Trails of 1885

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125th Anniversary of the 1885 North West Resistance

2010 marks the 125th anniversary of the 1885 North West Resistance. To celebrate and commemorate this significant event in our history, a group called Trails of 1885 was established.

Trails of 1885 will pull together sites and locations, and festivals and events that are linked together by the events of 1885. Spread across three provinces - starting in Manitoba, across Saskatchewan, into Alberta, the "stories" of 1885 are told to visitors from around the world.

What was the 1885 North West Resistance?
Two pivotal events in 1885, collectively known as the North West Resistance, shaped Canadian history and the development of the West.  

In 1884-85, there were a series of uprisings by the Cree over treaty violations and the disappearance of the plains buffalo, which was their lifeblood. Also in 1885, Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont led Mètis forces, discontent over land and other rights, into armed conflict with the Dominion Government of Canada.  

These were the last military battles to take place on Canadian soil.  The outcome of the events of 1885 impacted all facets of society.  The Cree of the Saskatchewan District were settled on reserves, their independent and nomadic way of life forever lost.  For the Mètis, the Resistance culminated in the infamous Battle of Batoche, and it marked the demise of their independence as a nation. It was to be more than a decade before any considerable settlement would resume in the District of Saskatchewan, in what was then the North West Territories. 

About the 125th Anniversary
Throughout 2010, events and programming in commemoration of the 125th anniversary will take place at many of the important sites across Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba.  The scars of 1885 still mark Saskatchewan’s landscape.   

More Information
For more information about Trails of 1885 and the events happening to commemorate this historical anniversary, visit www.trailsof1885.com.