The Indian View of the 1885 Uprising
By A. Blair Stonechild. Used with permission.
The Start of the Skirmish at Duck Lake
Although there is no shortage of written material on the North-West Rebellion of 1885, Indian Elders have said that the full story of the Indian involvement has yet to be told.
As one Elder put it, “This story was told only at night and at bedtime. And not the whole story. No way. They did not want to tell on anyone who were [sic] involved. It is like when something is covered with a blanket and held down on the ground on all four sides. They talked about it in parts only. And they got nervous telling it. They were afraid of another uprising and more trouble. And they were also afraid of getting the young people into trouble.”
Some Elders did not like to tell the stories simply because it made them sad. Other Elders did not tell their stories to any white person, even priests, as they were afraid that these stories would be used for the profit of others.
Most historians have used only written documents and official interpretations in their research. After the Rebellion the Indian people did not have the freedom or luxury of doing their own research and putting forward their own views. As a result, contemporary interpretations of the Indian role have remained very biased.
How The Rebellion Started
The first Indian involvement in the Rebellion is said to have been at the Duck Lake fight on 26 March 1885. A few Indians were among Gabriel Dumont’s group of about thirty men; but then, considering that the fight itself occurred on Beardy’s Reserve, it should not be so surprising that Indians were present at all. One of the least understood aspects of the Duck Lake fight is why one of Chief Beardy’s Headmen (Assiyiwin) was shot during the purported parley preceding the fight. How did an old, half-blind, unarmed Headman of the Band become involved in the fracas?
What does Indian oral history have to say about this? The following story is told by Harry Michael of Beardy’s Reserve. Harry Michael’s grandfather was the nephew of Assiyiwin:
Assiyiwin had gone to town, to Duck Lake to visit a friend, a half breed by the name of Wolfe. Over there he heard that there was going to be some trouble. Something very bad was going to happen. He had gone to town on horseback and he bought some goods from the store in Duck Lake which he tied on his saddle. He then started walking home. The town of Duck Lake was not too far from the campThe old man had very poor eyesight -- he was almost blind. And as he was approaching the reserve and the camp he noticed something. He heard a lot of voices, a lot of talking. But he could not see anything until he came near the people
It was then a half-breed spoke to him -- called in Cree and said, “Stop, Don’t you know what is going to happen?”
Assiyiwin said, “I am blind. Exactly what is it?”
The half-breed answered, “There is going to be a battle. Didn’t you hear about it?”
Assiyiwin answered, “Yes. I heard about it.”
The half-breed replied, “You have walked right into it. Turn back where you came from.”
Assiyiwin answered, “Ha! I cannot turn back. I’m going home. This is my reserve land. If you are going to have a battle, if you are going to spill blood, you cannot do it on our reserve land.” And he remained standing there with his horse.
The half-breed said, “Go back where you came from.”
Assiyiwin replied, “No, I am going home”
This half-breed threw his coat to Assiyiwin. His name was Joe McKay. He said, “Step over my coat… I’ll shoot you.”
That was the time when Assiyiwin heard someone saying while he was standing there, “Don’t shoot each other. Don’t shoot.” It was said in Cree. It was a half-breed. He must have been very brave, coming into the centre of the two sides of the people on horseback, half-breeds and Indians on one side and the Northwest [sic] Mounted Police on the other side. He was trying to tell the people not to shoot each other. He came running from the half-breed side. He did not know the name of this man. He was waving his hands shouting, “Don’t shoot each other! People are trying to find a way on how they can get along better. Don’t try and kill each other.” He got as far as their location.
It was then Assiyiwin stepped over and passed the coat of McKay and said, “I am going home.”
Assiyiwin witnessed the days of intertribal [sic] battles with the Blackfeet. Assiyiwin performed some brave acts when he had the strength and power in his legs. He had some scalps in a wooden box. He had fought and killed in battles and scalped. This was a brave man. This is why he did not back out from Joe Mckay’s orders. He refused Joe McKay and stepped over past the coat and said he was going to go on home. He was not about to get frightened. His bravery must have returned to him in spite [of the fact] that he was an old man.
The gun went off and fired. McKay shot the old man Assiyiwin down, hitting him in the stomach. Then there were blasts of gunfire coming from all directions.
They came later after the old man. He didn’t die right away that night. He died at sunrise the following morning. He was the first Cree Indian killed. That’s how my grandfather told this story
The official interpretation of the event at Duck Lake was that Beardy’s Band had joined the Rebellion. The story of Assiyiwin, however, presents an entirely different view. An older man, with poor eyesight, Assiyiwin was hardly likely to be associating with young fighters. Moreover, as one of Beardy’s Headmen, he probably shared Beardy’s disassociation from Riel’s activities, and Beardy’s dislike of intruders on their Indian reserve land.
It appears that Assiyiwin’s mistake was being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and being too bold in asserting his indignation at what was occurring. Gabriel Dumont did not see his brother Isidore or Assiyiwin approach Crozier and McKay. What was probably not so much a parley as an effort to defuse a tense situation turned into a senseless slaughter when Joe McKay pulled his trigger.
It later became clear that Chief Beardy had not ordered his men to support the Rebellion, yet through the incident at Duck Lake the Indian people were fully implicated.