Victoria Callihoo (1861-1965)
born at Lac Ste.-Anne in 1861. Daughter of Frenchman Alexis Belcourt and Metis woman Nancy Rowand. Nancy's great-grandfather, was John Rowand, chief factor at Fort Edmonton 1821-1854. Her grandfather was Antoine Rowand, John's son.
Her father’s family is an old one in western Canada. Louis Callihoo came west in the late 1700s, more than 200 years ago. (see footnote)
Named after Queen Victoria, the reigning monarch at the time of her birth. Victoria Callihoo lived long enough to see Queen Victoria die, to be succeeded by four kings and to see another queen come to the throne, our present Queen Elizabeth, who was crowned when Victoria Callihoo was almost 90 years old.
Alberta became part of Canada when she was 6 years old. It got its first train when she was in her 20s, electric lights when she was in her 30s, became a province and got its first car and plane when she was in her 40s. She was in her 60s when Alberta got its first radio station (1927). She was 70 when the first vinyl music records were invented (1931). She was in her 90s when Edmonton got its first television station (1954). The Beatles were formed when she was 99 and they launched the British invasion of the North American pop scene just as she died. Her life spanned the period from the sound of the tom-tom to the sound of electric guitars.
spent her childhood at Lac Ste.-Anne (footprints article on internet], but
in her childhood the family travelled around.
she went on her first great buffalo hunt when she was 13. With her mother and father, she travelled by horse and wagon to the Prairies to the south. About 100 families travelled together for safety, companionship and to share the work. The buffalo travelled in great herds. She said they looked like "a dark solid moving mass." ("voices of amiskwaciy" website: "Victoria Belcourt Callihoo Our Buffalo Hunts")
Other times her family came to Edmonton. Edmonton is a big city now. but when Victoria was young the place was not much more than the Fort. Have any of you been to the fort at Fort Edmonton Park? That was how the city looked when Victoria was young. There are tipis outside the fort at Fort Edmonton Park. This is how it was when Victoria, her mom and dad and her ten or so brothers and sisters camped at Edmonton. The family's tipi was set up where the Hotel Macdonald now sits.
(living at Lac Ste.-Anne in 1874 (ST, p. 44))
in 1878 at the age of 17, she married Louis (L'Iroquois) Callihoo, son of Louis L'Iroquois "Kwarakwate" (1750-1846)
his name was Louis Jerome (ST, p. 79-80)
They settled at Devil's Lake (AA, p. 145), another name for Lac Ste. Anne, and then on the Michel Reserve. (ST, p. 80)
About this time, things developed around Edmonton. flour could be obtained from a flour mill at the Fort. so bannock and bread could be made. (ST, p. 81)
But the buffalo pretty much vanished. 1882 was the last successful great buffalo hunt (EB as per ST, p. 81)
They had 12 children
Louis started a sawmill. one son died working there. He then sold it. (AA, p. 144)
the family moved to Lac Ste. Anne, where they ran a small family farm and a busy hotel along the road to the mountains (AA, p. 144)
moved to Michel Reserve (AA, p. 144)
Louis died in 1926 at 65 years of age. Victoria was 61. She lived another 43 years.
1949 Victoria attended the unveiling of a plaque at Elk Island National Park on the subject of the preservation of the bison. A photo of the event shows her there as an honoured guest. (Grant MacEwan, And Mighty Women Too…, AA, p.149) (Unfortunately the pillar near the beach at EIP that once bore that plaque has been demolished. The whereabouts of the plaque is unknown.)
Died 1966 (age 104) (Sun Traveller, p. 84; AA, p. 145)
sources code:
AA = Anne Anderson, The First Metis
ST = Elizabeth Macpherson, Sun Traveller
her own writings:
articles in Alberta Historical Review by Victoria Callihoo:
Early life in Lac Ste. Anne vol. 1, no. 3 autumn 1953
Our Buffalo Hunts [1874] vol 8. no. 1 winter 1960 [available in PAA 74.1/45 Box 2]
The Iroquois in Alberta Spring 1959
Other sources of information:
Cavanaugh, Standing on New Ground also makes reference to Victoria Callihoo
MacEwan's Mighty Women too has unit on Victoria Callihoo
Elizabeth Macpherson, The Sun Traveller. The Story of the Callihoos in Alberta
CEA clippings RG 200 1.1
CALLIHOO, Aldoph Benjamin [son of Louis and Victoria Callihoo (AA, p. 158)]
CALLIHOO, Louis & Victoria Pioneer
CALLIHOO, Solomon Chief of Michel Indian Band
L'HIRONDELLE-CALLIHOO, Octavie Aboriginal Teacher
L'HIRONDELLE, Bert
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other notes:
LSA mission settlement, founded in 1844, is one of the oldest permanent settlements in Alberta.
Dianne Meili, Victoria's great-granddaughter, author of Those Who Know (Cavanaugh, Standing on New Ground, p. 177)
for info on the Iroquois roots and problems on the Michel Reserve, see Hunter and Calihoo, Occupied Canada
[nothing found in Peel's PP searchable newspapers on Victoria Callihoo 1906-1923]
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Footnote:
The Callihoo family in Alberta, was started when a Mohawk (a part of the Iroquois Confederacy) man came to Alberta (then part of the North-West Territories) in the early 1800s as an employee of the fur-trading Northwest Company.
Many Albertans trace their heritage back to this man, including John Callihoo (1882-1957), whose bust is on display in the Alberta Legislature to honour his work on behalf of the Metis Nation of Alberta.
The family is the namesake of Callihoo, Alberta.
The book The Sun Traveller is a comprehensive source for info on the family.
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