The Stoney Mountain Penitentiary, constructed in 1876, succeeded an earlier prison at the old fur trade centre of Lower Fort Garry. Until the twentieth century it remained the principal federal prison in the region then known as the North West. From its inception a large proportion of its inmates were Indian and MÄtis. Shown here in 1886 in front of the institution are Cree chiefs Big Bear and Poundmaker (seated) who were serving time there for their roles in the Northwest Rebellion the previous year. Eight Indians were hanged for their part in the rebellion. Although a penitentiary sentence might seem preferable to execution, many native people found the confinement of prison so intolerable that they became seriously ill and died before completing their sentences. Both Big Bear and Poundmaker died shortly after their early release. (See Canada's Visual History, volume 71, for an account of The Northwest Rebellion of 1885.)
Courtesy: Canadian Penitentiary Service Museum, Kingston
