Kapapamachchakwew (Wandering Spirit)

Born in 1845 around Jackfish Lake, Kapapamahchakwew (Wandering Spirit) was the war chief of Mistahimaskwa's (Big Bear) band and a feared Plains Cree warrior.

Wandering Spirit was very bitter at the change in his people's way of life, especially in regards to the loss of the buffalo, and he dreamed of one day riding the plains again as his people always had. Big Bear and Wandering Spirit refused to sign Treaty 6, as they tried to gain assurances from the government that the buffalo and their way of life would be protected. Finally, with their people dying of starvation, what was remaining of Big Bear's band adhered to Treaty 6 in December of 1882.

Wandering Spirit was resentful towards the Canadian government for what he saw as their repressive policies towards First Nations people. Wandering Spirit had wintered with Big Bear at Frog Lake in 1884-85 and he had become increasingly frustrated with the Indian Agent Thomas Quinn and his policy of 'no work, no ration.'

The frustration became too much for Wandering Spirit and during the 1885 North-West Resistance, Wandering Spirit, against Big Bear's wishes, along with some of Big Bear's followers attacked Frog Lake, where Wandering Spirit killed Indian Agent Quinn, and then later captured Fort Pitt. Wandering Spirit engaged the Canadian militia again at Frenchmen's Butte on May 28, 1885 and then fled to Loon Lake. Wandering Spirit surrendered to the Canadian government in July of 1885 at Fort Pitt and he was later convicted of killing Quinn, the Indian Agent at Frog Lake.

Wandering Spirit was executed on November 27 1885, along with 7 other Cree, but not before he sang a love song to his wife in the last moments before he was hung.

Sources - Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Volume XI, pp. 459-460.