Editing North-West Rebellion (section)

=== Ending the Cree uprising ===
[[File:Battle of Batoche Print by Seargent Grundy.jpg|thumb|The [[Battle of Batoche]] was a decisive victory for the Canadian militia, with the capture of [[Louis Riel]], and the collapse of the [[Provisional Government of Saskatchewan]].]]

But the capture of Batoche did not end the separate conflict with the Cree insurgents.

Otter's column recovered from its defeat at Cut Knife Hill (today's Poundmaker Hill) and pressed on to secure Battleford from additional Cree raids. Poundmaker and several of the chiefs loyal to him marched into Battleford and surrendered on May 26.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mulvaney |title=The North-West Rebellion |pages=384}}</ref>

On May 14 Major General Thomas Bland Strange led the Alberta Field Force, a mixed force of militia and an NWMP detachment from [[Calgary]], eastwards down the North Saskatchewan, toward the scene of unrest. Part of his force was on barges; the rest on foot or horseback on shore. Conditions were unpleasant as it was cold and snowy. By May 25 the force was at Fort Pitt and Frog Lake. On May 28, the force came into contact with Big Bear's band who had been holding a Thirst Dance on a hill north of Fort Pitt, camped with hostages from Frog Lake and Fort Pitt. The soldiers advanced to attack, but fighters in the band won a battle [[Battle of Frenchman's Butte|at Frenchman's Butte]], 43&nbsp;km northeast of Lloydminster, at the end of May.<ref>{{Citation|publisher =Ryerson Press|location =Toronto|title =The war trail of Big Bear (The Battle of Frenchman's Butte)|year =1888|url =http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/1360/202.html|author =William Bleasdell Cameron|publication-date =1926|access-date =2013-10-27|archive-date =2013-10-29|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20131029205656/http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/1360/202.html|url-status =live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Morton |title=The Last War Drum |pages=123}}</ref> Big Bear's band pushed off the north, and NWMP Major [[Sam Steele|Sam Steele's]] mounted scouts followed the trail.

At [[Battle of Loon Lake|Loon Lake]], about 60&nbsp;km northeast of Frenchman's Butte, on June 3, the scouts and Big Bear's band fought in the last armed engagement of the 1885 rebellion. That day [[Sam Steele|Steele's]] scouts, numbering 65, caught up to Big Bear's force. Big Bear's fighters were almost out of ammunition. They released their hostages and fled across the lake at Steele Narrows, after a short exchange of fire.<ref>{{Citation|publisher=Ryerson Press|location=Toronto|title=The war trail of Big Bear (Battle of Loon Lake)|year=1888|url=http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/1360/227.html|author=William Bleasdell Cameron|publication-date=1926|access-date=2013-10-27|archive-date=2013-10-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029210131/http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/1360/227.html|url-status=live}}; Myrna Kostash, The Frog Lake Reader</ref>

Demoralized, defenceless, and with no hope of relief after Poundmaker's surrender, most of Big Bear's fighters surrendered over the next few weeks. On July 2 Big Bear voluntarily surrendered to NWMP Sargeant Smart, stationed at an NWMP post near the destroyed Fort Carlton.<ref name=":0" />