User:Austincapell/sandbox

Fort Pitt

We will be continuing to add to the article about Fort Pitt. The wikipedia page currently has minimal general information, and lacks depth in describing the complex and volatile relationship between the Hudson Bay Company outpost and the aboriginals of the area. The additions to this article will also illustrate the effects of large scale hunting and trapping on the animal population in the area and more specifically the the buffalo population. In an article within the Western Historical Quarterly George Colpitts states, “In 1873 the bison market came to an abrupt end when Fort Pitt, once one of the most reliable sources of provisions in the Saskatchewan District, all but collapsed. Despite every exertion being made by the officer in charge of the post, who sent staff to follow up and traffic wherever Indians or Buffalo could be found, parties returned from the South Branch territories empty handed” (Colpitts, 2012). This article also mentions that after the bison were gone, almost five-sixths of the provisions brought to the post had to come from the hands of independent parties who were forced to travel staggering distances to obtain such resources. Purchases of these crucial resources soon became “a heavy expense” on the post. Meanwhile the rest of the upper Saskatchewan posts were still able to meet the demands of the HBC.The update to the article will also include more information regarding the demise of Fort Pitt as well as its transformation to its current state and status as a National Park.

As food supplies and wildlife dwindled many of the HBC leaders adapted commissioner dewdney’s “submit or starve” technique as an attempt to force the indigenous peoples into signing treaties that heavily favored the Hudson Bay Company. This caused animosity between Fort Pitt and indigenous leaders such as Big Bear. Eventually many of the indigenous leaders were willing to forfeit certain rights and policies in order to have food rations restored. It could be speculated that this not only had substantial effects on the signing of treaty 6 at Fort Pitt, but also motivated the battle at Fort Pitt.

Current Status

Fort Pitt is currently listed as a National Historic Site of Canada. The site today includes the remains of two separate forts, as well as plaques and panels including historical details about the sites past. It also has washrooms, a picnic area and water access for guests. (Saskatewan Tourism website)