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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)

Tension with the Blackfoot
As the relationship between Fort Pitt and the Cree began to grow so did the tension between the Members of Fort Pitt and the Blackfoot. The Blackfoot’s deemed any allies of the Cree to be enemies of the Blackfoot and thus open to exploitation and attack. “''The Blackfoot considered the Hudson Bay Company to be in league with the Cree, so their relationship with the traders became tenuous. In 1863 the Blackfoot began to raid Fort Pitt itself” The fact that “ Many Cree’s had intermarried with Hudson Bay Company employees and were so friendly with them that the Black foot began to see the traders as their enemies as well”'' Increased trading with the woods and Plains Cree created fear amongst the Hudson Bay traders at Fort Pitt. The Hudson Bay Company worried that trading with the Cree would open the Cree as well as Fort Pitt itself up to raids by the Black foot “''The arrival of the Cree caused fear at the post that they would attract Blackfoot raiders and a possible attack on the post. Fort Pitt at the time was understaffed, both staff and the local Metis being away hunting on the plains or with the boat brigade'' The Blackfoot made many attempts to intercept trading parties on route to the fort as well as making raid attempts on the fort itself. Many of the Blackfoot raiding parties were defended by the the cree and the traders however their are accounts of successful raids that were carried out by the Blackfoot at Fort Pitt.

Big Bear
Big Bear's presence and position within the plains Cree was a defining factor in the relationship that Fort Pitt shared with the Cree nation. Big Bear was often described as an advocate for the peaceful negotiations between the indigenous population and the European settlers. Big Bear’s presence in the area would have helped facilitate a less hostile environment, and would have been a significant factor in how the Plains Cree acted during the rebellion of 1885.“''Despite their impoverished state and stinging sense of disillusionment and betrayal, Indians had made a solemn vow during the treaty negotiations to live in peace and where not prepared to break this pledge and plunge the region into war. Instead Big Bear and other senior Cree chiefs patiently sought a peaceful resolution to their grievances''.” The compassion that Big Bear showed for the value of human life is made evident by treatment of the Hudson Bay Company members at Fort Pitt during the Cree takeover in 1885. "the absorption of the people of Fort Pitt into the camp, and of other people gathered from the surrounding country side suggest that Big Bear and the other Woods Cree leaders saw this as essential in order to protect those whose lives might be in danger. Their goal was to keep them out of harms way, not do harm to them. the great number of "captives" or "prisoners" had opted for the protection of the Cree camp upon the advice of aboriginal friends or leaders. This was difficult for the general non-Aboriginal public to comprehend" Many Fort Pitt inhabitants were so comfortable with the relationship between them and the Cree they would walk unescorted into the Cree camps even after the hostilities that took place at the fort.

Big Bear and 14 of band members would stand trial in Regina for their participation in the events of 1885 including the capturing of Fort Pitt. Even though Big Bear not only did not participate in the violence but was an advocate against it he was still accused of treason for not abandoning the Plains Cree at the onset of the violence. He would ultimately be convicted of treason and serve three years at the Stoney Mountain Penitentiary.

Big Bear’s legacy is described as follows by the Historica Canada website “''Mistahimaskwa is remembered as a strong and powerful Cree chief and protector of his people. He stood firm against what he considered to be the unjust and inadequate terms of Treaty 6. He also tried to unite the Cree people so that they could successfully fight against socio-economic injustices as a'' community.

Wandering spirit
Wandering Spirt was a “war Chief” in the Plains Cree under the leadership of Big Bear. Wandering Spirit’s personality and ideals varied from Big Bear in many ways, he was more susceptible to the use of violence instead of the peaceful negotiations preferred by Big Bear. Wandering spirit “had initiated the killing of nine White and half-breed men on 2 April at Frog Lake.” this act of defiance against Big Bear and his peaceful negotiations would be a turing point in the Plains Cree’s history. The war chiefs would soon take control of the Plains Cree “ending Big Bear’s peaceful ten year struggle to obtain better conditions for his people.” One of Wandering spirits first movements after the “massacre at Frog Lake” was to proceed south east to the Hudson Bay trading post at Fort Pitt, where Wander Spirit demanded the post be surrendered by the Mounted police guarding it. In return for a peaceful surrender the Mounted Police were allowed to leave unharmed. Wandering spirit gave the employees of Hudson bay company and their families the choice of leaving with the police or surrendering to the Cree. All of the Hudson bay company employees chose to surrender instead of leave Fort Pitt with the police. Wandering Spirit ordered his men to raid the fort filling wagons full of food clothes and supplies. The Cree then returned to Frog Lake with 44 hostages from Fort Pitt, most of the hostages were placed under the control of the Woods Cree at Frog Lake.

In May of 1885 Fort Pitt would once again be visited by Wandering Spirit and Big Bear’s Cree. By this time, the Cree Camp had grown to an estimated 300 men, 700 women and children, as well as containing hostages, dogs, and horses. The Cree would once again take the recourses form the Fort this time departing to Frenchman’s Butte. Upon the departure the Cree would set fire to many of the buildings at Fort Pitt, this would be one of the most aggressive and destructive actions that were directed directly at Fort Pitt itself.

While Wandering spirt showed more aggression than Big Bear he often still tried to avoid violence. The fact that he gave the option of surrender and departure to the Mounted Police at Fort Pitt emphasize that while not opposed to violence it was not his desired outcome. There is some debate about weather the release of the Mounted Police was Wandering spirits idea or due to the intervention of Big Bear.

Wandering spirit was not apposed to the presence of the Hudson Bay Company in t the Northwest Territories however, he strongly opposed the Government. The police force at Fort Pitt was his target in May of 1885 not the many traders and their families who worked for the Hudson Bay Company. Hostilities were never expressed towards the traders or their families and they would be welcomed into the Cree camps with open arms.

Wandering Spirit would eventually surrender with other members of the Cree at Fort Pitt where he and other Cree would be accused of their crimes and involvement in the violence that occurred in 1885. All of the accused where then moved to Battleford where their trials would be held. In his trail Wandering Spirit would not be granted legal counsel and faced his accusers alone. Wandering spirit would be found guilty of his accused crimes at both Fort Pitt and Frog lake. The guilty verdict would come with a penalty of hanging.

Epidemics and illnesses at Fort Pitt
Fort Pitt and the surrounding area were severely affected by the small poxvirus. Smallpox is an extremely contagious virus that to this date cannot be cured it can only be prevented through vaccines. The virus symptoms include fever and a progressive rash. The Center for Disease Control CDC attributes the spread of smallpox to the growth and spread of civilization. The CDC attributes the European colonization and importing of goods as the factors that introduced smallpox to North America. The estimated mortality rate is 3 in 10, however survival came with a life time of scaring and other lasting symptoms that could include permanent blindness.

The emergence of small pox had devastating consequences on Fort Pitt and the surrounding area. The plague of illness further taxed the already diminished recourses at Fort Pitt. The depletion of the buffalo a fundamental food source, paired with lack of knowledge surrounding the smallpox virus would directly correlate to the 100 Cree lives lost in 1869- 1870. The 100 dead Cree was the second highest total deaths due to small pox of any recorded Cree population during this time. While these are recorded numbers some estimates are provided that the small pox virus may have claimed the lives of half of all Cree. Some sources estimating upwards of 10,000 deaths were caused by the virus.

“''More that 100 infected Cree forbidden from entering the for, died outside the stockade. The dead laid for days until hungry wolves came from the forest and fought over the rotting bodies. Some sick Natives thought that If they could give the sickness back to the Canadians at Fort Pitt – where it had come from – they could stop the suffering themselves. So they hung around the fort, put their scarred faces against the pump handles and spat on the door knobs.''

While smallpox had devastating effects on the population surrounding Fort Pitt its effects failed to penetrate the walls of the fort to any great extent. The Journal of american Medical Association states that as few as three people were infected inside the fort itself. The author of the article states “ I can only attribute this to the fact that Mr. John Sinclair had taken precaution early in the previous summer to vaccinate all of the persons residing there.”

Fort Pitt provided hope to the infected many infected making the journey to seek aid at the fort. Many Cree set up temporary settlements in the surrounding area in hopes that the fort would be able to provide aid to the ill this may have been one of the reasons that accounts of death due to smallpox where so high in the areas surrounding Fort Pitt. When it became clear that the fort either could not or would not provide medicine to the sick Cree ,the Cree changed their approach. There are many accounts of the Cree attempting to “give the illness back” feeling that if they could return the illness to the fort they would be free of its affects.

1885 uprising
There was a great deal of controversy surrounding the European settlers and the indigenous population during the mid 1880’s. Fort Pitt was no exception however, there are examples given that suggest that the relationship between the European settlers, and the Cree were different than the relations of the time in other areas. There was great deal of violence in the areas surrounding Fort Pitt however, this was not necessarily the case within the fort itself. Many accounts of the violence state that it was a “settling of personal scores” and many of the land owners in the surrounding area were targeted due to their past relationships with the indigenous population. This resentment and anger was not directed at the European settlers as a whole but, rather specific members of the population as well as government. Some historians state that “many of the killings were the settling of personal scores.” they also reference situations such as Bill Waiser In his book “A World We Have Lost Saskatchewan Before 1905”provides some insight into the events at Fort Pitt the author provides evidence supporting the theory that relationship between The Mounted Police force at Fort Pitt and the Cree. “Had ''the plains Cree been truly hostile and intended on waging war, they would have attacked the fort almost immediately and not given the police any time to try and fortify their position. That they waited several days confirmed that the murders were unpremeditated and that this new action was largely motivated by the need for food and previsions for their large camp.” Daschuk also states that “police officers at Fort Pitt we spared in recognition of their humanity''”  further suggesting that the relationships may not have been as resentful as other areas.

The only loss European life at the hands of the Cree during the capture of Fort Pitt came when the search party sent out by Dickens accidentally rode their horses through a Cree camp. The surprised Cree engaged in a brief fire fight fearing that this was an offensive attack on behalf of the mounted police. In the attack, David Cowan was fatally wounded, and Constable Lawrence Loasby was wounded but managed to escape only to be captured a short time later. This is one of the events that influenced Dickens to initiate his retreat leaving the fort vacant of mounted police and surrendering to the Cree’s occupation of the fort with minimal resistance. There were also three Cree who lost their lives in this brief battle

On April 17 1885 the members of the Mistahimaskwa Cree Nation effectively take control of Fort Pitt and successfully negotiate the evacuation of the North West Mounted police. The members of the Mistahimaskwa Cree Nation successfully maintained control of Fort Pitt until July 2 1885 when they surrendered to the North West Mounted police.

After the police force was dispatched from the fort the reaming men, women, and children were given the choice to either leave the fort or stay as “hostages” the majority chose to stay. By most recorded accounts, they were treated with relative dignity and respect. This further promotes the idea put forth by Waiser that this movement on Fort Pitt was not intended as an act of pure aggression, but one created out of the necessity to feed themselves and gain adequate supplies.

During the second sacking of Fort Pitt on April the 9th the Cree under the orders of Wandering Spirit would raid the reaming resources and set fire to the fort Destroying all but one of the service buildings.

On May the 26th a mounted column would arrive at Fort Pitt to see the remains still smouldering in the aftermath of the cree raid. The members of the column were" sobered by the discovery of the body of Constable David Cowan, His heart removed and placed on a nearby pole" Fort Pitts location and the fact that it was situated at the divergence of many trails let the column to reclaiming it and setting up head quarters.

The actions of the Cree worriers at Fort Pitt as well as other locations such as Frog lake during the Rebellion of 1885 would be contributing factors in the governments creation of the Alberta Field Force on April 20th 1885. The Alberta Field Force consisted of one thousand men, and was tasked with ending the rebellion and returning peace to the land. They marched unimpeded from Calgary east meeting their first significant resistance upon arrival in the Fort Pitt region. The Alberta Field Force encountered and interrupted a group of Cree performing a “thirst dance” in which the Cree were searching for spiritual guidance. This was happening at the base of Frenchmans Butte. This encounter and the would be described as “one of the most indecisive skirmishes during the tragedy of 1885”

Francis Jerry Dickens
Francis Jeffery Dickens son of the famous author Charles Dickens served as the garrison commander during the siege of Fort Pitt. He was sent to Fort Pitt in 1883 along with twenty-five mounted police to provide stability in a time of rising tensions. Dickens arrived “Several days late and was met by a large camp of Indians, many of them dissatisfied because they had not received their promised agriculture equipment” At this time, Fort Pitt was seeing an increase in the number of dissatisfied Plains Cree in the surrounding area. The lack of recourses and growing tensions throughout the prairies would be influential factors in the 1885 rebellion. Soon after the violence broke out at Duck Lake John Rae would request that Dickens track and ensure that Big Bear's Cree had remained in the Fort Pitt area. There was a growing fear that an increasing number of Cree would join the Metis and pose an even greater threat.

After failing to maintain control of Fort Pitt Dickens and his men would retreat to the safety Battleford effectively ending Dickens active duty with the Mounted Police. Dickens would be employed as a justice of the peace and preside over some of the preliminary hearings for the rebels. In 1886 he would leave the employment of government and move to the United States with the intentions of completing a lecture tour. Dickens would die on June 11 of a suspected heart attack before the tour began.

Frenchman's Butte
Frenchman's Butte is located 18km Northwest of Fort Pitt it is a significant historical site for the role it played in the Battle of Batoche. It was at this location that the Alberta field Force marched upon the some of Big Bears Cree while they were participating in a Thirst dance after leaving Fort Pitt. The Alberta Field Forces interruption of the Thirst dance lead to the retreat of the Cree to the rifle pits throughout the plains “Big bears soldiers installed themselves in deep rifle pits above the surrounding plains” A short battle occurred but soon after it began the Canadian military realized that Big Bear’s men had superior tactical position and they were forced to retreat to the safety of Fort Pitt, While Big Bear’s men retreated in the opposite direction startled by the fire power of the Alberta Field Force.

Fort Pitt after the Hudson Bay Company
In 1944 Fort Pitt was sold to Robert Hougham with the intent to cultivate the land for agricultural purposes. On the commencement of land cultivation Houghman discovered shallow graves located in close proximity to the remains of the original fort. It is unknown at this time the specifics surrounding the remains. Many of the tombstones and other identifying tools were destroyed during the fires and rebellion in 1885. Houghman worked the land for 16 years until his death in 1960. Robert Hougham would be buried on the property in 1960.

Fort Pitt Current day
In 1954 Fort Pitt was designated a “National historical site” by the government of Canada. According to the Parks Canada Directory of Federal Heritage Designations the significance of Fort Pitt to Canadian Heritage come from; “The Hudson Bay Company built the post to trade in buffalo hides, meat and pemmican; It was the site if the signing of Treaty No. 6 in 1876; and, it was burned during the 1885 rebellion by Big Bears followers after the police had withdrawn to Battleford.”

The remains of Fort Pitt are located in Fort Pitt Provincial Park located roughly 5 km Northwest of Hewitt Landing in Western Saskatchewan. The Historical site itself consists of the architectural remains of two of the forts that were located in the area, they have been partially excavated and presented for interpretive purposes. The outlines of the First two forts are also visible, as well as one reconstructed building designed in accordance with the second fort.

It is a free to enter park that has a picnic area as well as a pit toilet for the convenience of tourists. It also features geotracking as a recreational activity for guests. It is affiliated with RCMP, NWMP, Natural history, and Natural sciences, Settlement History, Provincial historical park, Roadside monument. Its certifications and affiliations include being a museum association of Saskatchewan member, and a provincial Heritage Property Designation.