BATOCHE

unincorporated place, central Saskatchewan, Canada. It lies on the east bank of the South Saskatchewan River, 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Prince Albert. The site was settled about 1870 by colonists from the Red River Settlement (founded in 1811-12 near the present city of Winnipeg, Man.). The settlement was named for a Mtis trader, Xavier Letendre, whose nickname was Batoche. The settlement became the headquarters of Louis Riel, leader of the Mtis (people of mixed French and Indian ancestry) in the Riel (North West) Rebellion of 1885, and it was the scene of the decisive and bloody battle (May 9-12) in which Canadian militia under General Frederick Middleton defeated the rebels. The battlefield is now contained in Batoche National Historic Park; of special interest are the Mtis Cemetery and Rectory (which houses historical exhibits).