Kamayistowesit (Beardy)

Beardy was born around 1828, and was chief of the Willow band of Plains Cree. Known as a strong spiritual person Beardy welcomed news of the Treaty Six commissioners, but was angry when they ignored his request to meet at Duck Lake. Beardy had a vision as to where the Treaty council should take place, but Alexander Morris and the Treaty commissioners had committed the negotiations to Fort Carlton.

Morris traveled to Duck Lake after the Carlton negotiations and offered Beardy the same Treaty terms. Beardy felt the terms were inadequate He eregarding assistance in times of famine, and he wanted protection for the remaining buffalo, but he also realized his people had few other options. Beardy signed the Treaty and spend the next ten years fighting the Canadian government for implementation on the Treaty promises. xpressed his dissatisfaction with the Canadian government by hosting a meeting of Plains Cree chiefs in 1884 to organize opposition to the Treaty. The opposition suffered greatly by the rebellion of 1885. When a number of Beardy's warriors fought alongside the Metis, his band was suspended from Treaty. Beardy died in April of 1889.

Sources: Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Volume XI, pp. 458-459.