Crooked Lake Interview (02)

David Goodman Mandelbaum (1911-1987) describes the four bands residing in the reservations of the Crooked Lake agency: Ochapowace, Kake-wista-haw, O'Soup or Cowessess (Cowesis), and Sakimay. Skinner, who visited this reserve in 1913, "considers them to have been part of the Calling River Cree." Moreover, Little Child's band was in company with the Assiniboine under the Man-that-stole-the-coat when they chose a reserve 20 miles east of Fort Walsh. Later, Little Child changed their minds and settled in a site on Battle River, a stream near Fort Walsh. In the end, they were dissatisfied, moving into the Crooked Lake Agency. Ochapowace is a Cree band. In 1898, their main trade sector with settlers was tanning skins and gathering snakeroot. Their camps, homes, and religion seemed to be little influenced by the settler cultures until the 1900s-1910s. The Kake-wista-haw band had similar characteristics, with some differences, as well as more farming. In 1898, one member was punished for "holding a give-away dance." O'Soup or Cowesis consisted of many marriages between Cree and Ojibway. Moreover, they had a large number of horses. In the 1900s, the Cowesis had many children in school. In the next decade, a significant amount of children "graduated" from Industrial School. In 1907, the Sakimay band was described as predominantly Ojibway, pagan, and committed to hunting. It seems that initially there were two bands, “but one of them sold its land and joined the other so that after 1908 they are listed as a single band.” These four bands practiced the Sundance, reported in 1896 and 1912. ------------------- Keywords: Community Breaking/Fracture, Treaties, Housing, Reserve System, Land use (Subsistence Patterns)