Batoche, Saskatchewan, which lies between Prince Albert and

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as th ...

, was the site of the historic

Battle of Batoche The Battle of Batoche was the decisive battle of the North-West Rebellion, which pitted the Canadian authorities against a force of First Nations and Métis people. Fought from May 9 to 12, 1885, at the ad hoc Provisional Government of Saskatche ...

during the North-West Rebellion of 1885. The battle resulted in the defeat of

Louis Riel Louis Riel (; ; 22 October 1844 – 16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political leader of the Métis people. He led two resistance movements against the Government of Canada and its first ...

and his Métis forces by

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

Frederick Middleton General Sir Frederick Dobson Middleton (4 November 1825 – 25 January 1898) was a British general noted for his service throughout the Empire and particularly in the North-West Rebellion in Canada. Imperial Military career Educated at Ma ...

and his Northwest Field Force. Batoche was then a small village of some 500 residents. The site has since become depopulated and now has few residents. The 1885 church building and a few other historic buildings have been preserved, and the site is a National Historic Site.

History

The Métis settlement of Batoche (named after Xavier Letendre ''dit'' Batoche) was established in 1872. By 1885 it numbered 500 people. The Métis of the area settled on river lots, and the community contained several stores as well as the Roman Catholic Church of St. Antoine de Padoue at the time of the Rebellion. Batoche was the de facto capital of Riel's

Provisional Government of Saskatchewan The Provisional Government of Saskatchewan was an independent state declared during the North-West Rebellion of 1885 in the District of Saskatchewan of the North-West Territories. It included parts of the present-day Canadian provinces of Albe ...

. Batoche is a

Southbranch Settlement Southbranch Settlement (french: Communautés métisses de la rivière Saskatchewan Sud) was the name ascribed to a series of French Métis settlements on the Canadian prairies in the 19th Century, in what is today the province of Saskatchewan. M� ...

. It is situated mainly along the east bank of the

South Saskatchewan River The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. For the first half of the 20th century, the South Saskatchewan would completely freeze over during winter, creating spectacular ...

between St. Laurent and Fish Creek. This area is part of the

aspen parkland Aspen parkland refers to a very large area of transitional biome between prairie and boreal forest in two sections, namely the Peace River Country of northwestern Alberta crossing the border into British Columbia, and a much larger area stretchi ...

biome. This community consisted mostly of Francophones and Roman Catholics.

Batoche National Historic Site

Batoche was declared a National Historic Site in 1923. The visitor centre features a multimedia presentation about the history of the community and its inhabitants. There are several restored buildings with costumed interpreters who depict the lifestyles of the Métis of Batoche between 1860 and 1900. The sites include a North-West Mounted Police encampment, a church and rectory complex, and a farm home. The sites are set at different locations around the community. The complex is open from mid-May through mid-September.

In popular culture

* In 1989, Ralph D. Witten's short story "Batoche" was read on

CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...

by Wendell Smith

References

External links

Batoche National Historic Site of Canada
{{Authority control Capitals of former nations History museums in Saskatchewan Living museums in Canada Métis in Saskatchewan Museums in Saskatchewan National Historic Sites in Saskatchewan Populated places on the South Saskatchewan River St. Louis No. 431, Saskatchewan Unincorporated communities in Saskatchewan

History

Batoche National Historic Site

In popular culture

See also

References

Further reading

External links