Saskatchewan Immigration: How Did We Get Here?
By Elizabeth Phipps
1 Saskatchewan celebrated its centennial in 2005, and yet we know that the land and water were here long before that time. The location was here, but there was no formal name for the area; nevertheless, the area was not without inhabitants. The first people in the region were the Great Plains and Woodland First Nations People. The modern names for the first people are Piegan, Blood, Blackfoot, Cree, Assiniboine, Sarcee, and Ojibwa.
2 Before the turn of the century in 1900, newcomers started to move to the Saskatchewan area from all over the world. Everyone came for their own reasons, but many came because they wanted to start a better life with lots of land, fresh air, and most importantly, freedom to live their lives as they wished.
3 Among the first to arrive were the Métis people, who, after the Red River Rebellion of 1869, came west from the Red River Settlements in Manitoba to establish a community on the South Saskatchewan River. They hoped they would have the freedom to self-govern. The Métis settlement of Batoche was established in 1872, and by 1885 five hundred people lived there.
