Battle of Duck Lake National Historic Site of Canada

The Battle of Duck Lake was designated a national historic site of Canada because:

• at this place on 26 March 1885, the first in a series of battles known as the North-West Resistance took place;
• this battle was considered an important victory for the Métis, who were grieved by uncertainty over land rights in the wake of Canadian expansion and encroaching settlement.

The Battle of Duck Lake took place on March 26, 1885. While on the way to confiscate guns and ammunition from Hillyard Mitchell’s store near Duck Lake, a group of North West Mounted Police and civilians encountered a larger group of Métis, led by Gabriel Dumont. After a shot was fired, the group of North West Mounted Police and civilians retreated. As news of this encounter spread, Superintendent Leif N.F. Crozier gathered 52 North West Mounted Police, as well as 43 civilians, and they made their way along the Carlton Trail toward Duck Lake into Chief Beardy’s reserve. Chief Beardy made it clear that he wanted no part in the upcoming skirmish, and that he did not support Riel. Meanwhile, the group of Métis had grown to include Isidore Dumont, Louis Riel, and Cree allies. The two groups eventually met, and the battle began when a North West Mounted Police interpreter, fearing an ambush, fired and killed Isidore Dumont. After 30 minutes of fighting with casualties suffered on both sides, Crozier ordered a retreat, and Riel ordered his followers not to shoot at them as they left.

The Battle of Duck Lake was considered a successful battle for the Métis. The area was of strategic importance, since it controlled Hillyard Mitchell’s store and trails from Prince Albert and Fort Carlton National Historic Site of Canada. The Rebellion/Resistance of 1885 was a result of the issues between Métis peoples, Indigenous peoples, settlers, and the federal government; the Métis in particular felt that their claims had gone unanswered, and that their future in terms of land rights was uncertain. The Battle of Duck Lake marked the beginning of this conflict and other significant battles would occur in the eight months that followed.