BATTLEFORD — Children with face paint swirled in the shape of a red maple leaf wait impatiently for Canada Day cake, anticipating scavenger hunts or seeing cannons fired during live demonstrations. The late autumn ghost tours see tales of long-dead settlers recounted to teenagers by candlelight inside buildings reeking of old sweat and dried wood sap. Scores of guests from across Canada line up for horse-drawn wagons, or mull over artifacts at one of Saskatchewan’s three oldest national historic sites.
Or at least, they used to.
The Fort Battleford National Historic Site, a former stronghold for the North West Mounted Police, currently celebrating its 147th birthday following its establishment in 1876, reeks of history. The site is desperate to tell the story of Colonel Otter and his attack on Chief Poundmaker and his people, the 1885 rebellion as Indigenous people sought to stand up to the Canadian Government and the subsequent largest mass execution in Canada.
The site looks north toward the Town of Battleford, nearly 400 kilometres northwest of the province's current capital of Regina, and south toward the remnants of a residential school and the former capital of the North West Territories.
This year, 2023, marks 100 years since the fort and many other NWMP strongholds across the country were among the first sites to be recognized for their historical value in 1923.
Today, all that remains of the once-thriving historic site are locked buildings and boarded-up windows, pamphlets that walk guests through self-guided tours of the grounds, and the sound of the wind as it whistles over gopher holes and not-so-recently mowed grass. Peering in dark windows at the shuttered visitor centre shows cluttered tables and ladders lying on the floor. All you hear as you wander the empty grounds, other than the odd John Deere tractor piloted by one of the few remaining employees or volunteers, is the flapping of newly erected flags on shiny metal poles staring out over the empty grounds, bearing the flags of 11 local Indigenous communities.
The History of Fort Battleford?
The story often told in the Battlefords about the fort's historical importance in Canada follows Chief Poundmaker marching to Battleford, with the terrified residents of the Battlefords scuttling behind the safety of the fort's walls. This ended in the "sack of Battleford" and the valiant defence of Colonel Otter at the Battle of Cut Knife. This is while the government viewed the formation of a Métis government at Batoche as an open attack on its sovereignty and Big Bear at fault for the Frog Lake Massacre.
It's important to note that this story was integral at the time as the Canadian government sought to enforce the Indian Act. John A. Macdonald said, "The great aim of our legislation has been to do away with the tribal system and to assimilate the Indian people in all aspect with other inhabitants of the Dominion as speedily as they are they fit for the change."
Fort Battleford grew from 12 men to over 200 in just over 10 years, becoming a hub for the Canadian government's military operations during the 1885 Rebellion. The three-month rebellion ended with the fall of Batoche, the surrender of Louis Riel, the Battle of Loon Lake and Poundmaker's surrender in the span of a month. Fort Battleford then became known as the site of the largest mass hanging in Canada, with eight Indigenous leaders charged with treason and executed on Nov. 27.
“The executions of the Indians ought to convince the Red Man that the White Man governs,” said MacDonald, finally cementing the government's hold over Indigenous people as they sought to "settle" what they considered empty prairies.
Fort Battleford maintained a police presence in the area but was decommissioned in 1924, a year after its designation. In 1951, the government of the time believed there was value in telling this story, and the Government of Canada began to run the facility, most recently issuing an updated management plan in 2017 that might explain the recent changes to the Fort.
The Story That Remains for Fort Battleford
"The Government is committed to preserving our natural and cultural heritage ... At the same time, we must continue to offer new and innovative visitor and outreach programs and activities so that more Canadians can experience Parks Canada places and learn about our environment, history and culture."
That is a quote from then Minister of Environment and the Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna, taken from the foreword of Fort Battleford's 2017 management plan, a plan likely undertaken during the first two years of a new government following the 2015 election the saw the Liberals sweep to a majority government — a government that thought the 94 calls to reconciliation should be undertaken in full.
The newly elected government, and by extension Parks Canada,must have still seen value in Fort Battleford at the time of the plan, noting that they anticipated the continuation of programming and hoped to see an increase in visitors above the yearly average of 5,000. They imagined a future in the 2030s where the fort is thriving and tells the history of the government on the prairies and its role in the "events" of 1885.
"As visitors explore the site, they feel a connection with its history, and the larger national narrative that comprises the network of historic sites across the country," notes their website, further noting that visitors would discover meaningful Indigenous presence related to the site.
"That enriched visitor experience is achieved through the significant involvement and engagement of Indigenous partners," their website says, though there is no information as to who these partners are.
The 2017 plan noted three concerns for the park in the future, including:
- need for additional stakeholder support;
- decline in visitation over the last several years attributed to a lack of awareness in local and regional communities and interaction with programming;
- and despite a desire to continue working with Indigenous partners, a weakening of those relationships.
Essentially, they were expecting and working towards seeing Fort Battleford grow and develop, attracting more visitors, undertaking more development in their programming, and continuing to educate Canadians on a dark chapter of our shared history, not unlike the government's recent push to never forget about residential schools.
Now, instead of being open from Mid-May until September, with residents engaging in Canada Day festivities and ghost walks, touring the buildings and learning about that history, the Fort's season runs from June 5 to Sept. 1. On a warm sunny day in the middle of June, only two cars were sitting in the staff parking lot.
The odd visitor posting on Facebook or Twitter notes that the place feels abandoned, and with the joint desire to grow the fort's programming and attract more people, with the capacity the site boasts, holding approximately 8,000 to 10,000 visitors, the question is what happened between 2017 and 2023?
Fort Battleford in 2023
Now, only six years after an ambitious plan, a self-guide leaflet tells the story of the now-called 1885 Resistance in both English, Cree and French, while the flags from Red Pheasant, Poundmaker, Sweetgrass, Mosquito Grizzly Bear's Head Lean Man and Stony Knoll First Nations fly above plaques detailing the stories of Indigenous people with ancestral ties to the land.
Now, the story represented at Fort Battleford says that after being denied food despite their treaty rights after the decimation of the buffalo, Chief Poundmaker and his band make the 65-kilometre walk while starving, begging the Indian Agent for food. Upon arrival, they were denied, and a few young men and women took some food from the empty town, where white men later looted the town.
Chief Poundmaker, despite his attempts to show that he was loyal to the Crown, was tried for treason and found guilty by a jury after a two-day trial and a 30-minute deliberation.
But not unlike other governments, ranging from Japan's denial of World War II war crimes or the U.S. government still not having officially apologized for their actions against Native Americans, is it wrong for Canada to be uneasy about telling dark stories about our history and the actions of that government?
Inexplicably, Fort Battleford is the only government-run national historic site in Saskatchewan that has fallen trap to this sense of abandonment. Fort Walsh, another fortress for the NWMP described as having the primary goal of establishing a government presence specifically to implement Canadian law, is thriving via guided tours, interpretative exhibits, workshops, and Indigenous Culture Camps. Fort Walsh will even see The Steele’s Scouts Commemorative Militia Cavalry arrive at the end of July, recreating a militia that was part of putting down the "rebellion", "resistance" or "events" of 1885.
The Motherwell Homestead has motorized vehicles for those with accessibility needs available in their open visitor centre, Barred Rock chickens and other farm animals are cared for and available for viewing, and guided school groups can explore the buildings and purchase souvenirs. Batoche's cafe is open, and the site has hiking trails, weekend activity plans, an interpretive journey through time tours, their cultural shuttle experience, and the upcoming Back to Batoche festival are just a few highlights.
Each of these other sites all have published visitor guides for 2023, and Parks Canada's own Canadian Prairie Vacation Plan touting Saskatchewan's heritage sites, mentions Batoche, Wanuskewin, Duck Lake Interpretive Centre, the Prince Albert and Grasslands National Park, Motherwell Homestead, Riel House and other areas. Fort Battleford's self-guided tour is mentioned only once, in their directory on the 13th page out of 16. Although some have held Indigenous Peoples' Day celebrations, none have plans for Canada Day.
And why is this? Some would suggest that Fort Battleford doesn't have the people to support it after losing the Friends of the Fort volunteer base in 2016. Other sites have volunteer groups who help run gift shops and administer programming. Others say that the fort is suffering from budget cuts, as Mia Rabson noted in a Canadian Press article from 2022, that showed COVID-19 had reduced visitors and facilitated a massive cut to funding.
"The government's main estimates ... allocate a capital budget of $138 million, down from $448 million spent last year and $556 million in 2020-21," reads the article that noted the budget was slashed by two-thirds, while 30 per cent of Parks Canada's assets remain in poor or very poor condition.
Most noticeable, however, is Parks Canada's push towards reconciliation, something they say is a key priority. A recent Canadian Press article published by SASKTODAY.ca, says that Parks Canada may be cracking to pressure to be politically correct in a 'new woke perspective,' claims Larry Ostola, former vice-president of heritage conservation at Parks Canada, as the government wants to see hundreds of historical plaques changed.
"The rationale for the changes, as well as a list of priority sites, is outlined in a document obtained under Freedom of Information legislation. The document says that out of 2,192 historic sites, about two-thirds of plaque texts are fine. Of the remainder, more than 200 are considered high priorities for change," reads the article, seeing words like Indian and Eskimo updated or information about controversial figures re-written and represented differently.
And if Canadians could expect to see aspects of history re-written, will Fort Battleford actually remain into the 2030s, or is the seeming abandonment of the well-known historic site just a precursor to what is coming?
The Future of History in Canada
That seems like an unanswerable question. But Parks Canada is continuing to make movements to see reconciliation instilled into the narrative of the agency. Bill C-23, the Historic Places of Canada Act, is currently undergoing its second reading in the House of Commons and, if passed, would see inclusion, sustainability, and transparency embedded via legislation into Parks Canada.
Some highlights include shared stewardship of heritage sites, renewed legislation and policy that respects Indigenous rights, and updated financial practices to support treaties.
"Through these actions, heritage places will support an approach to reconciliation that is informed by Indigenous partners," reads their website, noting that in the future, decision-making and governance around conservation will be grounded in collaborative approaches that reflect both Indigenous and Western values and knowledge.
And it's not just Parks Canada that is working to foster inclusivity and diversity while representing history. Joan Kanigan, CEO of the Western Development Museum based out of Saskatoon, was recently named one of the top 20 women leaders, with her efforts with diversity noted as a factor in her selection.
The Museums Association of Saskatchewan is also steadfast in their work to ensure Saskatchewan museums foster inclusivity, diversity and reconciliation, as documented in their Standards for Saskatchewan Museums, saying,
"Inclusion means recognizing the lack of representation that has traditionally occurred within museums and making concrete efforts to change these marginalization practices. Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+, Newcomers, and people with abilities should be regularly included in your exhibition schedules."
MAS, in an email with the News-Optimist/SASKTODAY, speaking broadly about industry standards and expectations when regarding reconciliation in museums, not commenting on the action of specific museums, added, "Museums have never been neutral; every exhibition is a deliberate choice about which stories to tell and those that will not be shared."
"There is power in choosing, and it can be detrimental to tell some stories over others," said MAS, quoting the opening remarks from their June mini-conference, "No Stuff Without Stories".
"There is value in reexamining the stories we tell, even when those stories may be difficult. The choice to tell stories that have long been ignored can build bridges, provide a starting point towards meaningful reconciliation ... personal and impactful stories are a reflection of the diversity of our province, and it is crucial to seek and preserve our unique history."
But MAS did note that there is no simple answer to this question and that collaboration between museums and the communities whose stories they are telling are essential, "...this spirit of meaningful relationships between museums and those whose stories they tell is expected and encouraged at all levels of museum operations."
So if history sometimes serves as a reminder of what should never be done again, should a dark part of our government's history be regularly updated to conform with the times or should the negative effects of colonialism be recognized and pulled front and centre rather than being swept under the rug or ignored as Fort Battleford sits empty on a patch of prairie south of Battleford?
As Canada's 156th birthday is celebrated in some areas and sects across the province and country, the sun will set over Fort Battleford without visitors, and in the distance, the thunder of fireworks will echo off the old wood and the gopher hole-laden ground that once fostered a sense of pride. In their most recent 2023-24 Developmental Plan, Parks Canada outlined their plan to continue with their push for reconciliation at their historical sites while the stories of settlers, Indigenous people, and our historical government sits in silence.
