Piapot, Payipwât, or Payipwat (Hole in the Sioux or One Who Knows the Secrets of the Sioux), born as Kisikawasan (Flash in the Sky), known by his
Assiniboine
The Assiniboine or Assiniboin people ( when singular, Assiniboines / Assiniboins when plural; Ojibwe: ''Asiniibwaan'', "stone Sioux"; also in plural Assiniboine or Assiniboin), also known as the Hohe and known by the endonym Nakota (or Nakoda ...
allies as Maȟpíya owáde hókši (Lightning In The Sky Boy) (–April 1908) was a
Native Canadian
In Canada, Indigenous groups comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Although ''Indian'' is a term still commonly used in legal documents, the descriptors ''Indian'' and '' Eskimo'' have fallen into disuse in Canada, and most consider the ...
chief of the Cree-Assiniboine / Young Dogs Band, a mighty band and division of the ''Downstream People (Māmihkiyiniwak)'' of the
Plains Cree.
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
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
and
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
, Payipwat was originally named Kisikawasan, or Flash in the Sky. Along with his grandmother, Payipwat was kidnapped by the
Sioux
The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin (; Dakota language, Dakota: Help:IPA, /otʃʰeːtʰi ʃakoːwĩ/) are groups of Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribes and First Nations in Canada, First Nations peoples in North America. The ...
as a child. He grew up among his captors, learning their
medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...
. At fourteen, Payipwat was captured during a Cree raid and returned to his own people. He was given the name Payipwat, literally Hole in the Sioux, 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
Cree-Assiniboine or Young Dogs, a particularly powerful mixed band of Cree and Cree-speaking Assiniboine as well as some Plains Ojibwe. This band was known by the Cree as ''Nēhiyawi-pwātak'' (Cree-Assiniboine) and by the Assiniboine as ''Sahiyaiyeskabi'' or ''šahíya iyéskabina'' ("
Cree-Speakers", because they had switched to speaking Cree). 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 Hills. 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
The Kainai Nation (or , or Blood Tribe) ( bla, Káínaa) is a First Nations band government in southern Alberta, Canada, with a population of 12,800 members in 2015, up from 11,791 in December 2013.
translates directly to 'many chief' (fro ...
village. The "
Battle of the Belly River" 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. Christie, Canadian treaty commissioner. Christie wanted Payipwat to sign
Treaty 4
Treaty 4 is a treaty established between Queen Victoria and the Cree and Saulteaux First Nation band governments. The area covered by Treaty 4 represents most of current day southern Saskatchewan, plus small portions of what are today western M ...
, 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 is the sixth of the numbered treaties that were signed by the Canadian Crown and various First Nations between 1871 and 1877. It is one of a total of 11 numbered treaties signed between the Canadian Crown and First Nations. Specif ...
), several were not. Until his death, Payipwat felt betrayed by
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
.
Over the next decade Payipwat continued to negotiate with the
Canadian government
The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown-in ...
. 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
The Assiniboine or Assiniboin people ( when singular, Assiniboines / Assiniboins when plural; Ojibwe: ''Asiniibwaan'', "stone Sioux"; also in plural Assiniboine or Assiniboin), also known as the Hohe and known by the endonym Nakota (or Nakoda ...
First Nations
First Nations or first peoples may refer to:
* Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area.
Indigenous groups
*First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including:
**First Natio ...
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, Assiniboia, 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 North-West Rebellion 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, 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 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.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Payipwat
Cree people
Indigenous leaders in Saskatchewan
1810s births
1908 deaths
Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)
People of the North-West Rebellion
Piapot Cree Nation