The First Nations – Rivers is on Treaty 2 Land

This volume is about the Town of Rivers, and as such is about the creation of a community by people of European origin, many of whom came from Ontario with roots in the British Isles. They were commonly referred to as settlers or pioneers. In a sense, all those terms apply, but they might need some clarification.

The terms “settlers” and pioneers” seems to imply that they were in some way the first ones here, but we all know that they weren’t.

The first settlers came here over ten thousand years ago.  And for the same reasons; to make a better life for their families and communities; to leave behind situations that they thought could be improved upon; to seek adventure and to satisfy that human urge to see what is over the next hill,

We needn’t forget that for the families that endured the hardship and obstacles that stood between their life in Ontario and a new life here, it was a big deal, they were adventurers at heart, and it was a new land… to them. They accomplished big things.

At the same time, more than ever, it is important to remember that there were others here before us.

Rivers is on Treaty II land. Treaty II was signed by Ojibway and the Government of Canada in 1872. At various times prior to that it had been home to Cree and Assiniboine people.

It was the Dakota who were here when the first Euro-Settlers arrived. The Dakota have roots in southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan that go back centuries, but most of the Dakota who still live in Manitoba today are descendants of those who came from the United States: some in 1862 after a failed uprising in Minnesota, and others after 1876, when their leadership role in defeating Colonel Custer’s Seventh Cavalry had earned them the some powerful enemies. To this day the Dakota haven’t signed a Treaty with the Government of Canada. They were however allocated reserves, although the Treaties provided reserves based upon 160 acres per family the Dakota only received 80 acres per family.

A group under the leadership of Wabadista had settled the land lying between the Little Saskatchewan and Assiniboine rivers, more particularly described today as Township 11, Range 21. One of that group was John Crow who worked with the North West Mounted Police as a scout. 

 
This map from 1876 shows the proposed Dakota reserve.

 
This map from the same era is less specific.

Some accounts indicate that The Dakota participated significantly in the selection of the location of their reserves; and that they rejected this site in favour of two smaller reserves, one on the Assiniboine river north of where Griswold would be located, and another at Bird Tail Creek, near Fort Ellice, close to where Birtle would be located.

Early Euro-settlers would have routinely encountered travellers, hunting parties and other Dakota people. They would have found ample signs; trails, campsites and other reminders of the first inhabitants of this land.