Provincial Heritage Site
St. Ambroise Dakota Entrenchment
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
Also known as cunkaske
Contextual view of the St. Ambroise Dakota Entrenchment, St. Ambroise area, 2005, with the grasses in the foreground marking the location of the entrenchment.
Photo: Historic Resources Branch, Manitoba Culture, Heritage, Tourism and Sport, 2005
- Recognized
- 1954
- By
- Province of Manitoba
The register’s text, word for word
Description
The St. Ambroise Dakota Entrenchment, northeast of Portage la Prairie, is a large, circular trench and embankment with several interior pits and additional pits located a short distance from the entrenchment. The site is situated within a natural hay meadow, overgrown with scrub and bushes, and is largely surrounded by marsh. The provincial designation of the site applies to the large area of land in the southwest corner of the rural section of land.
Heritage value
The St. Ambroise Dakota Entrenchment is a rare Manitoba example, from the mid- to late-nineteenth century, of a fortification tradition seen across North America that dates back at least 1,000 years. The site was constructed in response to the threat of attack by Chippewa (Anishinabe) bounty hunters following the Minnesota Uprising of 1862, in which Dakota (Sioux) peoples responded violently to the poor treatment received from government authorities in Minnesota. With minimal disturbance since the time of construction, the integrity of the site and landscape have been maintained.
SourceHistoric Sites Advisory Board Meeting, December 7, 1954
Character‑defining elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the site include:
- the continuous circular entrenchment and embankment with a 98 metre diameter
- features contained within the perimeter of the entrenchment such as small, shallow pits
- additional small, shallow pits located beyond but nearby the perimeter of the entrenchment
- the relative remoteness and openness of the undeveloped landscape
- archeological remnants of the associated people including artifacts contained within the designated boundaries
End of the register’s text
Location
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, R0H, Canada
50.13000° N, 98.04000° W
Get directions (opens in a new tab)Being on the register doesn’t make a place open to visitors. Many are private homes or businesses; please view them from the street.
Loading map…
Similar places
Places whose register descriptions are closest to this one.
From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.