[brtcb] ethnological TYPES IN RUPERTS LAND 141 



THE REFUGEE SIOUX. 



Though the Sionx war parties were, as we have seen, in the hahit 

 of making raids into Eupert's Land, or sometimes trading visits, yet 

 their conntry was the region, of the Missouri river, though it extended 

 through what is now South Dakota, and Southwestern Minnesota. In 

 the year 1862, goaded on to desperation by greedy government agents, 

 the Sioux rose in rebellion against the American government, made a 

 great massacre of the white settlers, and many of those most implica- 

 ted in the rising fled for refuge to Rupert's Land. A few survivors of 

 the blood-thirsty refugees, and the children of the band, still remain 

 on British soil, at Portage La Prairie, Brandon, Prince Albert and else- 

 where. The greater number of the Manitoba Sioux live on the reserves 

 of Birtle and Oak River, north of G-riswold. These refugees, now 

 largely settled on reserves, are generally good farmers and sustain 

 themselves, being as aliens unable to receive any grant from the gov- 

 ernment as' the Canadian Indians of Manitoba and the Territories do. 



CONDITION OF THE INDIANS. 



It is a matter of some importance to state in a few words the 

 present condition of the Indians of the old region of Rupert's Land. An 

 enormous advance has been made in their conditions and prospects since 

 Rupert's Land became a part of Canada in 1870 — one-third of a century 

 lago. In almost all parts of this vast region the Indian has become sta- 

 tionary and not nomadic. In many cases reserves have been made, and 

 the great mass of the Canadian Indians live in houses of their own. 

 While hunting and fishing are still favourite occupations with them, 

 yet large numbers of the Indians are farmers to-day. Schools are very 

 generally maintained among them by the Dominion Government, and 

 industrial schools supported by the government under the direction of 

 the different religious denominations are doing a most excellent work 

 among the Indian youth. 



For many years before Confederation the different churches carried 

 on missionary work among the Indians, but in the last generation this 

 has been greatly stimulated and to-day there is scarcely an Indian settle- 

 ment of any size without its missionary, and there are many congre- 

 gations among the Indians as comely and decorous as those of their 

 white neighbours. 



