George Millward McDougall (September 9, 1821 – January 25, 1876) was a Methodist missionary in Canada who assisted in negotiations leading to Treaty 6 and Treaty 7 between the Canadian government and Indigenous nations of the prairies and what is now western Canada.
He was also responsible for the theft of the 145 kg meteorite called the Manitou Stone, or Manitou Asinîy ('Creator's Stone'). He took it from its resting site to the nearby Victoria Mission, believing that it would bring Indigenous peoples to the mission and help him convert them to Christianity.[1] Holly Quan wrote: "To the Blackfoot and Cree of the western plains, the Iron Stone was the embodiment of powerful spirits, a source of strength, power, protection and luck...To the Reverend George McDougall, the Iron Stone was a pagan symbol. With considerable effort, in the early spring of 1866 he had the stone dug from its resting place...to be proudly displayed on the lawn of the Methodist college where he was trained...That spring, when the Cree and Blackfoot came again to visit the Iron Stone...their link with the buffalo spirits...had mysteriously vanished. The elders predicted war disease and starvation. All their predictions came true."[citation needed]
Since 1972, Manitou Asinîy has been held in the collection of the Royal Alberta Museum, and since September 30, 2022 the Manitou Asinîy-Iniskim-Tsa Xani Center organization has been advocating for its repatriation.The stone is smudged regularly, is open to Indigenous visitors wishing to touch and pray with it, and is not allowed to be photographed, per the advice of Indigenous elders.[2]
McDougall was born in Kingston, Ontario (then Upper Canada).[3][4] In 1842 he married Elizabeth Chantler and they eventually had nine children.[5] After attending Victoria College in Cobourg, he was ordained in 1854. In 1860 he was sent to the Rossville near Norway House. In 1863 he established the Victoria Mission near Edmonton, the earliest Methodist mission in the West and was superintendent of Methodist missionary work in the Saskatchewan District. In 1871 he founded a permanent mission at Edmonton House, a Hudson's Bay Company outpost at what is now Edmonton, Alberta.
He and his son John McDougall served missions over a wide area, including to Indigenous groups at Pigeon Lake, Stoney Lake, Saddle Lake and Whitefish Lake.
He and his son founded the McDougall Orphanage and Training School an Indian residential school, around 1873.[6] The original school closed in 1908, but was re-opened in 1926 as McDougall Residential School. As at all residential schools, abuse and mistreatment was widespread. One notable incident in May 1953 saw all 32 boys abandon the school after a severe disciplinary action by the matron. The school was finally closed in 1969 following prolonged opposition from the United Church of Canada which ran it.[7]
George extended his ministry to southern Alberta, establishing McDougall Mission on the Bow River named Morleyville. It was on a hunting trip in January 1876 near the Nose Hill area that Rev. George McDougall was lost in a blizzard and was found dead several days later.[8] There is a cairn to mark the place of George's death, on Panora Way NW in Calgary.
Referencesedit
^"Manitou Asinîy | Royal Alberta Museum". royalalbertamuseum.ca. 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
^"Manitou Asinîy | Royal Alberta Museum". royalalbertamuseum.ca. 2021-11-30. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
^Nix, J.E. (1960). Mission Among the Buffalo: The Labours of the Reverends George M. and John C. McDougall in the Canadian Northwest, 1860-1876. Ryerson Press. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
^Nix, James Ernest (1972). "McDougall, George Millward". In Hayne, David (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. X (1871–1880) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
^Sanderson, Kay. 200 Remarkable Alberta Women. Calgary: Famous Five Foundation. p. 1.
^. archivescanada.ca. Archived from the original on 2014-10-25. Retrieved 2015-04-10.
^"McDougall Orphanage and Morley Residential School – The Children Remembered". Retrieved 2023-12-06.
^Mark, Watson. "Rev. George McDougall". Southern Alberta Pioneers and their Descendants (SAPD). Retrieved 2011-10-26.
Quan, Holly (2009). Native Chiefs and Famous Métis. Heritage House Publishing.
Bibliographyedit
McDougall, John (1888). George Millward McDougall: the pioneer, patriot and missionary. Toronto: William Briggs.
McDougall, John, ed. (1890). Primer and Language Lessons in English and Cree. William Briggs.
McDougall, John (1895). Forest, lake, and prairie; twenty years of frontier life in Western Canada (1842-62). Toronto: William Briggs.
McDougall, John (1896). Saddle, sled and snowshoe: pioneering on the Saskatchewan in the sixties. Toronto: William Briggs.
McDougall, John (1911). In the days of the Red River rebellion: Life and adventure in the far west of Canada (1868-1872). Toronto: William Briggs.
McDougall, John (1911). On western trails in the early seventies: frontier pioneer life in the Canadian North-West. Toronto: William Briggs.
External linksedit
McDougall Stoney Mission Society
March 13, 2024
george, mcdougall, george, millward, mcdougall, september, 1821, january, 1876, methodist, missionary, canada, assisted, negotiations, leading, treaty, treaty, between, canadian, government, indigenous, nations, prairies, what, western, canada, reverendborngeo. George Millward McDougall September 9 1821 January 25 1876 was a Methodist missionary in Canada who assisted in negotiations leading to Treaty 6 and Treaty 7 between the Canadian government and Indigenous nations of the prairies and what is now western Canada ReverendGeorge McDougallBornGeorge Millward McDougall 1821 09 09 September 9 1821Kingston Upper CanadaDiedJanuary 25 1876 1876 01 25 aged 54 near Calgary AlbertaOccupationMissionaryHe was also responsible for the theft of the 145 kg meteorite called the Manitou Stone or Manitou Asiniy Creator s Stone He took it from its resting site to the nearby Victoria Mission believing that it would bring Indigenous peoples to the mission and help him convert them to Christianity 1 Holly Quan wrote To the Blackfoot and Cree of the western plains the Iron Stone was the embodiment of powerful spirits a source of strength power protection and luck To the Reverend George McDougall the Iron Stone was a pagan symbol With considerable effort in the early spring of 1866 he had the stone dug from its resting place to be proudly displayed on the lawn of the Methodist college where he was trained That spring when the Cree and Blackfoot came again to visit the Iron Stone their link with the buffalo spirits had mysteriously vanished The elders predicted war disease and starvation All their predictions came true citation needed Since 1972 Manitou Asiniy has been held in the collection of the Royal Alberta Museum and since September 30 2022 the Manitou Asiniy Iniskim Tsa Xani Center organization has been advocating for its repatriation The stone is smudged regularly is open to Indigenous visitors wishing to touch and pray with it and is not allowed to be photographed per the advice of Indigenous elders 2 Contents 1 Biography 2 References 3 Bibliography 4 External linksBiography edit nbsp McDougall MissionMcDougall was born in Kingston Ontario then Upper Canada 3 4 In 1842 he married Elizabeth Chantler and they eventually had nine children 5 After attending Victoria College in Cobourg he was ordained in 1854 In 1860 he was sent to the Rossville near Norway House In 1863 he established the Victoria Mission near Edmonton the earliest Methodist mission in the West and was superintendent of Methodist missionary work in the Saskatchewan District In 1871 he founded a permanent mission at Edmonton House a Hudson s Bay Company outpost at what is now Edmonton Alberta He and his son John McDougall served missions over a wide area including to Indigenous groups at Pigeon Lake Stoney Lake Saddle Lake and Whitefish Lake He and his son founded the McDougall Orphanage and Training School an Indian residential school around 1873 6 The original school closed in 1908 but was re opened in 1926 as McDougall Residential School As at all residential schools abuse and mistreatment was widespread One notable incident in May 1953 saw all 32 boys abandon the school after a severe disciplinary action by the matron The school was finally closed in 1969 following prolonged opposition from the United Church of Canada which ran it 7 George extended his ministry to southern Alberta establishing McDougall Mission on the Bow River named Morleyville It was on a hunting trip in January 1876 near the Nose Hill area that Rev George McDougall was lost in a blizzard and was found dead several days later 8 There is a cairn to mark the place of George s death on Panora Way NW in Calgary References edit Manitou Asiniy Royal Alberta Museum royalalbertamuseum ca 2021 11 30 Retrieved 2023 12 06 Manitou Asiniy Royal Alberta Museum royalalbertamuseum ca 2021 11 30 Retrieved 2023 12 06 Nix J E 1960 Mission Among the Buffalo The Labours of the Reverends George M and John C McDougall in the Canadian Northwest 1860 1876 Ryerson Press Retrieved 2015 04 10 Nix James Ernest 1972 McDougall George Millward In Hayne David ed Dictionary of Canadian Biography Vol X 1871 1880 online ed University of Toronto Press Sanderson Kay 200 Remarkable Alberta Women Calgary Famous Five Foundation p 1 ARCHIVES CANADA archivescanada ca Archived from the original on 2014 10 25 Retrieved 2015 04 10 McDougall Orphanage and Morley Residential School The Children Remembered Retrieved 2023 12 06 Mark Watson Rev George McDougall Southern Alberta Pioneers and their Descendants SAPD Retrieved 2011 10 26 Quan Holly 2009 Native Chiefs and Famous Metis Heritage House Publishing Bibliography editMcDougall John 1888 George Millward McDougall the pioneer patriot and missionary Toronto William Briggs McDougall John ed 1890 Primer and Language Lessons in English and Cree William Briggs McDougall John 1895 Forest lake and prairie twenty years of frontier life in Western Canada 1842 62 Toronto William Briggs McDougall John 1896 Saddle sled and snowshoe pioneering on the Saskatchewan in the sixties Toronto William Briggs McDougall John 1911 In the days of the Red River rebellion Life and adventure in the far west of Canada 1868 1872 Toronto William Briggs McDougall John 1911 On western trails in the early seventies frontier pioneer life in the Canadian North West Toronto William Briggs External links editMcDougall Stoney Mission Society Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title George McDougall amp oldid 1196580693, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
