La Colle facts for kids
La Colle (active 1736 – 1742) was an important Monsoni chief. The Monsoni were a group within the Ojibwe people. La Colle is known in Canadian history because of the writings of La Vérendrye, a famous French explorer.
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Who Was La Colle?
La Colle was a powerful leader among his own Monsoni people. He also had influence with the Swampy Cree, other Cree groups, and the Assiniboine people. His main village was located near Fort St. Pierre.
Building Fort St. Pierre
In 1731, work began on Fort St. Pierre. This fort was built at the west end of Rainy Lake, near the Rainy River. La Vérendrye's nephew, Christopher Dufrost de La Jemeraye, and his son, Jean Baptiste de La Vérendrye, oversaw the building.
The fort was finished in the winter of 1731-32. La Colle's village was very close to this new fort.
Keeping the Peace
Another fort, Fort St. Charles, was built in 1732 on Lake of the Woods. This brought the explorers closer to the Sioux people. La Vérendrye and his family wanted to avoid wars between the different Indigenous groups.
La Colle played a big part in keeping the peace. He worked hard to prevent conflicts between the tribes.
A Time of Conflict
Even with La Colle's efforts, there was one major conflict. In 1741, La Colle led a war party. During this event, many Sioux were killed or captured.
A priest named Claude-Godefroy Coquart noted the impact of this event. He wrote that more captives than furs were sent to Montreal that season.
Protecting the Explorers
La Colle was very important to La Vérendrye's explorations. He helped protect La Vérendrye and his trading activities as they moved westward. His leadership ensured safer travel and trade for the explorers.
