Jean Baptiste Wilkie facts for kids
Jean Baptiste Wilkie (1803–1886) was an important Métis leader, a skilled buffalo hunter, and a brave warrior. He came from the area around Pembina, which is now in North Dakota.
His father, Alexander, was Scottish, and his mother, Mezhekamkijkok, was Chippewa. In the mid-1820s, Jean Baptiste ran a horse ranch near the Red River. This area is now called St. Vital in Manitoba. He married Amable Elise Azure, and they had thirteen children. One of their daughters, Madeleine, married the famous Métis military leader Gabriel Dumont. Wilkie was also part of the Red River Volunteers, a group formed in 1835 to protect the Red River Colony.
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Leading the Métis Community
After the Hudson's Bay Company started to limit how the Métis could trade, Wilkie's family moved to Pembina in the 1840s. There, he continued to hunt buffalo.
The Great Buffalo Hunts
Jean Baptiste Wilkie was known for his strong leadership, especially during the large buffalo hunts.
- On June 15, 1840, he led a huge buffalo hunt with 1,630 hunters. The leaders of the hunt chose him to be the most senior captain.
- He became known for his great leadership and skills. People started to call him "the chief of the Half Breeds" in the Pembina and St. Joseph areas.
- In 1848, Wilkie led another hunt when the group had a conflict with the Sioux people. This happened at the Battle of O'Brien’s Coulée near Olga, North Dakota.
- In 1853, he met Isaac Stevens from the U.S. Pacific Railroad Surveys near Devil's Lake, North Dakota.
Making Peace with Neighbors
In the 1860s, Jean Baptiste Wilkie worked hard to create peace between the Métis and the Dakota. These two groups had been enemies for many years.
Meeting President Lincoln
Wilkie and another man named Peter Grant traveled all the way to Washington. There, they met with the U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln gave them ammunition, which was important for hunting and defense.
A Peaceful Agreement
After meeting the President, Wilkie and several other men went to a Dakota village. They asked to meet with the Dakota chief. The meeting started with a lot of tension. It is said that the Dakota warriors were so angry they even cut the cloth covering the lodge. However, after smoking the ceremonial pipe together, they reached an agreement. Later, the Métis and Dakota met at Grand Coteau. They traded goods and got to know each other better. So much horse trading happened that day that people said no one left with the same horse they arrived with!
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