Author writes about ancestor Cuthbert Grant
Revealing the life of Cuthbert Grant Jr.
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This article was published 11/10/2016 (3367 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A North End author is telling her ancestor’s story.
Sandra Horyski-Anthony, also known as Alexandria Horyski, has been on a long journey exploring the life of her ancestor, Cuthbert Grant Jr.
After almost 10 years of extensive research, the author is launching her first book, Cuthbert Grant Jr – A Métis Visionary, about the Métis leader’s life and contributions to early Canadian and Manitoban history.
Horyski-Anthony said growing up, she had barely studied the history of Grant Jr. and she saw the same happen when her son went to school. She mentioned his life is often overshadowed by Louis Riel’s fight for confederation.
“Everything was always rushed or not spoken about because it was almost like it was just buried under layers of history,” Horyski-Anthony said. “(Cuthbert Grant Jr.) was the foundation, or the building block, to set the stage for other Métis people, such as Louis Riel, to come after during the fight for confederation…He got the ball rolling.”
Grant Jr. was born in 1793 in an area close to the present-day town of Togo, Sask. When he was eight years old, he was sent to Scotland to be educated but came back to Western Canada years later. Horyski-Anthony said the list of his accomplishments for the Métis people “is longer than (one’s) arm.”
During his adulthood, Grant Jr. was recognized as a leader for the Métis population in the fight between North West Company and Hudson’s Bay Company caused by the prohibition of pemmican export. Grant Jr. led the NWC and Métis people in the Battle of Seven Oaks in 1816. Horyski-Anthony said this was the first time the Métis asserted their rights and it was the same year they flew the first Métis flag.
After that, the Métis leader formed a community, west of the Red River, called Grantown and known today as St. Francois Xavier. Once NWC and HBC merged, he was called to be the defence of the Red River Colony.
“He was always worried about the rights, the health, and the well-being of his people. That was always first and foremost,” Horyski-Anthony said.
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Seven Oaks, and the Manitoba Métis Federation declared it to be the year of Cuthbert Grant Jr.
“We are quite pleased to see people talking about the history of the Métis. We encourage anyone who wants to know a little bit more about Métis history, to do some research, do some study…it’s always good when people learn where they came from,” Jonathan Hamel, director of communications for the Manitoba Métis Federation. “We appreciate the work of authors like (Horyski) who work to shed light on the Métis history.”
Horyski-Anthony said it’s important to learn about Grant Jr.’s history because it brings understanding as to how other Métis leaders, such as Louis Riel, contributed to ensuring Métis rights.
“We are a product of two separate cultures. There’s nowhere else in the world that you can say you are a Métis person other than the Red River Colony and Manitoba. I think that’s something that should be celebrated,” Horyski-Anthony said. “Our uniqueness should be celebrated and honoured as such.”
Bringing awareness of his life and how Métis roots should be celebrated is what gives hopes to Horyski-Anthony that people will read the book and seek to know more about one of the first Métis leaders.
“It’s very important for all of us to know where we come from and to instil that in our children for future generations to know their history and the history of where they live,” she added.
Cuthbert Grant Jr – A Métis Visionary is currently available for purchase on Amazon.com
Horyski’s son, Nicholas Horyski-Cerros, has written a screenplay based on the book. Part of the profits will go toward producing the film.