Connaught
Connaught is located
in Northern Ontario situated on the south shore of the Frederick House Lake.
A Survivor Story
Mary Buffalo told this story to a Dan O’Connor in 1932, who then recorded it in the form of a letter to a J.B. Tyrell. Mary was 70 years old at the time. Her father’s story would have been 120 years old. Written language was not a part of the Ojibwe culture until a type of cuneiform was devised by Roman Catholic priests. Their history was preserved by Elders passing along stories to the young. In her own words, here is Mary’s story:
"Two of the Night Hawk Band of Indians had gone over to Abitibi Lake Section for a visit in summer time and met some Indians there, who they invited over to spend New Years at the Hudson’s Bay Post at Frederick House Lake. Three of them came over, man, wife and son. They came across from Abitibi River on Indian Trail to Frederick House Lake.
"When they got to the lake, a storm was on. They all started to cross the lake with the man and son going ahead, and wife behind. Storm got worse and the man and son reached the post, but the woman had not showed up. It stormed all night so they did not go out to look for her until morning.
"The man in charge of the Post went with them where they found the woman frozen stiff on the ice. They went crazy mad and blamed the Night Hawk Spirit for killing the woman and then thought it was a plan made up to kill them. They then killed the Hudson Bay Trader and went back to the Post and killed the woman who was living as wife with Trader.
"After they had killed those, they took possession of the Post which was located on hill giving good view of all trails to the Post. As soon as they would see anyone coming, they would get ready and shoot them coming up the hill. Then they would drag the bodies into a root house at the foot of the hill.
"In this way they continued until they were all shot. I estimate at about 25 men and no other women.
"After killing them all, they remained at the Post and lived in luxury with lots of eats and lots of rum.
"Most of the Indians killed were from Mattagami River and the wives and families were dumbfounded, not knowing what had happened, but were afraid to come over and find out.
"Only one man of the whole tribe was left living. He had not gone over to the Hudson’s Bay Post for New Years. This Indian’s name was Bazil Buffalo, my father. He went over some time after and saw blood on foot of hill and saw bodies in root house.
"He rushed home and then went over to Mattagami River to find out if any of the Indians were home and found out none had returned from Hudson Bay Post. He sent word to all the families about what had happened and sent word to the Hudson Bay officials at Moose Factory. They sent men and instructed them to go over to Frederick House and investigate.
"The two Indians who were at the Post all this time were keeping a sharp look out, expecting a surprise. One evening they noticed smoke at foot of bay near lake and got ready at once for Abitibi Lake.
"When the party sent from Moose Factory arrived at Frederick House Lake Post, no one was there, but they saw fresh snowshoe marks and started to follow. They kept on going and saw no sign of them until they got to Conching Falls where they found hot ashes made by fire. It was still smouldering, so they started at once to catch them, but did not see them until they got to Abitibi Lake. They started after them again, but a big storm broke out and they lost sight of them.
"They kept going until they got to Abitibi Post and found the Indians had not come there.
"After giving up the chase, it was found out afterwards by one of the missionaries that they turned north on Abitibi Lake and made for the north, giving the missionary all details of the massacre on his death bed."
Mary Buffalo died at the age of 90, in 1952. The recorder of her story, Dan O’Connor died in 1933.
