Touchwood Hills facts for kids
51°25′N 104°15′W / 51.417°N 104.250°W The Touchwood Hills are a group of hills found in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. These hills are a special part of the landscape.
In 2005, an organization called Ducks Unlimited Canada started a ten-year study here. They wanted to learn how well ducks and other water birds nested in different parts of the prairie, especially in areas with many small ponds, often called "potholes." The Touchwood Hills area was a perfect place for this research.
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The Historic Touchwood Hills Post
The Touchwood Hills Post was an important trading post run by the Hudson's Bay Company in Saskatchewan. It operated for many years, from 1852 to 1909.
What Was a Trading Post?
A trading post was like a store and meeting place where European traders and First Nations people exchanged goods. Traders often offered tools, blankets, and other items in return for furs, especially beaver pelts, which were very valuable at the time.
A Unique Location
Most Hudson's Bay Company posts were built near rivers so supplies could arrive by canoe. However, the Touchwood Hills Post was different! It was not on a river. Instead, it was a key stop and resupply point on the Carlton Trail. This trail was a long, important route that connected Fort Ellice (on the Assiniboine River) to Fort Carlton (on the Saskatchewan River). The post was part of the Swan River District, which was managed from Fort Pelly.
Moving the Post
The first post was built in September 1852 by Thomas Taylor in the "Big Touchwood Hills." About ten years later, it moved a few miles south to the "Little Touchwood Hills." Then, around 1879, it moved a short distance northeast to its final spot.
What Was Traded Here?
The area was known for its many buffalo. So, the post mainly traded in buffalo pemmican, which was a dried, preserved meat that was very important for travelers. They also traded some muskrat furs.
The End of an Era
By 1895, many local First Nations communities had settled on reserves. The Touchwood Hills Post then became more like a general store and post office for the new settlers in the area. It finally closed in 1909. This happened because the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was built nearby the year before, making it easier for people to get goods from other places.
What Remains Today?
Today, you can still see some signs of the old fort. There's a dip in the ground where the cellar used to be, and a part of the old Carlton Trail is still visible. A special plaque and concrete markers show where the original buildings once stood. In 1986, the Touchwood Hills Post historic site became a Provincial Park, meaning it's protected and preserved for everyone to visit and learn from.
Where Was It Exactly?
The exact location of the post has been discussed. In June 2012, one source, geonames.org, placed it at (51°21′45″N 104°5′53″W / 51.36250°N 104.09806°W). However, Google Earth showed it about 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of that spot, at (51°22′49″N 104°18′46″W / 51.38028°N 104.31278°W). For reference, Fort Pelly was about 150 kilometers (93 miles) east, and Last Mountain House was about 75 kilometers (47 miles) west. The Quill Lakes were about 50 kilometers (31 miles) north.
The Touchwood Hills People
The Touchwood Hills People are a group of First Nations people. They are also known as Pusakawatciwiyiniwak. They were part of a larger group called the Downstream People, or Mamihkiyiniwak. These groups lived in the southeastern plains and used the waterways of the Assiniboine River, Red River, and Lake Winnipeg.
Important Leaders and Treaties
The Touchwood Hills People were made up of four bands. They were led by a chief named Kawacatoose, also known as Poorman or Lean Man. The other chiefs were Kaneonuskatew (One that walks on four claws or George Gordon), Muscowequan (Hard Quill), and Kisecawchuck (Daystar).
Chief Kawacatoose and the other chiefs signed Treaty 4. A treaty is a formal agreement between different groups, in this case, between First Nations and the government. This treaty led to the creation of several First Nations communities, including the Kawacatoose First Nation, Gordon First Nation, Muskowekwan First Nation, and Day Star First Nation.
These bands, along with the Fishing Lake First Nation, work together as part of the Touchwood Agency Tribal Chiefs (TATC).
