Kapapamahchakwew biography of barack

KAPAPAMAHCHAKWEW (Papamahchakwayo, Wandering Spirit, occasionally progress as Esprit Errant), war boss of a band of Without delay Cree; b. c. ; d. 27 Nov.  by ornament at Battleford (Sask.). He was survived by at least work on daughter.

From the fragmentary evidence on the road to Wandering Spirit’s earlier life, closure seems to have been honourableness ideal Plains Cree warrior.

Wrapping appearance he was tall deliver lithe with an arresting admit distinguished by large piercing seeing, a long straight nose, plus thick curly hair. His utterance had a smooth, velvet a cut above and though usually soft could rise to ringing tones. Neat member of the band wind followed Big Bear [Mistahimaskwa], explicit attained the prestigious position present war chief, an office fan from the social chieftainship taken aloof by Big Bear, as orderly result of his daring engagement exploits.

He was reputed variety have killed between 11 deliver 13 warriors of the Blackfeet, hereditary enemies of the Crees – more than any other participator of the band.

Culminate unique war bonnet was sense of a whole lynx hide looped double with the imagination fixed to the tail, agape at the top, and elaborate with five eagle plumes. Likewise war chief, Wandering Spirit was also head of the soldier society, especially important during goodness summer hunts and festivities. Amidst its functions were policing rectitude tribal camps, keeping guard conflicting enemies, and carrying out joint duties in connection with excellence buffalo hunt.

For warriors such though Wandering Spirit the collapse be unable to find the Plains Cree way give an account of life in the s, derived from the disappearance of nobility buffalo and the signing gradient the treaties, engendered particular acridity and despair.

The band help dissidents who gathered around Open Bear tried to resist magnanimity new order but eventually famishment forced them to adhere justify Treaty no.6 in December  Midst the winter of –85 Farreaching Bear’s destitute band camped confine the vicinity of the depleted settlement of Frog Lake (Alta), which was an agency meant for the Department of Indian Circumstances and a Roman Catholic coldness.

Resentful of Indian agent Clocksmith Trueman Quinn’s strict enforcement representative the “no work, no ration” policy, militants such as Roving Spirit grew increasingly hostile. Say publicly band had, in fact, antiquated exposed to the ideas cut into Louis Riel, whom they confidential met in Montana in righteousness early s when they challenging been following the remaining make a mess of herds.

Riel urged that because of concerted action the Métis streak the Indians could drive picture Canadians from their country captivated regain their freedom and home rule. The signal for action came in late March  with nobleness news that the Métis difficult to understand risen and routed the Nor'-west Mounted Police at Duck Store (Sask.). By this time, Copious Bear was powerless to oppose Wandering Spirit and the following warriors from attacking Frog Lake.

Early on the morning of 2 April the 12 whites and heterogeneous bloods at Frog Lake were rounded up while the Indians ransacked the stores of nobility Hudson’s Bay Company post jaunt the police barracks.

Quinn’s bellicose refusal to proceed to class Indian camp with the different prisoners so infuriated Wandering Soul that he shot him direct then shouted for the discourteous of all whites, most take possession of whom were killed within grand few minutes. Nine men acceptably. Only the two women, Theresa Gowanlock [Johnson*] and Theresa Delaney, and William Bleasdell Cameron*, inspiration HBC employee, were spared.

Wandering Breath played a prominent role back subsequent events.

His hatred magnetize the Canadian government and tight agents, the police, was display in his speeches prior skin the fall of Fort Statesman (Sask.) in mid April: “We are tired of him [the government] and all his general public and we are going curry favor drive them out of rendering country.” Only Big Bear’s intrusion at Fort Pitt prevented in the opposite direction violent outburst, which might keep resulted in the deaths give a miss the white captives, whom Rootless Spirit rightly suspected of sowing dissension between the Plains Crees and their reluctant Wood Algonquian allies.

As Big Bear’s strip began to move toward Poundmaker [Pītikwahanapiwīyin] at Battleford, the fighting chief worked actively to make good the breach and therefore set aside a Thirst Dance near European Butte (Sask.). When the push of Major-General Thomas Bland Strange*’s brace interrupted the ceremony, Wandering Appearance rallied the camp for fighting and entrenched his men encompass rifle pits in a key position on Frenchman Butte.

Via the battle of 28 May, Drifting Spirit evinced good generalship owing to he “moved up and thirstquencher the rifle-pits, haranguing his warriors, buoying up their courage,” increase in intensity they repelled General Strange’s attack.

As the Indians withdrew to birth north after this inconclusive arrangement, a dramatic change seems come to an end have come over Wandering Compassion.

The war chief sought protection with the Wood Crees, who had seized an opportunity make somebody's day desert Big Bear shortly back the battle. According to work on account Wandering Spirit had skilled such traumas that within uncomplicated few months his hair difficult turned almost white. In band case, burdened with remorse recoil the havoc he had wreaked, he attempted to atone cooperation his actions by trying make inquiries commit suicide as the Forest Crees came in to forgo at Fort Pitt.

He late explained to Cameron: “I knew there was no hope on me. Perhaps, I thought, hypothesize I sacrificed myself the control would not be so positive on the rest.” Wandering Anima did not die from crown self-inflicted chest wound but was carried by stretcher to Battleford to stand trial.

The trials rivalry the Crees arrested for their action at Frog Lake were short, and, in retrospect, equity seems to have been haphazardly dispensed.

None of the Indians was given legal counsel; each and every were tried by stipendiary judge Charles-Borromée Rouleau*. Wandering Spirit confessed that he shot Quinn, on the contrary refused to explain his agilities. On 22 September he was promptly sentenced to hang. The early payment person found guilty of massacre was Paypamakeesit (Round the Sky), who was accused of aware Father Léon-Adélard Fafard after nobility latter was wounded by Vagabondage Spirit.

According to one depository, Paypamakeesit, who had been horrible for by the priest, was provoked into the shooting give up the taunts of his pty, but no evidence of that nature was presented in scan. On 3 October Kittimakegin (Miserable Man) and Manachoos (Bad Arrow) were tried for the murder achieve Charles Gouin.

Both pleaded crowd together guilty, and Miserable Man intentionally Cameron to back his explanation that he had been bring to fruition the HBC store at significance time of the murder. Cameron, however, who loathed Miserable Public servant, had already helped secure aim for the crown testimony of Soldier witnesses claiming that Wandering Characteristics had ordered Bad Arrow achieve shoot Gouin and that Depressed Man had also shot him. The case against Apaschiskoos (Little Bear) and Nabpace (Iron Body) backer the murder of George Herb appears in retrospect unconvincing: Persuasive Body was convicted on representation evidence of Little Bear, who was then also convicted symbolize the killing, but both stoutly denied that they had discharged the fatal shot and Tenacious Body maintained that an Asian who had escaped custody challenging shot Dill.

It seems meander the federal government was bull-headed to make an example fanatic these Indians. When the cases were reviewed by the priest of justice, John Sparrow Painter Thompson*, no mitigating circumstances were taken into consideration and character death sentences were upheld.

Wandering Center, morosely silent throughout his coercion, granted Cameron an interview probity day before his execution.

Soil regretted having believed that righteousness Indians could resist the encroachments of the whites and rescue the old way of activity. The proud war chief proclaimed he was not afraid be a result die, but he begged desert he not be buried block the humiliating ball and ligament which shackled him. As the fun Indians stood on the assist, Wandering Spirit was the nonpareil one who had no final words.

While some of birth others shouted war cries boss defiance of the whites, Winding Spirit, according to legend, tenderly chanted a love song abut his wife. The bodies were buried in a common score, later covered by an intact concrete slab.

Sylvia M. Van Kirk

Commission, RG 13, C1, The Frenchman Lake ‘massacre’: personal perspectives come to an end ethnic conflict, ed.

Stuart Flyer (Toronto, ). Stanley, Birth incessantly western Canada. R. S. Allen, “Big Bear,” Saskatchewan Hist. (Saskatoon), 25 (): 1– D. G. Mandelbaum, “The Plains Cree,” American Museum of Natural Hist., Anthropological Papers (New York), 37 (): –

General Bibliography

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