On the Hunt for William Hallett

On the Hunt for William Hallett: Discovering a Forgotten Métis Leader
by Audrhea Lande
Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing
Review by Toby A. Welch  
$29.95 ISBN 9781778690525

A nearly forgotten figure from Métis history has come alive! On the Hunt for William Hallett drew me in initially because of its beautiful cover: a man galloping across the plains on horseback, a rifle in one hand, a buffalo running alongside. The image pulled me in but the vivid writing and fascinating storyline kept me hooked.

I had never heard of William Hallett, but I assumed that he was an interesting fellow if someone penned a book about him; after all he has been dead over a century. A sworn enemy of Louis Riel, Hallett called himself “a loyal half-breed of the Red River settlement.” He was born in 1811 to a mother of the Blood (Kainai) tribe, which was part of the Blackfoot Confederacy. He went on to do unforgettable things. Author Audrhea Lande summed Hallett up better than I could: “A man who loved the wild prairies and knew them intimately. A man connected to the original people of the plains. A man who spoke up for justice and fair treatment. A man of great stamina and endurance. A leader with a great heart. A man of whom his descendants can be justifiably proud.” 

My favourite thing about On the Hunt for William Hallett is the visual elements that break up the words. For example, you find maps of the area, location signs, pictures of monuments and plaques, paintings of scenes that Lande writes about, photos of locations and buildings, newspaper clippings, and so much more. The most striking is the photo of Hallett’s grave marker that sits on the grounds of a church he helped establish in 1854, a stone’s throw from his family’s farm. The headstone reads: “In memory of William Hallett who died Dec. 27, 1873. Aged 62 years.”  

Lande gets huge kudos for the tremendous amount of research that went into this publication. At the end of each chapter, you’ll find a lengthy list of notations where she found the information discussed in that chapter. And there is an impressive bibliography and section of Essential Sources near the back of the book.

I often struggle when reading a book with many characters but thankfully Lande anticipated that challenge. A list of the characters in On the Hunt for William Hallett can be found on page 176. An invaluable tool, I referred back to it often.

Hallett’s voice and story are no longer just a whisper on the prairie winds. Books like this remind me how captivating Canadian history can be. If you have any interest in figures and events from our country’s past, pick up a copy of On the Hunt for William Hallett. Or if you just like a great read, this book needs to be on your radar.

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