LACOMBE, ALBERT (5) (144 ENGLISH -- 143 franc)

LACOMBE, ALBERT (5)  (144 ENGLISH

     During  the construction of the C.P.R.

   Keeping up with the railway, settlers starred to pour in to the prairiesl over twenty-five thousand in 1881, about a hundred thousand in 1882, and the rush was merely starting. In February 1883 and the rush was merely starting. In February 1883 immigration sheds were built at Qu'Appelle to shelter the throngs of settlers. By March, Regina was incorporated;  in May Moose Jaw sought incorporation: in June Swift Current flushed into existence. Medicine Hat was soon to follow, then some town to be built near Crowfoot's reserve, and then Calgary would be next.

    So, from Blackfoot Crossing on May 29, the father, worrying about the possibility of  "desordes" (resistence) amongst the Blackfoot, set out to meet the advancing railway heard on.

   When the Indians saw such large numbers of surveyors, put in stakes, mark the CPR roar and cutting off a corner of the reserve, they stopped the workmen violently..... Father Lacombe heard all the grumblings which were rumouredat camp, he was afraid his land surveyors would be massacred and he wired the Indian Commissionner at Regina immediately, to come as quickly as possible. He send were after wire, and as the Commissionner did not come and as those was no time to waste, the Indian getting more and more excited, he went to see Crowfoot, the head chief of the Blackfeet, at this time, and convinced him as well as the other to hold a large meeting at the mission.    

    To this meeting, held of June 19th, the father took two hundred pounds of sugar, as many of tobacco, as well as tea amd some sacks of flour. Having ditributed these as a preliminary he is recorded as saying:

    Well, my friends, I have some advise to give you today; let the whites pass on you lands, firstly these whites who are on your land are only workers who are obeing their chirfs, and it is with these whiefs that you must settle your difficulties. I have told them of your dissatisfaction and in a few days, the Lieutenant-Governor himself will come. He will listen to your complaints, and it the agreements he offers you, do not please you, it will be time enough to guard your land and to drive our the workers.

   Continuing with the narration of events the Codex (Historicus)  the priest diary adds:

   A few days later,  as Father Lacombe had announced, Dewdney (Lieutenant-Governor) actually came to visit the Indians and told them: "You did well and I thank you for it. Here is what I come to suggest to you now: in exchange for the land which the railroad is taking from your reserve. I am going to give you much more on the other side of the river: and if you do not want this, we will undo the work which is started amd lay out on the outside of the reserve."

   Thanks to Crowfoot, they all declared they were satisfied, and, the reserve had since then the reailroad on the north and east as their limit. The reserve was enlarged by the actual parcel (1908) of the reserve situated on the side of the Arcs River. However on the north side the Indians kept a corner beyond the line....."

   Of  Father Lacombe, many good  things were said of him. Also, Father Lacombe was showered with favours. One, Van Horne, president of the company, made his official president for one day of the company he received a life-long pass on the C.P.R. regardless of where the company was travelling. I was reported that one day, a Sister of Providence had used the card for her travels.....The young man, a farmer from St-Sulpice marvelled many....