Chief Mistahimaskwa, 1885

Big Bear or Mistahimaskwa (c.1825 – 17 January 1888) was born in the Canadian Northwest, and became Chief of the Plains Cree First Nation during the latter half of the nineteenth century. He is most notable for his resistance against the Canadian government. Image File history File links Cree chief Mistahimaskwa (Big Bear), 1885. ... Image File history File links Cree chief Mistahimaskwa (Big Bear), 1885. ... The designation C: (sometimes C: ) is the drive letter that refers to the main partition (or portion of an hard drive) on an MS-DOS or Windows personal computer. ... 1825 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1888 is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... The North-Western Territory at its greatest extent, 1859 The North-Western Territory was a region of British North America until 1870. ... Chief can refer to The chief engineer of a naval vessel or anyone with the rank Chief Warrant Officer in the Canadian Forces In heraldry, a chief is a band of colour or metal making up the top (usually the top third or slightly less) of a shield. ... Cree camp near Vermilion, Alberta The Cree are an indigenous people of North America whose people range from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean in both Canada and the United States. ... First Nations is the current title used by Canada to describe the various societies of the indigenous peoples, called Native Americans in the U.S. They have also been known as Indians, Native Canadians, Aboriginal Americans, Amer-Indians, or Aboriginals, and are officially called Indians in the Indian Act, which... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

During that time, the Canadian government began negotiating a series of numbered treaties for the return of land to the native peoples. Big Bear, one of the Chief negotiators during Treaty 6, refused to sign, believing that the treaty was unfair and biased towards Canadian settlers. He campaigned against the Canadian government, preaching to other Native bands that the treaties were unfair. Treaty no. ... Settlers are people who have travelled of their own choice, from the land of their birth to live in new lands or colonies. ...

Big Bear initially attempted to make alliances with other Natives, so that when the treaties were signed, they could all take their reserve land next to each other, effectively creating a First Nations country within Canadian borders. When the Canadian government heard of this plan, they immediately disallowed it, even though the treaties had previously stated that the Natives could take the reserve land wherever they wished. Big Bear was quoted as saying, "We want none of the Queen's presents! When we set a fox trap, we scatter pieces of meat all around but when the fox gets into the trap we knock him on the head. We want no baits! Let your Chiefs come like men and talk to us!" To further his cause, Big Bear even formed an uneasy alliance with his long time rival, Crowfoot, Chief of the Blackfoot people. First Nations is the current title used by Canada to describe the various societies of the indigenous peoples, called Native Americans in the U.S. They have also been known as Indians, Native Canadians, Aboriginal Americans, Amer-Indians, or Aboriginals, and are officially called Indians in the Indian Act, which... Crowfoot (1830-1890) was a chief of the Canadian Blackfoot tribe. ... Bear Bull Blackfoot Confederacy is a name applied to four Native American tribes in the Northwestern Plains. ...

Despite Big Bear's efforts, Treaty 6 was signed and with the dwindling of the buffalo herds, the Cree were decimated and starving in less than a decade, receiving only minimal assistance from the Canadian government. When the Métis initiated the North-West Rebellion of 1885 under Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont, Big Bear and his supporters played a minimal role in the uprising, but were punished severely for it. When 6,000 troops were sent to Batoche, Saskatchewan to smash the Métis resistance, the Canadian government used it as an excuse to put down the Cree as well. Big Bear was given three years in jail, and he died shortly afterward. Binomial name Bison bison Linnaeus, 1758 The American Bison (Bison bison), also called Buffalo, is a bovine mammal that is the largest terrestrial mammal in North America. ... Starvation is a severe reduction in vitamin, nutrient, and energy intake, and is the most extreme form of malnutrition. ... The Métis (pronounced MAY tee, IPA: , in French: or ) are one of three recognized Canadian aboriginal groups whose homeland consists of the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and the Northwest Territories. ... The Battle of Batoche begins The North-West Rebellion (or North-West Resistance or the Saskatchewan Rebellion) of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful attempt by the Métis people of Saskatchewan to establish their own sovereign nation independent of the Dominion of Canada. ... 1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Louis Riel The Honourable Louis David Riel (October 22, 1844 – November 16, 1885), was a Canadian politician and leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. ... Gabriel Dumont Gabriel Dumont (December, 1837 – May 19, 1906) was a leader of the Métis people of what is now western Canada. ... Batoche, Saskatchewan is the site of the historic Battle of Batoche, the last battlefield in the Northwest Rebellion of 1885. ...

External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online