Tepastenam

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Tepastenam[1] was a respected leader[2] of the Pimicikamak indigenous people in the 19th century. He was born about 1805.[3] From oral history accounts he may have been a Midewiwin leader or Kiseman. The record of his baptism in 1875 describes him as "A noted conjurer for many years, who long resisted the teachings of Christianity."[4]

Family

Tepastenam's family had its wintering grounds at "John Scott's Lake".[5] This has been identified as Setting Lake on the Grass River.[6] He and his family members traded at Nelson House[7] until 1843. Later he began trading at Norway House.[8] Beginning in 1861, some of his children and grandchildren were baptized at Rossville.[9]

English name

In 1875, Tepastenam was baptized Donald William Sinclair Ross.[10] He was listed in the 1881 register of the Cross Lake Methodist congregation as "chief" and his wife May was listed as "chiefess".[11] He first appears on the government of Canada paylist as "chief" in 1876. However, he "was a leader both before and after [Pimicikamak] entered treaty.".[12]

Treaty 5

Tepastenam was notable as the lead signatory to Treaty 5 on behalf of the Pimicikamak people on September 24, 1875 in Norway House.[13] Neither of the other two signatories[14] matched his stature as a leader of the Pimicikamak people.[15] His mark [an X] granted Treaty rights to the Crown in an area of the Northwest Territories that was twice the size of the Province of Manitoba at the time.

Notes

  1. ^ Transliteration from oral Cree, also transliterated as "Tapastanum"; may be translated as: "Shining light".
  2. ^ The Cree term for such a leader is "kisayman".
  3. ^ Noted as 70 years of age in Wesleyan-Methodist Register of Baptisms Norway House 1840-1889, United Church Archives, Winnipeg, on July 11, 1875; cited in Margaret Anne Lindsay & Jennifer S.H. Brown, The History of the Pimicikamak People to the Treaty Five Period, The Centre for Rupert's Land Studies at The University of Winnipeg (2008), Appx. F.
  4. ^ Wesleyan-Methodist Register of Baptisms Norway House 1840-1889, United Church Archives, Winnipeg.
  5. ^ See, e.g., Wesleyan-Methodist Register of Baptisms Norway House 1840-1889, United Church Archives, Winnipeg, no. 1582.
  6. ^ James Vidal Dillabough, Transportation in Manitoba, Manitoba Economic Survey Board, Winnipeg (1938), p. 127.
  7. ^ Nelson House Indian Survey, Archives of Manitoba/Hudson's Bay Company Archives, B239/z/10, York Factory Miscellaneous Records, f. 88.
  8. ^ Archives of Manitoba/Hudson's Bay Company Archives, B.154/a/43 Norway House Post Journal, 1844-1845, f. 30.
  9. ^ Wesleyan-Methodist Register of Baptisms Norway House 1840-1889, United Church Archives, Winnipeg.
  10. ^ He was reportedly named after two Hudson's Bay Company Chief Factors: Donald Ross and William Sinclair; see Archives of Manitoba/Hudson's Bay Company Archives, Norway House Post Journals, B.154/a/71, 1874-1877, Roderick Ross, f. 18.
  11. ^ Norway House Mission Journal, United Church Archives, Winnipeg (1881-85), no. 16, April, 1881.
  12. ^ Lindsay & Brown, The History of the Pimicikamak People to the Treaty Five Period, p. 82.
  13. ^ Alexander Morris, The Treaties of Canada with the Indians, Belfords , Clarke & Co., Toronto (1880); and see John Miswagon, "A Government of our Own", Frontier Centre for Public Policy, 21 April 2005, http://www.fcpp.org/main/publication_detail.php?PubID=1043, accessed 24 September 2008.
  14. ^ They were George Garrioch and Proud McKay.
  15. ^ Lindsay & Brown, The History of the Pimicikamak People to the Treaty Five Period.
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