Breland, Pascal

Pascal Breland was a farmer was a fur trader, farmer, judge and politician. He was born in 1811 and spent most of his life in the Wood Mountain, Cypress Hills, Fort Pitt area. He was elected to the first legislative assembly of the province of Manitoba in 1870, and acted as commissioner for Indian Affairs. As commissioner he investigated a Sioux uprising in 1873, and paved the way for Treaty Four by notifying Cree Chiefs of the upcoming negotiations at Fort Qu'Appelle.

As a Metis politician and civil servant Breland earned the respect of both Metis and Native peoples in present day south Saskatchewan.

Sources: Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Volume XII, pp. 716.