The Frog Lake Massacre was a Cree uprising during the North-West Rebellion. Led by Wandering Spirit, young Cree warriors attacked the village of Frog Lake, Alberta on April 2, 1885, where they killed most of the settlers.
Angered by what seemed to be unfair treaties by the Canadian government and the dwindling buffalo population, the main source of food for the indigenous people, chief Big Bear had been organizing the Cree for resistance. They we...
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The Frog Lake Massacre was a Cree uprising during the North-West Rebellion. Led by Wandering Spirit, young Cree warriors attacked the village of Frog Lake, Alberta on April 2, 1885, where they killed most of the settlers.
Angered by what seemed to be unfair treaties by the Canadian government and the dwindling buffalo population, the main source of food for the indigenous people, chief Big Bear had been organizing the Cree for resistance. They were encouraged by the Métis victory at the Battle of Duck Lake.
Against Big Bear's opposition, the war chief Wandering Spirit attacked white settlers in the village. He gathered the Europeans, including two priests, into the local Catholic church. After a disagreement broke out, Wandering Spirit led the Cree in killing Thomas Quinn, the town's Indian Agent, and massacring nine other settlers. They took three as captives. Aided by a friendly Indian, Robert Gard escaped the area and survived, later to testify at the trial of several Indian...
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