Sweet Grass (Cree chief)

Sweet Grass (also Sweetgrass or Wikaskokiseyin or Wihaskokiseyin (c.1815 – on or shortly before 11 January 1877) was a chief of the Cree in the 1860s and 1870s in western Canada.

Life

Sweet Grass was by birth a Crow who was adopted by the Cree in the area near Fort Pitt, Saskatchewan. ^[1]

He is said to have acquired his name after taking an enemy's scalp and storing it in sweet grass.

By 1865 he was considered the leader of the Fort Pitt Cree, and his followers included Little Pine and Big Bear.^[2]

Sweet Grass and Big Bear participated in a horse raid against the Blackfoot, but Sweet Grass made some effort to promote peace with the Blackfoot in later years.

In 1870, Sweet Grass was baptized as a Catholic by Father Lacombe with the name "Abraham". ^[3]

In 1876, Sweet Grass was one of the principal chiefs who accepted the provisions of Treaty Six, giving up customary title to land in exchange for provisions, as the buffalo herds by this time had become severely depleted.

In late 1876 or early 1877, Sweet Grass was accidentally shot and killed by his brother-in-law near Saint Paul des Cris (modern Brosseau, Alberta). ^{[4] [5]}

Legacy

The Sweetgrass First Nation and the Sweet Grass neighbourhood of Edmonton are named after Chief Sweet Grass.

See also

A picture of Sweet Grass is in the archives of the Glenbow Museum.

References