Unregistered Grave site
#16 NE 9-48-22-W4 Big HayLakes SD #2958 (Halley)
EARLY DAYS OF BIG HAY LAKES (From the history book "Treasured Memories")
When
the first settlers came to this area they found the land occupied by Indian
people , mostly of French Canadian origin. They were very kind to the homesteader
, giving them shelter, meals and sometimes even a cow or a few chickens.
Most of them simply squatted on the land , building log shacks, which would
often house two or three families. They didn't work the land , except possibly
for a garden , but used the area for pasturing their ponies and an occasional
cow. Their main living was made from trapping and hunting by the various
lakes in the district. A few filed on the land when it was surveyed. Some
of the families most often mentioned were ; Cardinals, Lubrecans, Jacknife,
Whitebear, Pauls, Colins, Grants, and Gariepys. They travelled to other
settlements , using horse and travois. The deep trail cut by this travois
is still evident on some quarters today, especially the old Duhamel Trail
which cut across SW 10 and the Stoney Plain Trail which cut across NE 4.
They had a burial grounds on the NE -9-48-22-W4, which was kept fenced
for many years. Now it has gone back to nature. They were great friends
and followers of Father Beillevaire, and he often used to come to either
John Gariepys or Paradis to hold church services for them. They also attended
the Roman Catholic Church at Halley, and dealt with Arthur Ladell , owner
of the Halley Store, and Post Office until 1917. In 1976 the congregation
, of the Roman Catholic Church , Big Hay Lake, dedicated a plaque to all
the Indian people who had been buried on the NE 9. (Refer to the St. Thomas Church
Cemetery for possible listings to this Cemetery site)
