Peter Shirt's dream and the 1885 Rebellion
Peter Erasmus records that sometime in March of 1884 his
nephew Peter Shirt came to visit him, and told him of a strange dream.
"I reamed that a very old man came
to me and, taking me by the hand, led me to the top of a high hill.
'Look to the east,' he said, 'and tell me what you see.'
"'I see many black clouds churning
and rolling in many queer shapes and forms. Yet they seem to cover the
same area and are not drifting with any wind. What does it mean?'
"'It means that there will be war
and bloodshed and troubled times for many people. Now look to the west
and tell me what you see.'
"'I see a big valley along the
Saskatchewan River. There are many tents, wagons, and Police. They are
very busy and there are a lot of horses picketed to one rope. I think
I know the place. Yes! There are buildings and a church there. It must
be Victoria.
"'If you take your people to that
place, all your people will be safe from the trouble and death that is
coming from the East.'
"Then I asked the old man when
this would take place. How would I know? 'Your family will own a white
horse. The horse will die. When that happens, then you will know that
the trouble has already happened. Take heed that you follow this
warning!'"
A few months later some natives passed through the area
with a lame white horse. Peter Erasmus thought it was a splendid horses
and traded one of his roan horses for it, only afterwards remembering
his nephew's dream. When Peter Shirt returned (for he had been away) he
said he had dreamed that same warning dream the night before, and he was
angry that Erasmus had forgotten the dream and acquired the horse.
But time went on, and the horse grew fat and healthy, and
other things became more important. Rev. Henry B. Steinhauer died, and was
buried.
And then during March of 1885 the white horse strayed and
was found dead, caught in the snow in a slough. When Peter Erasmus and
Peter Shirt returned to Peter Shirt's house after finding the horse, there
were a good number of people there and Big Louis came up to tell them that
he had come to bring bad news. He said:
"My friends, I bring you bad
news. The half-breeds under Louis Riel have taken up arms against
the government and there has been fighting. Big Bear has joined and
is sending out riders to stir up all the tribes he can reach. There
has been a massacre at Frog Lake. They killed two priests and
several other white men. Some Saddle Laker's have gone to join in
the fight. Others are planning to make a raid on the Hudson's Bay
Post at Victoria. The rebels want possession of all the Hudson's Bay
Posts. The rebels claim a victory against the Police. I came to warn
you in case they send men here."
Another man arrived and told them that
Acam-escen-is had gone to join the rebels, so two people went to
chase him, and brought him back. Then they went to their chief, Seenum (aka
Pakannuk) with the news. He asked Peter Erasmus how much ammunition he
had in his store, and then sent Erasmus to Lac La Biche to try to get
more there, before that place was attacked.
The mission at Lac La Biche had already
heard about the Frog Lake Massacre and was preparing to evacuate. The
Hudson's Bay trader, Mr. Young, had little ammunition available and came
with Erasmus back to Whitefish and then the two went on to Edmonton to
get supplies. Coming back they passed through Victoria Settlement, which
was empty, everyone having fled. As they moved on they met Rev. Mr.
McLaughlin, who had been informed by those watching on the hills that
Erasmus was riding past. Rev. McLaughlin informed Erasmus that the
people of Victoria and Lobstick were camped across the river. Rev.
McLaughlin also told Erasmus that some natives from Saddle Lake
had come to raid Fort Victoria, but that the one guard who still
remained at the site had fired some shots above their head and scared
them off.
Returning to Whitefish Peter Erasmus, Mr.
Young and Rev. McLaughlin discovered that the place was deserted.
Continuing travelling they eventually came upon Sam Bull, who told them
the following story:
"It's a long story, Mr. Erasmus,
and I do not know everything, but I do know that Big Bear sent his
men to get people to join the rebellion. Cardinal and three other
men went to Whitefish where the chief was holding a meeting in your
store. The chief allowed Cardinal to speak. Some were for joining,
others against. They were pretty well divided.
"They say the chief was sitting
on the fence but Peter Shirt was very much opposed and spoke very
strongly against them joining. Peter had gathered a good following,
but Cardinal was gaining support; yet the chief did not interfere,
and allowed Cardinal full liberty to speak as he wished. Suddenly
Cardinal got mad and ordered Shirt to hand over the Hudson's Bay
goods.
"Shirt promptly refused and
defied any man to touch anything without his permission.
"Cardinal yelled out, 'I don't
need your say so or any man's to take what I want,' and at the same
time reached up to take something off the shelves.
"Cootsoo had been sitting at the
door. He hadn't taken any part in the talks except to nod his head
in approval of Shirt's words. He threw a blanket aside that covered
a gun, deliberately aimed, and shot Cardinal through the heart.
"Cardinal's partners were so
surprised at watching their leader drop that they had no time to
notice who had fired the gun. Cootsoo shifted his aim and told the
others to drop their guns and walk out; he ordered them to get off
the reserve if they didn't want to be killed. The chief was very
angry with Cootsoo and drove him off the reserve. He ordered him not
to show his face among the band again.
"Many of the people who had been
inclined to agree with the dead man now changed their minds; they
crowded around Shirt and wanted to know what they coudl do.
"We will hitch up a cart and
horse,' Shirt had told them. 'Fill the card with provisions and
anything for a present for the Cardinal's relations. If they accept
it, we may be able to save further deaths.' Peter Shirt gave a
horse. Ben gave the cart, and all the others contributed something
to fill the cart. No-one would risk delivering the cart but Shirt
said he would take it and he did.
"All the people are camped at
Lone Pine Lake while the men cut roads further west. Shirt is the
leader because when the chief drove Cootsoo away, the people were
angry and would only listen to Shirt. When he delivered the cart and
came back everyone was ready to move. Shirt called some men to help
dig a grave for Cardinal while the others gathered up the stock and
started on the road to where they are camped now."
Peter Erasmus, Young, and Rev. McLaughlin
then went and joined the rest of those from Whitefish were they were
camped. Erasmus asked Chief Seenum what he planned to do, but Seenum
replied in an unfriendly manner that Erasmus should ask Peter Shirt
instead. Peter Shirt was, of course, planning on taking the people
to Victoria.