Payipwat
Encyclopedia
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
. He was one of the five major leaders of the Plains Cree after 1860.
Early life
Most likely born near what is now the border of ManitobaManitoba
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...
and Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Payipwat was originally named Kisikawasan, or Flash in the Sky. Along with his grandmother, Payipwat was kidnapped by the Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
as a child. He grew up among his captors, learning their medicine
Medicine man
"Medicine man" or "Medicine woman" are English terms used to describe traditional healers and spiritual leaders among Native American and other indigenous or aboriginal peoples...
. As a teenager, Payipwat was captured during a Cree raid and returned to his own people. He was given the name Payipwat in recognition of the knowledge he had gained while living among the Sioux. His name is often translated as "one who knows the secrets of the Sioux".
Invasion of Cypress Hills
By 1860 Payipwat had become a spiritual leader among the Cree. At the same time, he had become chief of the Young Dogs, a particularly powerful band. Members of the band were renowned as great buffalo hunters and warriors, as well as horse-thieves and troublemakers. As his band depended on the declining buffalo herds, Payipwat advocated for the Cree to expand their territory into the Cypress HillsCypress Hills
The Cypress Hills are a region of hills in southwestern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta, Canada.The highest point in Saskatchewan at is located at Lookout Point in the Cypress Hills.-Name:...
. Payipwat was an important leader of the ensuing invasion; however, in a dream, he had a vision of Cree defeat. He was unable to persuade the other leaders of his vision, but he refused to participate in the battle the next day in which the Cree attacked a Kainai
Kainai Nation
The Kainai Nation is a First Nation in southern Alberta, Canada with a population of 7,437 members in 2005, and had a population of 9,035 members as of 9 February 2008...
village. The "Battle of the Belly River
Battle of the Belly River
The Battle of the Belly River was the last major conflict between the Cree and the Blackfoot Confederacy, and the last major battle between First Nations on Canadian soil....
" was disastrous for the Cree, who lost a third of their warriors, and essentially marked the end of the invasion.
Treaty 4
In 1875 Payipwat met with William J. ChristieWilliam J. Christie
William Joseph Christie was an early Canadian politician and prominent Hudson's Bay Company employee. He served as a Councilor on the Temporary North-West Council from 1872 to 1873.-Hudson Bay career:...
, Canadian treaty commissioner. Christie wanted Payipwat to sign Treaty 4
Treaty 4
Treaty 4 was a treaty established between Queen Victoria and the Cree and Saulteaux First Nations. The area covered by Treaty 4 represents most of current day southern Saskatchewan, plus small portions of what are today western Manitoba and southeastern Alberta....
, which had been negotiated a year earlier. Payipwat demanded several changes to the treaty and, incorrectly believing that they had been made, signed it on September 9, 1875. Although many of his requests were provided by the government as part of future treaties (particularly Treaty 6
Treaty 6
Treaty 6 is an agreement between the Canadian monarch and the Plain and Wood Cree Indians and other tribes of Indians at Fort Carlton, Fort Pitt and Battle River. The area agreed upon by the Plain and Wood Cree represents most of the central area of the current provinces of Saskatchewan and...
), several were not. Until his death, Payipwat felt betrayed by Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
.
Over the next decade Payipwat continued to negotiate with the Canadian government. He and other Cree leaders refused to sign any additional treaties unless the Crown guaranteed the autonomy of the Cree people and grant them a united territory. When it became clear that this would not happen, Payipwat, Cree leaders Cowessess and Foremost Man, and the Assiniboine Nation all requested reserves in the Cypress Hills. The requested territories were all adjacent, and Ottawa agreed to the request, effectively granting the tribe the united territory it sought.
Rebellion
In 1882, facing starvation due to the declining buffalo herds, Payipwat and the Young Dogs agreed to leave the Cypress Hills in exchange for food, horses and supplies. However they returned in short order. The next year he again agreed to leave, this time to Indian Head, AssiniboiaIndian Head, Saskatchewan
Indian Head is a town in southeast Saskatchewan, Canada, east of Regina. The town is directly north of the Trans-Canada Highway. The town is known for its federally-operated Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration experimental farm and tree nursery that produces seedlings for shelter...
, and was escorted there by the North-West Mounted Police.
Once he arrived in Indian Head, Payipwat immediately set about organizing his people again with the goal of establishing their own territory. Payipwat again achieved some success. He gained permission to establish a new reserve immediately adjacent to another existing Cree reserve. He joined with other leaders of tribes subject to Treaties 4 and 6 to pressure Ottawa for treaty revisions.
However in 1885 the government exploited the Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
North-West Rebellion
North-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
to crack down on the Cree. A military fort was established next to Payipwat's reserve. Several other leaders were arrested as rebels. Payipwat was the only leader to survive, and he was closely monitored by the police and military.
Later years
Payipwat continued to be a respected spiritual leader among the Cree and continued to advocate for greater autonomy and promote the preservation of Cree culture. He was distrusted by the government.In 1902 Indian Agent William Morris Graham attempted to have Payipwat deposed as chief for incompetence. He eventually succeeded when he had the chief arrested for holding a Thirst Dance
Sun Dance
The Sun Dance is a religious ceremony practiced by a number of Native American and First Nations peoples, primarily those of the Plains Nations. Each tribe has its own distinct practices and ceremonial protocols...
, a ceremony which had been banned in 1892. On April 15, 1902, the federal government removed Payipwat as chief. Payipwat met with Governor General Lord Minto
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto
Gilbert John Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto was a British nobleman and politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the eighth since Canadian Confederation, and as Viceroy and Governor-General of India, the country's 17th.-Early life and career:Minto was born in London, the...
in September of that year. The Governor General was persuaded to advocate for the lifting of the ban on the dances, but was unsuccessful.
In April 1908, Payipwat died on his reserve.