Fort Walsh was the headquarters of the North West Mounted Police from 1878 to 1882.
The fort played a key role in imposing Canadian law, and implementing Canada’s Indian policy, and supervising the Lakota who fled to Canada after the Battle of the Little Bighorn, according to Parks Canada.
I love learning about Canada’s history so Fort Walsh was a natural stop for me while exploring southwestern Saskatchewan the area.
After my harrowing drive to Fort Walsh, I was more than happy to stretch my legs and talk to people. I was one of the first visitors to arrive at the site. The first tour of the day was scheduled to begin soon so I eagerly joined with Erica, a woman from Kindersley.
A family of five rounded out our storied tour of the many buildings such as the Superintendent’s residence, guardhouse, armourer’s workshops and the jail. We even took part in mock trial.
Cypress Hills Massacre
In June, 1873 a group of American wolf hunters, whisky traders, and Métis freighters were searching for stolen horses they believed had been taken by Indigenous people. They encountered a camp of Nakoda and confronted them about the stolen horses. The attack resulted in the massacre of elders, warriors, women and children.
This was the first major tests of Canada’s law enforcement policies in the west, and exposed Canada’s vulnerabilities. This led to the creation of the North West Mounted Police, which eventually became the RCMP.
After the tour, Erica and walked the 7-kilometre loop to the Cypress Hills Massacre site, about 2.5 kilometres south of the fort’s current location. The trail boasted views of the lush, green rolling hills that stretched for miles. We talked about the events that unfolded here more than 150 years ago. Although we didn’t say it out loud, it felt haunting to walk through the area. We didn’t see another person on the trail until we were almost back at the fort.
This is a visit I won’t soon forget. I made a new friend, learned more about Canada’s history and took a drive I won’t be repeating anytime soon.
Do you like visiting museums and other historical spots? Have you been to Fort Walsh? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.