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Page 4
In 1867, when several colonies of British North America Canada united to become a larger colony, the area of Riding Mountain was Ojibway Nation territory. Canada had bought the rights of the Hudson Bay's Company, but Queen Victoria insisted that before settlement could be permitted, Treaties must be signed with the First Nations. In 1869, when the HBC had surrendered whatever rights it might have had to Rupert's Land, the surrender stated in Article 5:
"The Company may, for fifty years after the surrender, claim in any township or district within the Fertile Belt in which land is set out for settlement [emphasis added], grants of land not exceeding one-twentieth part of the land so set out. The blocks so granted to be determined by lot . . ." (16)
Traill was probably unaware that the trading post he was founding would not be listed on the HBC surrender document as a post owned by Hudson's Bay Company, and thereby protected as land for which the HBC would receive title. Because of the omission, the HBC never received title to the land on which Riding Mountain House stood.
The 8 November 1868 Fort Ellice journal reported the arrival of Walter Traill from Riding Mountain
". . . with 1 man, 3 horses & carts, brought all the furs they had on hand with them the same time. Mr. Traill is coming for a few more supplies that he requires for trade. Mr. Traill expects to get a good deal of fine furs from the Riding Mountain Indians this winter."
Traill was again at Fort Ellice on 15 April 1869, having
". . . left [Thomas] Spence & The Sheep [an Indian man] coming behind with three carts. The rest of his men he left at his post building."
On 29 July, 1869, two youths were sent from Fort Ellice to hoe potatoes at the Riding Mountain Post, and on 13 September from Fort Ellice
". . . Mr. Traill & Thomas Spence, Francois Malony went off . . . to Riding Mountain. Mr. Trail is to come back in a few days. The 2 men to remain and finish the houses."
Traill noted, "From time to time during the last months of 1869, the Indians have come into Riding Mountain Post with scraps of information regarding the trouble in Red River. . ." (17)
In 1871-72, James C. Audy was put in charge at Riding Mountain Post. He was then an apprentice clerk.
In 1874, Clerk J.C. Audy was appointed in charge
of Riding Mountain in the Swan River District. (18)
Audy remained through 1875, then returned in 1877-1879
when he was replaced by Clerk David Smith. (19)
In 1875-76, James C. Audy, now ranked as a clerk, was in charge of Riding Mountain House.
On September 15-16, 1875, Indian Agent Martineau came to the HBC Post, Riding Mountain House, to pay Treaty annuity to the "Riding Mountain and Dauphin Lake Band, Skyman Keegeegowemin, Chief." (20),(21) The Post is nearby, but not on the reserve.
In 1876, apprentice Postmaster Henry McKay was put in charge of the Riding Mountain House HBC Post. (22) On October 25, 1876, Indian Agent Martineau returned to the Post to pay Treaty annuity to the "Riding Mountain Band".(23)
Footnotes
16 Deed of Surrender, November 19, 1869. The "Fertile Belt" was defined in Article 6 was to be bounded "on the south by the United States Boundary, on the west by the Rocky Mountains, on the north by the Northern Branch of the Saskatchewan River, on the east by Lake Winnipeg, the Lake of the Woods, and the waters connecting them." (back)
17 Traill, ibid. (back)
18 HBCA B.239/k/4, fo. 5d. (back)
19 HBCA B239/k/4/fo.73. (back)
20 PAC RG10 vol 9419, Treaty Pay Lists for 1876. (back)
21 It was during this time period that Duncan Sinclair was completing his survey of the nearby townships. Research in Agent Martineau's diary might indicate whether the two men met. (back)
22 HBCA B.239/k/4, fo.25d. (back)
23 PAC RG10 vol 9419, Treaty Pay Lists for 1876. (back)
