Bois-Brûlés
Encyclopedia
Bois-Brûlés or Brullis (a French
translation of their Indian name Sichangu), is a sub-tribe of North America
n Dakota Indians (Teton River division). The name is most frequently associated with the Dakota in Manitoba
near the Red River of the North
.
The Bois-Brûlés took part in the Battle of Seven Oaks (1816)
. Later in the nineteenth century, the people in 1869 came into temporary prominence during the Riel Rebellion
in the Red River area. By then, most members of the tribe were of mixed Dakota and French Canadian ancestry. They were alternatively called Métis
; historically the majority were descendants of French Canadian
men and First Nations women. Over time the Métis intermarried among themselves and with First Nations.
The name Bois-Brûlés seems to have waned in popularity and general use after the merger of the Hudson's Bay Company
and North West Company
in 1821. The young Canadian adventurer Martin McLeod, later a fur trader and Minnesota Territory politician in the United States, referred to the "Brules" in 1837 in his journal of travel to the Red River of the North
region with James Dickson, who had a dream of an Indian empire. As late as 1900, the American author Jack London
used the term in his short story, "An Odyssey of the North".
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
translation of their Indian name Sichangu), is a sub-tribe of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n Dakota Indians (Teton River division). The name is most frequently associated with the Dakota in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
near the Red River of the North
Red River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...
.
The Bois-Brûlés took part in the Battle of Seven Oaks (1816)
Battle of Seven Oaks (1816)
The Battle of Seven Oaks took place on June 19, 1816, during the long dispute between the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company, rival fur-trading companies in western Canada.-Background:Miles Macdonell had issued the Pemmican Proclamation...
. Later in the nineteenth century, the people in 1869 came into temporary prominence during the Riel Rebellion
Red River Rebellion
The Red River Rebellion or Red River Resistance was the sequence of events related to the 1869 establishment of a provisional government by the Métis leader Louis Riel and his followers at the Red River Settlement, in what is now the Canadian province of Manitoba.The Rebellion was the first crisis...
in the Red River area. By then, most members of the tribe were of mixed Dakota and French Canadian ancestry. They were alternatively called Métis
Métis
A Métis is a person born to parents who belong to different groups defined by visible physical differences, regarded as racial, or the descendant of such persons. The term is of French origin, and also is a cognate of mestizo in Spanish, mestiço in Portuguese, and mestee in English...
; historically the majority were descendants of French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
men and First Nations women. Over time the Métis intermarried among themselves and with First Nations.
The name Bois-Brûlés seems to have waned in popularity and general use after the merger of the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
and North West Company
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
in 1821. The young Canadian adventurer Martin McLeod, later a fur trader and Minnesota Territory politician in the United States, referred to the "Brules" in 1837 in his journal of travel to the Red River of the North
Red River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...
region with James Dickson, who had a dream of an Indian empire. As late as 1900, the American author Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
used the term in his short story, "An Odyssey of the North".