Taissumani: July 17, 1771 — Slaughter at Bloody Falls

KENN HARPER

The names of Samuel Hearne and Mattonabee are inextricably linked in northern history.

Hearne was born in England in 1745. Orphaned young, he entered the service of the Royal Navy at the age of 11, later joining the Hudson’s Bay Company, which sent him to Churchill in 1766. Moses Norton, in charge of that post, was obsessed with exploiting a copper mine rumoured to exist in the far north. Indians had brought specimens of the ore to Churchill in 1767, which further whetted Norton’s desire to find and exploit the deposit.

Hearne, described as “diligent and trustworthy but not an assertive character,” left Churchill on foot in November 1769, with two white servants and a party of Indians, prepared for a journey of up to two years. But the attempt was a disaster and before Christmas, Hearne was back at Churchill. The following year he made another abortive attempt, turning back for Churchill in August.

In September, while still making his way back to the post, he met the Indian leader, Matonabbee, who was on his way to Churchill to trade. The two reached Churchill together on November 25. Hearne described the Indian as the “most sociable, kind and sensible Indian I had ever met with.”

Matonabbee had been born about 1736 to a “slave woman” whose origins are unknown. She had been a slave to an Indian who traded her to the Hudson’s Bay Company at Churchill. Richard Norton, manager of the post, gave her to a Chipewyan man, and that man became Matonabbee’s father. Soon after, both parents were dead and Richard Norton unofficially adopted the boy. When Norton retired in 1741, Matonabbee, still a child, rejoined his Chipewyan relatives. Eleven years later, then in his late teens, he returned to Churchill where he was hired by the company as a hunter to supply game to the post.

At Churchill, Matonabbee learned the Cree language and “made some progress in English.” Hearne thought him punctual, truthful and “scrupulous.” Nearly six feet tall, he was strong, energetic and courageous. The new manager at Churchill, Ferdinand Jacobs, selected Matonabbee to make peace between the Chipewyans and their long-standing rivals, the western Cree. Matonabbee worked patiently over many years to bring about peace and establish trade between the two groups. During this period he acquired influence and at least seven wives.

After Hearne’s return from the aborted second journey in search of the copper mine, he spent only 12 days at the trading post before Norton again directed him to take up the search, this time in company with Matonabbee. Hearne’s journal makes it quite clear that Matonabbee was in charge. Hearne later wrote of him in endearing terms, describing his “benevolence and universal humanity to all the human race, according to his abilities.”

This is a remarkable characterization in light of Hearne’s knowledge that Matonabbee had murdered one of his spouses for casting doubt on his ability to satisfy seven wives. It is even more remarkable considering the events that happened when the party reached the Coppermine River. Nonetheless the two men were friends and both were devoted to the goal of reaching the Coppermine by land.

The party traveled west during the winter, then turned northward in April. At Clowey Lake, Hearne was disillusioned when a large group of western Indians joined their party with the expressed intent of murdering any Eskimos that they might encounter at the mouth of the Coppermine. Hearne protested, but to no avail, and eventually gave up, to the point that, amazingly, he wrote in his journal that “I did not care if they rendered the name and race of the Esquimaux extinct.”

On July 17, 1771, Hearne’s fears were realized when the party surprised a camp of Inuit sleeping in their tents near the mouth of the river. That morning Hearne’s Indian guides killed over 20 Inuit — men, women and children. Hearne left a heart-wrenching description of the slaughter: “The shrieks and groans of the poor expiring wretches were truly dreadful; and my horror was much increased at seeing a young girl, seemingly about 18 years of age, killed so near me, that when the first spear was stuck into her side she fell down at my feet and twisted round my legs, so that it was with difficulty that I could disengage myself from her dying gasps. As two Indian men pursued this unfortunate victim, I solicited very hard for her life; but the murderers made no reply till they had stuck both their spears through her body and transfixed her to the ground. They then looked me sternly in the face, and began to ridicule me, by asking if I wanted an Esquimaux wife; and paid not the smallest regard to the shrieks and agony of the poor wretch, who was twining round their spears like an eel!”

Hearne was unable to prevent the massacre. Matonabbee did not attempt to prevent it, and participated willingly in it. Hearne named the spot “Bloody Fall.” The name lives in infamy today as “Bloody Falls.”

Taissumani: A Day in Arctic History recounts a specific event of historic interest, whose anniversary is in the coming week. Kenn Harper is a historian, writer and linguist who lives in Iqaluit. Feedback? Send your comments and questions to kennharper@hotmail.com.