Frenchman Butte marks the spot of the armed battle of 1885 between Plains Cree warriors fighting under the leadership of War Chief Wandering Spirit, and the Canadian Militia troops commanded by General Strange. Walk the paths and see the rifle pits dug by the Cree and picture the hundreds who sheltered within them.
Frenchman Butte National Historic Site is situated on the north side of a stream’s valley about five kilometers west of the hamlet of Frenchman Butte on the North Saskatchewan River. The areas is marked by 98 defensive pits that were dug by the Cree warriors in 1885. The site of the defensive positions overlooks the valley, across which the attacking militia forces would have to advance. There are almost no modern intrusions, thereby preserving a landscape that has changed little from 1885.
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