Gabriel Dumont (1837–1906) was a Métis political figure best known for being a prominent leader of the Métis people. Dumont was well known for his movements within the North-West Rebellion at the battles of Batoche, Fish Creek, and Duck Lake as well as for his role in the signing of treaties with the Blackfoot tribe, the traditional main enemy of the Métis.
Dumont was born to Isidore Dumont and Louise Laframboise in 1837 in Red River. Growing up Dumont had little in the way of education – he was illiterate but could speak seven languages. In the early stages of his life, Dumont relied on buffalo hunting in order to gain a source of food. His family made a living through hunting buffalo and trading with the Hudson's Bay Company. After his time leading the Métis people alongside Louis Riel, Dumont spent time travelling throughout the United States where he spoke at public speaking events and political campaigns. In 1889 he dictated his memoirs in Quebec.
Dumont was known throughout the Métis community for his various political and military endeavours. Among his major political campaigns was the severing of a treaty between the Métis and the Dakota in 1882. Just one year later, Dumont was elected hunt chief of the Saskatchewan Métis. Dumont was known as the adjutant general of the Métis people – he played a large role in the well-being of the Métis community and their subsequent rebellion against the Canadian government during the North-West Rebellion. Dumont also figured prominently in the Battle of Duck Lake, as well as the battles of Fish Creek and Batoche.
Dumont's legacy is marked by his grave in Batoche, as well as through his mark on the Métis people. Gabriel Bridge, a bridge that spans the Saskatchewan River, is named after Dumont, as are several research institutions and schools. In addition, many books and poems have been written about Dumont's life, his works, and his legacy as a political figure.
Gabriel Dumont was born in December 1837 in what is now known as Winnipeg as the fourth child and eldest son of 11 children.
His parents were Isidore Dumont (known commonly as Ekapow) and Louise Laframboise, who made their home in the Red River Colony. Gabriel was the grandson of the French-Canadian voyageur Jean-Baptiste Dumont and his First-Nations wife Josette of the Tsuu T’ina-Crow tribe. Dumont was not educated in a traditional European education system, rather he learned important skills during his childhood travelling across the Canadian Prairies (Great Plains) following the bison and learning the skills to become a hunter.
The Dumont family was known throughout the settlement of Red River as a prominent Métis buffalo hunting family. In addition to this distinction, they held a long-vaunted relationship with the Saskatchewan area as leaders of a brigade. The Dumont family made their fortune through hunting in the lands controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company, with the primary source of their income coming through the trade of pemmican with the company. Dumont was introduced to the art of Métis buffalo hunting in his childhood years, and over time mastered the nuances of prairie life. This would equip him in the years to come for the conflict he would endure.
Madeleine Wilkie – the daughter of Jean Baptiste Wilkie and his Métis wife Amable Elise Azure – married Dumont in 1858. Throughout his travels as a hunter, Dumont traded with different tribes and picked up different languages making him more valuable to his tribe. In 1868, Dumont and his wife settled in the Batoche area permanently.
Dumont was known as a hunter and as a convenor of multilingualism. It was purported that Dumont could converse with an individual in no less than seven separate languages, although it was noted that Dumont never learned more than a few small phrases in English. His skills as a hunter and marksman were known in both the disciplines of bow and rifle. In addition to these traits, Dumont was known as a proficient horseman. In much the same vein as many of the other prominent Métis leaders of his day such as Louis Riel, Dumont had become known as a leader of diplomacy in the northern plains of the West.
Military actions and conflicts
Dumont was first introduced to plains warfare at the young age of 13 in 1851, where he fought in the Battle of Grand Coteau against the much larger contingent of Yankton Sioux. Dumont's actions in that conflict included defending a large Métis encampment against the advances of a Dakota war party.
In 1862, at the age of 24, Dumont served as the intermediary between the Métis and the Dakota whilst being accompanied by his father Isadore Dumont and uncle Jean Baptise Dumont. Later on, Dumont helped to sign a treaty with the Blackfoot, an action that led to a long state of peace with the traditional enemies of the Métis.
Although he was considered one of the figureheads of the Métis movement at the time, Dumont was not involved in the Red River Rebellion that took place from 1869 to 1870. However, Dumont did move quickly to Fort Garry in order to offer his military assistance during Colonel Garnet Wolseley's movement on the area.
Around the time of 1885, the North-West Rebellion broke out. Dumont's army of 300 Métis soldiers organized near Duck Lake on 26 March, and conflict broke out between the ranks of the Métis and the North-West Mounted Police later that day. Among the dead on the Métis side was Dumont's brother, Isidore – the victim of a botched parley attempt. Dumont was dealt a glancing blow to his head from a stray bullet during the battle, cutting an artery, and was thereafter confined to nursing his injury while the rest of the North-West Rebellion played out. However, this injury suffered during the Duck Lake confrontation did not prevent Dumont from leading his soldiers.
Dumont also played a key role in discovering the traitors within the Saskatchewan Métis. In particular, Dumont was a part of the arrest of Albert Monkman. Dumont ensured the safety of Louis Riel by jumping in front of Monkman's revolver when he pulled it on Riel, leading to Monkman's quick arrest. Dumont was acutely aware that more Canadian troops led by General Frederick Middleton were streaming towards their location. In order to combat the advancing threat, Dumont proposed a campaign of terror that focused on uprooting railroads and prolonged periods of violence against Canadian soldiers. Riel was more inclined towards a peaceful resolution to proceedings, and Dumont deferred to Riel's judgements.
Dumont's contingent of 300 Métis soldiers clashed with the opposing Canadian soldiers on 24 April at a place dubbed Fish Creek by the Canadians. The efforts of the Métis soldiers caused General Middleton to pause in his advancement towards Batoche. With the battle only lasting one day, the Métis soldiers were outnumbered five to one. Dumont's skillful military leadership allowed them to drive off the attackers and enabled the Métis soldiers to eventually retreat to the relative safety of Batoche. Once the Canadian soldiers reached Batoche, Dumont led a defence of the Métis community that lasted four days. After the first day there was no clear winner amongst the two sides, despite the Métis being once again vastly outnumbered. Although they lacked the numbers to truly put a dent in the Canadian forces, Dumont's group handicapped a military steamer and managed to repel several of Middleton's infantry pushes. The Métis utilized the tactic of digging holes approximately every 75 m (246 ft) to allow for the Métis troops to hide and advance throughout a vast majority of land, allowing for a place to watch the Canadians and easily attack. By the fourth day of the defence, the Métis soldiers were out of ammunition and shooting nails and pieces of metal. That day, the Canadian soldiers broke through Dumont's lines and took Batoche. Many Métis were saved because of the holes that were previously dug. For days afterwards, Dumont remained in the vicinity of Batoche to ensure that blankets were distributed to the now homeless Métis women and children. During this period Dumont also searched for Riel, who had surrendered to the Canadian soldiers in the interim on May 15. When Dumont learned of Riel's fate, he quickly left Batoche and travelled to the United States.