarah (Sally) Cook in 1835. He spent his life working as a priest, serving First Nations communities across Canada. He could speak English, Cree, and Ojibwe very well.

James Settee's Early Life

James Settee was born near Split Lake, Manitoba. In 1824, when he was about eight years old, he left Split Lake. He went to a school set up by the Church Missionary Society (CMS). This school was in the Red River Colony, which is now part of Manitoba.

He studied at the school with Henry Budd and Charles Pratt (Askenootow). In 1827, he was baptized by Reverend David Thomas Jones.

His Work as a Missionary

Settee started working with Reverend William Cockran. They worked at the CMS missions in St. Peter’s (Dynevor) and Nettle (Netley) Creek. In the winter of 1841–42, Settee was sent to the Beaver Creek–Moose Mountain area in Saskatchewan. His job was to be a missionary to a group of Cree and Assiniboine people.

However, Settee was a Swampy Cree from the north. He did not have family or language connections with the Southern Plains Cree. Because of this, his mission there ended in 1845.

In June 1846, Reverend Robert Hunter sent James Settee to Lac la Ronge. He was to set up a mission station there. Settee received supplies like flour, pemmican, clothes, and tools. He arrived at Lac la Ronge about three weeks later.

In 1849, Settee moved the mission to Potato River. Reverend Robert Hunt joined him there. In 1850, Dr. David Anderson, the first Bishop of Rupert's Land, visited Settee. Henry Budd also visited the mission. Around October 1852, Hunt moved the mission to the Churchill River. It was then renamed the Stanley Mission.

Becoming a Priest

Bishop Anderson helped Settee enroll at St John’s Collegiate School in 1853. On Christmas Day 1853, he became a deacon at St John’s Church, Winnipeg. In July 1854, Settee and Reverend William Stagg went to the Fairford Mission. This mission was in the Swan River area, near Lake Manitoba. Bishop Anderson ordained Settee as a priest at St John’s on 1 January 1856.

In May 1858, James Settee started the Qu'Appelle Mission. It was on the Qu'Appelle River in Saskatchewan. This area was home to the Southern Plains Cree. Again, he faced challenges working with these communities. The mission ended in 1859. He visited the Qu’Appelle area again in 1861 and 1865. He also visited the Touchwood Hills in 1861, 1862, and 1865.

In 1867, Settee was sent to the Swan River district. Later that year, he moved to Scanterbury in Manitoba. From 1867 to 1879, he served at missions in Mapleton, Netley Creek, Lake Winnipeg, and Nelson River Island. In early 1881, he was in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. From 1883 to 1884, he worked at The Pas. He returned to Prince Albert in 1884 and retired later that year.

James Settee passed away on 19 March 1902 in Winnipeg. He was buried in St John’s cemetery.

His Lasting Impact

Today, the James Settee College in Prince Albert is named after him. This college trains most of the Indigenous clergy who serve in the Diocese of Saskatchewan.