Pequis was a Saulteaux

Saulteaux

The Saulteaux are a First Nation in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Canada.-Ethnic classification:The Saulteaux are a branch of the Ojibwe nations. They are sometimes also called Anihšināpē . Saulteaux is a French term meaning "people of the rapids," referring to...

 chief

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 ...

, who moved from the Great Lakes area to Red Lake, Minnesota

Red Lake, Minnesota

There is also a Red Lake County in Minnesota.Red Lake is a census-designated place within the Lower Red Lake unorganized territory located in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2000 census, Red Lake had a total population of 1,436...

, then arriving in southern 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...

 in the 1790s. In 1817 he signed the first treaty with Lord Selkirk

Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk

Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk was a Scottish peer. He was born at Saint Mary's Isle, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. He was noteworthy as a Scottish philanthropist who sponsored immigrant settlements in Canada at the Red River Colony.- Early background :Douglas was the seventh son of Dunbar...

, granting land along the Red River

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...

 to the Selkirk settlers. In 1840 he was one of the early western First Nations

First Nations

First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...

 converts to Christianity and was given the baptized name William King; his children adopted the surname "Prince". He and his people had helped both 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 the Selkirk settlers; indeed, without Peguis' help, the Selkirk settlers might well have starved. However by the 1850s he had become concerned at illegal settlement by European migrants on traditional lands. He was sometimes called "Cut Nose" since his nose had been injured in a fight in 1802.
His name is commemorated in the name of Peguis First Nation

Peguis First Nation

Peguis First Nation is the largest First Nations community in Manitoba, Canada,with a population of approximately 7,338 people. It is located approximately 145 kilometres north of Winnipeg. The citizens of Peguis are of Ojibway and Cree descent.-History:...

 reserve, Winnipeg Route 17 also known as the Chief Pequis Trail, and many organizations, place names, and institutions of Manitoba.

External links

• http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?BioId=38772 Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online, retrieved 2010 August 27.