This cairn was erected in 1950 and the Battle of Duck Lake was designated a national historic site by the federal government on the recommendation of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. It is located on the site of the first battle of the Northwest Resistance of 1885, within Beardy's and Okemasis' Cree Nation.
At this place on 26 March 1885, the first in a series of battles took place and was considered an important victory for the Métis, who were grieved by uncertainty over land rights in the wake of Canadian expansion and encroaching settlement. While on the way to confiscate guns and ammunition from Hillyard Mitchell’s store near Duck Lake, a group of North West Mounted Police and civilians encountered a larger group of Métis, led by Gabriel Dumont. After a shot was fired, the North West Mounted Police and civilians retreated. As news of this encounter spread, Superintendent Leif N.F. Crozier gathered 52 North West Mounted Police, as well as 43 civilians, and they made their way along the Carlton Trail toward Duck Lake into Chief Beardy’s reserve. Chief Beardy made it clear that he wanted no part in the upcoming skirmish, and that he did not support Louis Riel. Meanwhile, the group of Métis had grown to include Isidore Dumont, Louis Riel, and Cree allies. The two groups eventually met, and the battle began when a North West Mounted Police interpreter, fearing an ambush, fired and killed Isidore Dumont. After 30 minutes of fighting with casualties suffered on both sides, Crozier ordered a retreat, and Riel ordered his followers not to shoot at them as they left.
