Codex Battleford
Transcription: 12
Transcription:
{11 [written in the top right corner]
dying of misery. The two races had been the owners of this immense North-West; they had lived here in plenty and freedom. Now their hunting grounds had passed into other hands, the source of their well-being had been entirely exhausted, while to their lot remained but want and misery. Here are the reasons why Poundmaker undertook seriously his peaceful campaign to obtain from the government better terms than those provided in the treaty.
During the winter of 1884, there was at Bresaylor a French-Half-breed named Jobin who was continually in communication with the Half-breeds of St.Lawrence.
These reports were none the less interesting to the Indians as the Half-breed party posed as champion of the violated rights of the Indians. Therefore, there was a constant coming and going of Indians to Bresaylor in search of news. The agent was aware of the whole affair and he apprehended no danger. If the situation was serious, it was not sufficiently so as to merit a comment in the Saskatchewan Herald. The Indian chiefs seemed to be peaceably disposed, and if there were some turbulent young persons in their band, they considered that they had still sufficient authority to keep them in order.
The Commandant, Crozier kept himself informed of all the movements of the Indian chiefs, and of the intrigues of the Half-breed leaders, and without being alarmed beyond measure, took all the necessary precautions to an eye on their suspicious assemblies. “What will result from the agitation of the Half-Breeds?” he wrote, “and what effect will it have on the Indians? I cannot say. As I have already said we must take measure of prevention, measures which will not only hinder the troublesome parties from pushing their projects to the extreme, but also will prevent the Indians and the Half-breeds from trying to resist authority, and from organizing themselves through unlawful motives, for those incitements to trouble have a demoralizing effect on the whole country and among its effects, and not the least, must be reckoned a sentiment of uneasiness amongst the colonists.}
dying of misery. The two races had been the owners of this immense North-West; they had lived here in plenty and freedom. Now their hunting grounds had passed into other hands, the source of their well-being had been entirely exhausted, while to their lot remained but want and misery. Here are the reasons why Poundmaker undertook seriously his peaceful campaign to obtain from the government better terms than those provided in the treaty.
During the winter of 1884, there was at Bresaylor a French-Half-breed named Jobin who was continually in communication with the Half-breeds of St.Lawrence.
These reports were none the less interesting to the Indians as the Half-breed party posed as champion of the violated rights of the Indians. Therefore, there was a constant coming and going of Indians to Bresaylor in search of news. The agent was aware of the whole affair and he apprehended no danger. If the situation was serious, it was not sufficiently so as to merit a comment in the Saskatchewan Herald. The Indian chiefs seemed to be peaceably disposed, and if there were some turbulent young persons in their band, they considered that they had still sufficient authority to keep them in order.
The Commandant, Crozier kept himself informed of all the movements of the Indian chiefs, and of the intrigues of the Half-breed leaders, and without being alarmed beyond measure, took all the necessary precautions to an eye on their suspicious assemblies. “What will result from the agitation of the Half-Breeds?” he wrote, “and what effect will it have on the Indians? I cannot say. As I have already said we must take measure of prevention, measures which will not only hinder the troublesome parties from pushing their projects to the extreme, but also will prevent the Indians and the Half-breeds from trying to resist authority, and from organizing themselves through unlawful motives, for those incitements to trouble have a demoralizing effect on the whole country and among its effects, and not the least, must be reckoned a sentiment of uneasiness amongst the colonists.}
