A great buffalo hunter, Dumont's MÄtis roots in the Saskatchewan River Valley extended back to a French- Canadian grandfather who arrived there in 1794. Born in 1837 at St. Boniface while his family was visiting the Red River colony, Dumont was raised, from the age of three, in Saskatchewan. He spoke French and six Indian languages but almost no English.
Dumont was one of the messengers who summoned Riel from Montana. He served as Riel's adjutant-general and planned the engagements at Duck Lake and Fish Creek. Against the North West Mounted Police he was successful, but he failed to defeat General Middleton. After 1885 he fled to the United States and performed, until 1888, in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show where this photograph was taken. Later, he quietly returned to the Batoche area to live out the remainder of his days trapping, hunting and trading. Respected by both the white and MÄtis communities, he died on 19 May 1906 leaving no children.
