Legare Family and Metis History

Jean-Louis Legare and the Southern Saskatchewan development were indelibly impacted by The Battle of The Little Bighorn, the Lakota Sioux and by Sitting Bull Tatonka Iyotake.

As US settlers pushed west in the 1880’s conflicts between Indian tribes and infringing people were frequent and often violent.

There was a misunderstanding of the cultures, the language, and the ownership of the land.

In the south Quanah Parker and the Comanches, Geronimo and the Apache, and the Sioux, led by Crazy Horse and Red Cloud, in the northern western states were particularly notable in their defiance to maintain their life style, independence, spiritualism and stewardship of the land.

The conflicts became exceedingly violent, retributionist, and even cruel. Reading the book Empire of the Summer Moon, can give you a real snap shot of how evil and mean people can be!

Attempts at peace came usually with the Indian tribes agreeing through treaties to living on land the US government allotted them for hunting, living and owning or at least occupying without white infringement.

One such treaty was signed in 1868, The Treaty of Fort Laramie. This treaty gave a huge tract of land to the Lakota Sioux, Oglala, Yanktonia Dakota, Brule, and Arapaho and others for their agreement of peace.

This was a second attempt at quelling the those Native tribes; in 1851 the first Fort Laramie treaty was signed and before the ink was dry the US government and settlers broke the contract and violence erupted. The US army initiated an armed invasion of the Reservation leading to the Gratton Massacre, and starting the first Sioux war.

With all the lessons learned from 1851, the second Fort Laramie treaty was signed with the intention to keep peace an allow the Indians to live and pray on their most sacred ground the Black Hills of the Dakota’s. Red Cloud was a prominent leader of the Sioux, signing the treaty in faith.

The treaty was challenged by the US Supreme Court and it was determined that the reservation was not to be permitted but there was to be compensation of 1 billion dollars to the Indian tribes for the promised land

The Indian tribes rejected the offers and wanted to keep the second Treaty of Fort Laramie, however in vain.

The US government recinded all protection and rights to the land, gold was discovered in the Black Hills the heart of the spiritual lands of the Sioux native tribes.

Conflict again was abound and in 1874 the US government sent General George Custer on an invasion of the reserved lands for mapping, mining and security.

A thousand people followed Custer into the Black Hills with wagons and the gold rush was on.

The treaty was broken and the Indians needed to flee and fend for themselves.

The above mentioned tribes and a few other fractured bands and tribes began to amalgamate behind the leadership of a powerful Medicine Man, Tatonka Iyotake, Sitting Bull.

Without lands the tribes became transient, relying and depending on their hunting and navigation skills, they stayed on the move avoiding conflicts for the most part except for smaller skirmishes.

Soon the government was no longer tolerant of these skirmishes and it was decreed “go to the reservations by January 1, 1876” or you’re “hostiles”. Which meant we are at war.

The deadline passed and the hostile tribes were to be hunted down and captured or eliminated.

General George Custer of the 7th Calvary and his followers were relentless in pursuit of the rouge tribes and Indians. Custer believed the group led by Red Cloud, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull was much smaller and fractured than they were.

It’s estimated that there we 1800 lodges and up to 8000 Indians had gathered on the banks of the Little Bighorn river, an estimated 1500-1800 warriors.

Medicine Man Tatonka Iyotake had a vision at a Sundance and he saw “yellow hair” and his men dead and slumped over each other in defeat.

Sitting Bull’s vision came true.

June 25, 1876 several Sioux, Brule, Apache and rouge warriors surprised and surrounded General George Custer and 267 soldiers and scouts to their demise along with he cocksure General.

Following the battle the lodges broke camp, seperated and fled, fearing retribution and death.

The intersection of Légaré family and the future of the Southern Saskatchewan history changed with the Hunkpapa Sioux and followers lead by Sitting Bull crossed the border into Canada, trusting and believing the great mother (Queen Victoria) would protect them.

In May 1877 the first recollection of the Sioux and followers entering Canada was documented. It’s believed that the group crossed the US-Canada border or “the medicine line” just south and a little east of Val Marie Saskatchewan heading north and east to the Cypress Hills area that was believed to be the best hunting and shelter areas.

The first encounters of the Sioux and Sitting Bull himself, were with the North West Mounted Police stationed in Cypress Hills. This was about 11 months after the Battle of The Little Bighorn. The local station Chief Major James Walsh, rode into the Sioux encampments near present day Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan.

Despite being heavily outnumbered—Walsh only 35 years old, and only a handful of men met face to face with thousands of Lakota warriors—he famously established his authority immediately. He informed Sitting Bull that the Lakota would be granted sanctuary under the “Great White Mother” (Queen Victoria) only if they obeyed Canadian law and did not use Canada as a base for raids back into the United States.

The first encounter Legare had with the Sioux renegade refugees is reported to have taken place at The Legare Trading post not too far from the present day Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan, Rodeo Grounds. This encounter was instrumental in outcomes of the future including Sitting Bull and the Sioux entering Canada and meeting with Walsh.

After the battle at Little Bighorn the Warriors separated themselves from the main tribes believing that should they be captured of found and there were no warriors there may be little or no retribution. Personally I don’t subscribe to that but fortunately they were never discovered by the US calvary.

In November of 1876 about 5 months after the battle and being on the move mostly heading north, survival was near impossible, the weather was cold and game was scarce as well as ammunition and any provisions for comfort or food were all used up. Shortly after dark one evening Legare, his future brother in law’s and another Metis man were finished eating and were warming by the stove in the trading post. The door burst open and four Sioux warriors led by Little Knife entered the trading post. Legare urged every one to stay calm. The Indians were thin poorly dressed for the weather and desperate. Apparently they sat on the floor and stared at Legare and the Metis compatriots. As communication was difficult the room was tense and the stand off or starring lasted for what was reported as a couple of hours, soon Legare offered the Indians food and they ate as fast and much as they could. There were 8 additional warriors outside the trading post unbeknownst to Legare and his friends, Legare’s calm and compassionate nature is believed to have transformed the fate of the Sioux, the warriors, the relationship with future tribes and behaviors. Should the Legare group been antagonistic, and the other 8 scouts intervened to break up a reactionary situation, the future of all involved could have been much different.

The total 12 warriors were fed and given warmth, they left the next morning heading back to their main group. A day following 70 braves showed up at the trading post looking for provisions. It’s believed that these warriors returned to and reported to Sitting Bull that Canada and Legare were friends and the best survival option.