Battle of Canyon Creek

This battle supposedly was fought just west of present day Billings, Montana, near Laurel, Montana, and involved some 350 American soldiers and their Bannock, Crow, and Nez Perze allies, and an unknown number of Anishinabe soldiers. To the west, the Americans had fought four battles in northern Idaho, western Montana, and northeast Idaho, which did not stop the Anishinabe westward exodus. This battle may have actually been fought near the Canyon Creek, Montana location which is a few miles west of Helena. The Canyon Creek, Montana location west of Helena is on an old Anishinabe road (the whites named it Mullan road) which leads to the Missoula, Montana region. The location may have been the site of an Anishinabe settlement which helped the Anishinabe people living on the plains near Great Falls, flee westwards into Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.

The 350 American soldiers and their Indian allies, reached Canyon Creek on September 13, 1877 to not visit, but to destroy the Anishinabe settlement located in that region and halt the exodus. However, before the Americans could actually initiate the attack they were spotted by guards who notified the settlements inhabitants of the approaching American military force, which included the Indian allies of the evil white race. Since the location of the Indian settlement was situated in a region which offered some degree of natural protection, that is where the Anishinabe soldiers took their women and children, who would have been killed by the Americans and their Indian allies, if they didn’t use every means available to protect their women and children from their enemies. The Americans and their Indian allies, were not at all pleased to learn that the Anishinabek escaped just before they arrived. And then the Americans ordered many of their soldiers to head to the north of the settlement to attempt to stop the group of Anishinabe men, women, and children from reaching a heavily wooded canyon, which would offer them protection and the opportunity to reach the nearby road to escape towards western Montana.

Those American plans did not work out as planned, and once the Anishinabe soldiers had successfully reached the heavily wooded canyon, a long five hour battle followed. It was an Anishinabe victory, but a few from that group of defiant Anishinabek later surrendered to the Americans. The date of this battle may be wrong. Those Anishinabek who escaped eventually reached the Washington and British Columbia region. Although the battle was long and intense, the protection the region where the battle of Canyon Creek was located, offered, prevented heavy casualties from occurring. American casualties were 14 with 3 killed. Indian casualties were 4 with 1 killed.