It was the blast of a cannon that shattered the peace at The Forks, on a late-summer’s day. All those within earshot soon gathered to investigate the noise. Captain Miles MacDonell had fired the cannon, who had only arrived in the area a few days before, on August 30th 1812. He proceeded to read out two official documents. The first granted the area of The Forks to the Lord of Selkirk, Thomas Douglas. The second gave the Captain authority to claim the land on Selkirk’s behalf.
MacDonell did not know at the time, but his actions in that moment would be an important factor in the total unraveling of the peace in The Forks. This would culminate with the famous Battle of Seven Oaks of 1816. Also known as the Victory of Frog Plain, it was an armed conflict between fur trade rivals - the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) and the Northwest Company (NWC). It was the final battle fought in what came to be known as the Pemmican War. It was considered a great victory for the NWC, especially for the Métis people who had sided with them. Many people played an important role in this pivotal battle. But, one Métis leader in…show more content… The initial band of settlers had spent the winter in Pembina, living off of the products of the hunt of the Native and Métis peoples. In the beginning, the two groups got along well and parted with regret in May of 1813 when the settlers returned to the Red River area. Food supplies were scarce upon returning to the settlement. Fish, as well as roots and berries, were in short supply that season. The wheat that they planted over the summer turned out well but the local fowl stole most of it. With little to eat, the settlers once again returned to Pembina but were this time met with a much different attitude than the previous year. Unhappy that settlement of the Red River area continued, the Métis remained indifferent as the starving Scottish settlers arrived, leaving them to fend for
