THE BATTLEFORDS — During the 1885 Rebellion, a group of angry and murderous Indigenous people — Poundmaker leading the charge — stormed and looted Battleford, taking everything of value and fleeing under cover of darkness while terrified residents huddled behind the walls of Fort Battleford.
Possibly. That was according to then local editor and publisher of the Saskatchewan Telegraph, P.G. Laurie (among other reporters at the time,) Charles Pelham Mulvaney writing in his book, The History of the North-West Rebellion of 1885 that chronicled the war, and various diary entries and letters documenting the events at the time.
But a different story says that during the events of 1885, a group of hungry and scared Indigenous people came to Battleford seeking provisions — a few men and women took some food and left Battleford — and the town was looted by white men and settlers who remained war-hungry and desperate to pad their own pockets.
That version of events is according to another journalist at the time in his writings home to family, oral testimony from Indigenous people or writings from locals, and the written experiences of a settler, Robert Jefferson.
"Nothing was touched till evening. Even then, the raiders were mostly women, with only a few men of little consequence," he wrote in a book published in 1929, Fifty Years on the Saskatchewan that describes the Loot of Battleford.
"They had been too hurried to take much; the principal looting was the work of the white men. As soon as the coast was clear in the morning they came over in detachments and finished what the Indians had begun. They made a clean sweep."
He noted later that many settlers in high positions stole and robbed with impunity during the rebellion.
"Whatever of value they found was appropriated as spoils of war. The detachments of volunteers that remained stationed in Battleford until fall started home so loaded with impediments that much had to be abandoned on the road to the railway."
So what exactly happened?
With little to no physical evidence proving either version of history, Parks Canada's ongoing consultation process to retell the story stands to be a monumental one as the truth may lie somewhere in the middle.
But, as talks continue, a reopening plan that includes both sides of that story looks promising.
A few perspectives out of the Battlefords
Debi Anderson, the chair of the Battlefords North West Historical Society which has been included in the process so far, thinks it's not only monumental work, but necessary.
She says that a much-needed perspective has been sorely missed and, frankly, not taught in the Battlefords and that a fuller history is necessary.
"I grew up in the Battlefords, and ... we were never ever told the story when we visited the Fort [and] not in school," Anderson said.
"I don't think that this story has been told well ... we [don't] need to dwell on the stories as much as the opportunity it presents to learn and move forward."
And as there is little in the way of proof as to what truly happened in Battleford, she feels that beyond reconciliation with local first nations, Anderson hopes that federal, provincial, and municipal partners have a chance to work on Fort Battleford together as it will draw people to the Battlefords.
"When the Historical Society met with Mayor Ames [Mayor for the Town of Battleford], we were very much on the same trajectory around it needing to be better staffed ... some base level staff need to be there to ensure that the doors are open, that they've got somebody focused on engaging the schools. And I believe the town and the spirit group and organizations like the historical society can get around supporting that in a big way.
"Certainly what we learned in our meeting with Mayor Leslie and the town manager is that it's [Fort Battleford] a valuable asset to the community. And a lot of people have fond memories of it ... a fuller history has to be told and we're just happy to participate in that."
Mayor Ames Leslie's comments to the media following council's Nov. 6 meeting, mirrored Anderson's.
"This first consultation was one of the best that the group has had in probably over half a decade, almost six years. The common ground of moving forward is pretty evident in those conversations," he said, though he noted that no solutions were brought forward and that it might be a painstaking process for some.
He also noted that an original rebranding process began in the late 2010s, but fell through as there was not enough input from local stakeholders.
"Let's do it right from the right from the beginning," he said, as he noted previously at council that the goal was to open for the 2024 season.
"I think the goal is to get it done before that ... I think Patricia [Fornerolo] will probably reconvene the group here shortly and get down the path. 'Okay, what's next,' right? We had the warm and fuzzy feeling conversations right now let's get down to work in figuring out what a plan may look like for 2024."
When asked what that looks like he said, "I think some of the ideas that have been bubbling to the surface now is to have a full gamut of storytelling of all factors of the fort and all the people who were negatively and positively influenced and affected by the fort ... not rewriting history, but retelling history in the true aspect."
It's also comments mirrored by the City of North Battleford, with Mayor David Gillan expressing his support in a statement received by the News-Optimist via email.
“The city is pleased to be included as part of a regional working group, which includes guidance and input from local Indigenous elders. This group will work directly with Parks Canada to develop a vision for Fort Battleford moving into the future.”
Does the truth lie somewhere in the centre?
But some in the community worry that both sides will not be told, or that Parks Canada's actions may amount to rewriting history.
As the Fred Light Museum has recently undertaken letter-writing to local officials, museum manager Bernadette Leslie told the News-Optimist that they're concerned about the fort's closure
“Because I mean it's our history, right whether who was wrong who was right isn’t the issue, it’s that was how it happened back in the 1800s. Let’s tell the truth about the story and get this settled.”
Despite there being some contention regarding the real history of Fort Battleford, she added,
“Just tell the story of how it really happened. That both sides were wrong — the Government [of Canada] is wrong for not supplying the food that they promised [under Treaty 6] and the First Nations, I know they were desperate, but they were still wrong to go in there and start stealing items that didn’t belong to them.”
“The residents of Battleford at that time had no say in what was going on they were just trying to develop their lives like the First Nations were, they all got along," she said.
“Let’s just get the story told so people can learn from the past and the history and not repeat it.”
A best-case scenario for Fort Battleford, in Leslie’s eyes, would be tours of fixed buildings.
“A safe haven for all sides of the community back then,” Leslie added, noting that the Fred Light Museum is not currently included in the consultation process moving forward.
Fort Battleford steps into 2024
When Parks Canada was asked who is included in the consultation process, they said,
"Parks Canada has invited Indigenous communities, municipal governments, and other community groups in the Battleford area to provide input on how Fort Battleford National Historic Site can tell a broader history that is inclusive of the Indigenous voices and narratives that relate to the Fort," reads an email statement from Patrica Fornerolo, a field unit superintendent for Saskatchewan.
"This collaboration is essential to learn about tragic and challenging moments in our history and to obtain diverse, wide-ranging, and elaborate perspectives that help define the Canada of today.
"Looking ahead to the 2024 operational season and beyond, Parks Canada is actively working on increasing the interpretation and maintenance resources to provide meaningful and welcoming experiences for visitors."
Parks Canada did note that a public session regarding Fort Battleford is planned for winter 2024.
"Visitor experiences and exhibits connected to the North-West Mounted Police and the development of the community of Battleford will continue to be shared.
"Parks Canada is seeking to enhance these experiences by working collaboratively with Indigenous communities and various groups in the area to provide opportunities for them to share their stories alongside current ones and to have direct involvement in the way those stories are presented at Fort Battleford National Historic Site."
When asked if they could comment on the decline of attendance for all the historic sites in Saskatchewan, they said, "Visitation numbers fluctuate over the years due to a variety of factors."
