Through the Mackenzie Basin A Narrative of the Athabasca and Peace River Treaty Expedition of 1899

THROUGH THE MACKENZIE BASIN ***

Prepared by Arthur Wendover and Andrew Sly.

Through the Mackenzie Basin

A Narrative of the Athabasca and Peace River Treaty Expedition of 1899

By Charles Mair

To the Hon. David Laird Leader of the Treaty Expedition of 1899 This Record is Cordially Inscribed By His Old Friend the Author

CONTENTS

Introduction

Important events of the year 1857--The _Nor'-Wester_ newspaper--The Duke of Newcastle and the Hudson's Bay Co.'s Charter--The "Anglo-International Financial Association"--The New Hudson's Bay Company--Offers of American capitalists to purchase the Company's interests--Bill providing for purchase of the same introduced into the United States Congress--Senator Sumner's memorandum to Secretary Fish--Various efforts to arouse public interest in the Hudson's Bay Territories--Former Treaties with the Indians--Motives for treating with the Indians of Athabasca--Rush of miners and prospectors into the district--The Indian Treaty and Half-breed Commission--The Royal North-West Mounted Police Contingent--Special stipulations with the Indians provided for.

Chapter I From Edmonton To Lesser Slave Lake

Arrival of Treaty and Half-breed Commissions at Edmonton--Departure for Athabasca Landing--Tawutinaow peat beds, etc.--Arrival at the Landing--The gas well there--Boats and trackers--Mr. d'Eschambault and Pierre Cyr--Non-arrival of trackers--Police contingent volunteers to track a boat to Lesser Slave Lake--Nature of country, burnt forests, muskegs, etc.--Tracking; its difficulties--The old Indian tracker Peokus--Forest and river scenery--Placer mining--Absence of life along the river--Fertile soil.

Chapter II Lesser Slave River And Lesser Slave Lake

Lesser Slave River--Its proper name--Migration of the great Algic race--Bishop Grouard's service in the wilderness--Returning Klondikers--The rapids; poling--Accident to Peokus--Celebration of Pere Lacombe's fiftieth year of missionary labors--Arrival of half-breed trackers from Lesser Slave Lake--Great hay meadows on the Lesser Slave River--The island in Lesser Slave Lake--Trackers' gambling games--Swan River--A dangerous squall--Chief Factor Shaw--A free-traders' village.

Chapter III Treaty At Lesser Slave Lake

The Treaty point at last--Our camp at Lesser Slave Lake--The Treaty ground and assembly--"Civilized" Indians--Keenooshayo and Moostoos--The Treaty proceedings--The Treaty Commissioners separate--Vermilion and Fort Chipewyan treaties--Indian chief asks for a railway--Wahpooskow Treaty--McKenna and Ross set out for Home--Commission issued to J. A. Macrae--Numbers of Indians treated with.

Chapter IV The Half-Breed Scrip Commission

The half-breeds collect at Lesser Slave Lake--They decide upon cash, scrip or nothing--Honesty of the half-breeds and Indians--Ease of parturition amongst their women--Cree family names and their significance--Catherine Bisson--Native traits--The mongrel dog--Gambling and dancing--The "Red River jig".

Chapter V Resources Of Lesser Slave Lake Region

Indian lunatics: The Weeghteko--Treatment of lunatics in old Upper Canada--Lesser Slave Lake fisheries--Stock-raising at the lake--Prairies of the region--The region once a buffalo country--Quality of the soil--Wheat and roots and vegetables--Unwise to settle in large numbers in the country at present--The "blind pig"--A native row.

Chapter VI On The Trail To Peace River

On the trail to Peace River--The South Heart River--Good farming lands--The Little Prairie--Peace River Crossing--The vast banks of the Peace a country in themselves--Wild fruits--Prospectors from the Selwyn Mountains--The Poker Flat Mining Camp--Buffalo paths and wallows--Magnificent prairies between Peace River Landing and Fort Dunvegan--Fort Dunvegan--Sir George Simpson and Colin Fraser--Some townships blocked here--The Roman Catholic Mission--Baffled miners returning--The natives of Dunvegan--Relics of the old regime--Large families the rule--The Church missions--Back to Peace River Crossing--Tepees, tents and trading stores--Mr. Alexander Mackenzie--The sites of old fur posts--Indian names of the Peace River--Description of the agricultural and other resources of the Upper Peace River--The Chinook winds--Grand Prairie--Rainfall scanty on prairies throughout the River--Lack of waggon roads and trail facilities.