The war trail of Big Bear : being the story of the connection of Big Bear and other Cree Indian chiefs and their followers with the Canadian North-west rebellion of 1885, the Frog Lake massacre and events leading up to and following it, and of two month's imprisonment in the camp of the hostiles

In the harsh winter of 1884‑85 the Plains Cree of the Saskatchewan River valley faced a breaking point. Chief Big Bear and his fellow leaders wrestle with broken annuity promises, a new police force that ignores their customs, and the growing pressure of settlers pushing into their lands. Through vivid, first‑hand observations the narrator paints life in the Frog Lake settlement—log cabins, bustling trade routes, and the uneasy hospitality offered to strangers who claim the territory as their own.

When frustration erupts into violence, the infamous Frog Lake massacre shatters the fragile peace, leaving the community in shock and fear. The author, who survived the attack, recounts the frantic days that follow, his narrow escape, and the two months spent among the hostile forces. This compelling chronicle captures a pivotal moment of resistance, loss, and the stark reality of a people caught in the tide of a nation’s expansion.