Dick Byrd Interview

Dick Byrd was interviewed in White City and born in Fort Qu’Appelle. His father, Robert (Bobbie) Byrd “lived on the Peepeekisis Indian Reserve.” His mother, Beatrice Gordon, came from Pasqua Reserve. Dick recounts the story of the Riel Resistance from his family’s stories. The government wanted to convert reserves into agriculture; therefore, the administration established fifty Métis families for farming in Peepeekisis, including his grandfather from Manitoba. During WWI, many of Dick's family enrolled in the military - mentioning the military history of his relatives in the two world wars. Dick describes the roles of Catholic and Protestant churches in the Peepeekisis‘ community and talks about the File Hills residential school. Dick talks about his grandfather, Henry, and Henry's movement to Wood Mountain following his return from war. ----------------- Keywords: Community Breaking/Fracture, Reserve System, Religion, Warfare, Land use (Subsistence Patterns), Resource Degradation, Fur Trade, Indian Act, Religion, Employment, Residential Schools, Scrip, Treaties