The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-05-08
"HE STORY of the appearance of
the Rocky Boy tribe in Montana

the Rocky Boy tribe in Montana
and their many years of wander
ing until finally rescued and placed
upon the Rocky Boy reservation is
one of the little mentioned phrases
of Montana history.
Rocky Boy, the late chieftain of
this rowing band of Canadian Cree
Indians, who infested the dumps and
garbage "a of our large cities for
30 years or more,Nwas, according to
his story and local tradition, a Chip
pewa Indian from one of the North
ern Minnesota tribes. Many years
ago, while he was a young man, he
left his native village, accompanied
by his sister and a few of his fellow
braves n followers. They immi-
grated to Canada. Residing in that
country for a period of years, his
sister married an Indian chief of n
of the Cree tribes named Big Bear.
firing of life in Canada he later
moved back into Montana and sell
ected, for his camping and hunting
grounds, the vicinity of Fort ASSN
niboine.
Instruction of 1886
In 1886 the Canadian half-breeds
under the leadership of Louis Riel,
undertook to redress what the many
breeds in the Canadian northwest
considered their wrongs and staged
an armed rebellion against the Cana
dian government, the avowed purpose
of which was to drive the white men
out of that country and establish a
government and Independent country
for the half breed or Metis nation
as they styled themselves. This was
n of the early efforts at what is !
now called self-determination of peo-
Piles.
In a frenzied effort to defeat the
Canadian forces the breeds enlisted
the support of certain of the Indian
tribes. Among them being a band
of young braves led by a chieftain
called Little Bear, a son of Big Bear
who had married the sister of Rocky
Boy. These young warriors, carried
away by the pleasing prospect of kill
ing white people and the greed for
loot, committed many depredations
among the white settlers and their
families. They also attacked some
of the missions and it is alleged they
killed one or more of the sisters and
priests in charge.
Riel Hanged at Regina
The rebellion was put down by the
Canadian troops. The final victory
was at the battle of Batoche, where
the half breeds and their Indian al
lies were thoroughly defeated and
by the Canadian militia, but
not without severe loss of life among
the flower of Canadian youth. The
n n4L D4R4aIs1. 90 ANr - fn ~ f,~y |
suffered most severely by reason of
their taking the bit between their
and charging the rifle pits of
The rebels without orders from the
commanding officer.
Following the defeat of the rebels /
Ind the suppression of the revolt,
Louis Rie1, the leader, was tried and
He was later hanged
It Regina, the seat of government of I
he then Northwest Territories. {
Little Bear and his followers, hav- |
ng committed many crimes against .
he settlers families, were afraid to J
axe advantage of the pardon to all I
PARTICIPANTS offered by the Canadian t
government. Not that they feared /
he officers of the law, but many men I
whose homes had been destroyed and
wives and children outraged and tor l
ured, had sworn vengeance against I
little Bear and his warriors. Q
Such being the status of their af- e
airs, we find that these Indians, z
fraid to return to their reservations
n Canada, turned to the only succor i
hey knew and came across the line t
nto Montana as fast as they could v
neak away. I am told that they did r
OF come in a body, but by twos and g
hrees. What was more natural then 0
han that Little Bear would seek out Il
is Uncle Rocky Boy and join his G.
c.
Later, as opportunity presented, t;
he wives and families of these refu- Z
ees came across to join their hus-
ands. BY the year 1888 there was a.
camp of nearly 100 lodges of these u
adams in the vicinity of Fort AS g
nniboine and these people managed +
make a living by hunting, fishing