(As described by Wikipedia - "The Northwest Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful attempt by the Metis people of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel to bring to the attention of the Dominion of Canada their concerns for the survival of their people. It resulted in the complete destruction of all Metis and allied Aboriginal forces, the hanging of Louis Riel, and increased tensions between English Canada and French Canada.")
The specific battle that involved Duck Lake was fought near the beginning of that rebellion on March 26, 1885, when Gabriel Dumont (another Metis leader) defeated the Northwest Mounted Police at Duck Lake.
The Battle of Batoche took place a little later, on May 9th. There Canadian forces under Middleton captured Louis Riel while Gabriel Dumont and others on the Metis side fled into Montana.
(Click on photos to enlarge)
The words on the scroll (left-top) in the mural below:
Listen to the winds of time, they echo the words of promises, promises of treaties and a new beginning...
Sign 'Treaty' with the Great White Mother and the following shall come to pass...
'WHAT I OFFER DOES NOT TAKE AWAY YOUR WAY OF LIFE. YOU WILL HAVE THEN AS YOU HAVE IT NOW... IT WILL BE SO FOR AS LONG AS THE SUN SHINES, THE GRASS GROWS AND THE RIVERS FLOW."
This is a scene of the prairie before the settlers came and divided up the land into square parcels...
...and a detail of the above.
