the treaties - Red Pheasant - excerpt
Excerpts from The Treaties of Canada with the Indians -
The negotiations on which they were based, and other
information relating thereto- By the Hon. Alexander Morris,
P.C. - Late Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, The North West
Territories and Kee-wa-tin.
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Red Pheasant -
Battle River - 16th of September, 1877
On the 16th the Red Pheasant and his Councilors came to
see the Governor and the Commissioners, with the following
result:
THE RED PHEASANT - "I am a Battle River Indian, and I
have chosen this place before, and I am glad to see the
Government here too, as I know there is a chance of living.
I want the Half-breed claims at Battle River to be
respected, and I do not wish to turn out any white man; but
I wish to return to my former mode of life.
"Ever since my grandfather lived at Battle River, it has
been my home. Our houses were swept off by a flood two years
ago, and after that we repaired some old houses that were
built by outsiders (other Indians), and we had fenced in the
buildings; but a short time ago some Canadians arrived,
knocked down the fences, and built inside the
enclosure."
WAH-TAH-NEE
(WUTTUNEE): "We had chosen a point about a mile
from the spot where we are now speaking, and got out logs
for fences and houses, and when we returned from the plains
we found they had all been taken away. There are now twenty
families, and ten more to come in from the plains.
"We wish to be remembered to the Queen, and we re
thankful to see the Queen's soldiers coming to make their
homes on the land that we have been brought up on. I hope
that the Queen will look upon our poverty when she hears
that we are poor Indians and have welcomed her people to
live amongst us. This is my country where I have lived. I
want to make way for the Queen's men, and I ask her in
return to keep me from want. Next spring I want to plant
here, wherever I can get a piece of ground. By that time I
may have selected a spot for my reserve. The reason I want
to select my reserve is, that I do not want to be cramped up
by settlers. In the meantime I do not want any white men to
settle on the Eagle Hills.
"When I see that we are numerous, it will be the Eagle
Hills I will select as our reserve, although I am very
reluctant to leave the place I have been brought up on. If I
see that we are not likely to be numerous, I may select some
other place across the Saskatchewan River. This man, Peter
Ballendine, knows that it is not because settlers are coming
here that we speak of this place, Battle River, but because
we were here from of old."
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