A Guide With A Fiddle

Jimmy Swain was a Métis guide on the 1905 Treaty 9 expedition, serving as head guide for treaty commissioners travelling through northern Ontario and western James Bay regions. His leadership went beyond navigation and physical endurance. Swain recognized that true leadership also involved uplifting those around him and fostering a sense of community during times of exhausting labour.

Born in northwestern Ontario, Swain lived, worked, and married in the Abitibi Inland and western James Bay regions, gaining the knowledge of waterways, portages, and communities that made him essential to the 1905 Treaty 9 expedition.

Swain’s leadership was visible on the water, across the portages, and around the evening camp. He carried practical knowledge shaped by years of work in the region, and he also carried a fiddle. At one portage, Commissioner Samuel Stewart’s journal noted Swain stepping forward in a new role, using music to shape the camp's mood after a hard day of travel:

“Our head guide Jimmy Swain came to the front in a new role at this portage. He had brought a fiddle with him…”

Swain guided the route, supported the travelling party, and sustained morale through music. His presence on the Treaty 9 expedition reflected the skill, endurance, and cultural strength seen in many Métis guides across the historic North-West.

See Our Sources

• "The James Bay Treaty 9. Places visited by the Commissioners, Summer of 1905"

• Abitibi Inland Métis Community’s Submission to the MNC Expert Panel

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