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St Victor Petroglyph cliff Year: 0500
1 January 2005
St Victor, Saskatchewan

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Chapter One

FIRST NATION

Before settlers arrived, First Nations People living in this area had/have a Sacred Place on the highest elevation in the rolling hills south of St. Victor. Possible circa 500 AD-1700

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Petroglyphs Sketch
2050
Southern Saskatchewan

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Petroglyphs on a large, flat (horizontal) rock (only five such sites in Canada) situated on the highest point on the edge of a cliff has drawings, symbols, recording pre-contact activities. It indicates the relationship between Man, Animal, and his surroundings. The view in the four directions, which is very significant for First Nation People, is breathtaking.

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St Victor Petroglyph markings Year: 0500
1 January 2005
St Victor, Saskatchewan

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People, animal, nature and lands are connected to one another through supernatural kinship. As a result, the Earth itself is the principle Spiritual Place in the First Nations way of life.

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Medicine Wheel
1940
Southern Saskatchewan

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Some First Nations of the area were: Assiniboine (Nakota), Snake Indian Nation, Saulteaux, Cree, Sioux, and Blackfoot.

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Wood Mountain Area Roman Catholic
1946
Wood Mountain Reserve, Saskatchewan

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Reserve Church in Wood Mountain area

A little Mission Chapel was built in 1871 by Fr. P. Lestanc, Oblate Missionary, four miles from where Wood Mountain now stands.

The congregation was made up of 100 Métis families who were encamped in this area while they hunted and trapped for furs.

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Wood Mountain Reserve cross
1946
Wood Mountain Reserve, Saskatchewan

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Reserve Cemetery at Wood Mountain

The Cross was constructed with local trees and painted.

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Willow Bunch Valley
24 October 2005
Willow Bunch Area, Saskatchewan

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Métis

Before the year 1870, several Métis of Scottish, English and French ancestry left the shores of the Red River. Their relationship with the Government of Canada was strained; immigration from the east was threatening to squeeze them out. Further more, the buffalo were becoming scarce which their economy was based upon in the Red River area.

A certain number of families moved to South Central Saskatchewan to settle in Coulee Chapelle. (Coulee Chapelle was situated in the present St. Victor parish a few miles from Willow Bunch. [A coulee is a land depression made by water erosion - an ancient river bed close to Montague Lake]).

Father Decorby arrived in the area in 1868 from France. Several years later Father Lestanc succeeded the former priest. He was from Quimper, France and was fluent in French, English, Cree and Ojibwa.