Joseph "Gentleman Joe" McKay

Joseph McKay, born July 12, 1856 in St Andrews, RRS; died December 12, 1938 in St Mary's, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada; married Flora Ann McKay March 30, 1887 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Notes for Joseph McKay:

He was a son of John Dougal Mckay and Harriet Mckay. John Dougal Mckay would be a first cousin 1 generation removed to John Richards Mckay, and Harriet was John Richards Mckay's daughter.

So it is like your cousin's son marrying your daughter.... Anyway, Joseph Mckay's born 1842, the youngest of John Richards Mckay's sons, married Flavie Poitras, and their daughter, Ann Flora married Joseph (Gentleman Joe) Mckay's, a son of his sister Harriet and John Dougal Mckay's ( his second cousin) In any case this Gentleman Joe Mckay's was very involved in the Riel Rebellion at Batoche.

"Riel viewed his mission as part of a larger aboriginal struggle and believed the Indians, victimized by a decade of government parsimony and intransigence, would jump at the opportunity to extract revenge. But the Indian leaders had their own agenda for addressing the grievances and were pinning their hopes on a large intertribal council at Duck Lake that summer.

Chief Beardy refused to be drawn into Riels's gambit, and he deeply regretted the resort to arms- and what it might mean to Indian diplomatic efforts. He was deeply worried about what might happen to his own people.Chief Beardy's reserve was located between Batoche and Carlton, and all he could do was counsel restraint and try to keep out intruders.

Assiyiwin, one of Beardy's four headmen learned the Metis and the NW Police were probably meet outside Duck Lake. He tied his goods on his pony and started home on foot, hurrying as best he good despite his poor eyesight. The reserve was not far, and he soon heard excited voices. He could not make out any figures. "Stop! Don't you know what is going on here?" a voice in Cree challenged the old man.It was "Gentleman Joe Mckay's, the Police interpreter. "No, I am blind," replied Assiyiwin. "Tell me what is going on?" Mckay's could hardly contain his annoyance with the old indian. " There is going to be trouble here. Go back to where you came from.

Assiyiwin had innocently walked into the middle of the unfolding drama. Earlier that morning, Superintendent Leif Crozier had set off rashly for Duck Lake with one hundred Police and Civilian volunteers to prevent guns from falling into the hands of Riel's supporters. As they headed out from Carlton they entered Chief Beardy's reserve, where Crozier stopped to talk to Chief Beardy who confirmed he was not joining Riel. As the force headed towards Duck Lake they spotted about 20 Metis horseman led by Gabriel Dumont and quickly took a defensive position. Gabriel sent his brother Isidore to stall the police and when he reached Assiyiwin and Mckay's, the pair were arguing. The old man was indignant that the Police had intruded on the reserve and flatly told Mckay's, " If you are going to have a battle, if you are going to spill blood, you cannot do it on our reserve land. Mckay once again ordered him to go back, but the unarmed Indian stood there with his horse and said "NO, I am going home." Mckay's then threw his coat on the ground and said " Step over my coat..and I will shoot you." Assiyiwin had once been a powerful warrior- one of his most prized possessions was a small box of Blackfoot scalps- and he was not about to back down from anybody. He grabbed Mckay's rifle and as the two men struggled- Isisdore shouted "Don't shoot each other. We want to work this out peacefully. We don't want anybody killed."

It was too late, Mckay's, sensing this parley was only a ruse for an ambush, pulled out his revolver and shot Isidore Dumont in the head, killing him instantly. He then turned his revolver on the unarmed Assiyiwin and mortally wounded him in the stomach. At the sound of gunfire, shooting erupted from both sides. The casualties mounted by the minute, and it quickly became apparent the Metis held the upper hand- especially since dozens of men, including Riel armed only with a crucifix, poured in from Batoche.

Assiyiwin's death, the battle on Beardy's Reserve, and the presence of a handful of Willow Cree among the Metis fighters pointed to an Indian-Metis alliance- an assumption the country's newspapers reached immediately, and this persists to this day."

Loyal to Death ( Indians and the North-West Rebellion) by Blair Stonechild & Bill Waiser

Fifth House Publishers

1. 9-6125- 11th Street SE Calgary AB T2H 2L6

More About Joseph McKay: Baptism: May 19, 1865, at St Francois Xavier, RRS Burial: St. Mary's, Prince Albert, SASK, CAN Fact 1: Source John Hunter Fact 2: Stan Hulme 'Out from the Bay' Fact 3: MF page 781 Fact 4: Known as 'Gentleman Joe' Fact 5: married his cousin Fact 6: Bonnie's database, Jan 15, 1999

More About Flora Ann McKay: Baptism: June 05, 1869 Burial: St. Mary's, Prince Albert, SASK, CAN Fact 1: Source T. C. McCloy Papers Fact 2: Stan Hulme 'Out from the Bay' Fact 3: MF pages 768 & 781