Dumont was well known for his movements within the North-West Rebellion at the battles of Batoche, Fish Creek, and Duck Lake as well as for his role in the signing of treaties with the Blackfoot tribe, the traditional main enemy of the Métis.

[3] Dumont was introduced to the art of Métis buffalo hunting in his childhood years, and over time mastered the nuances of prairie life.

In much the same vein as many of the other prominent Métis leaders of his day such as Louis Riel, Dumont had mastered the fine art of diplomacy in the northern plains of the West.

[3] Dumont was first introduced to plains warfare at the young age of 13 in 1851, where he fought in the Battle of Grand Coteau against the much larger contingent of Yankton Sioux.

[2] Dumont's actions in that conflict included defending a large Métis encampment against the advances of a Dakota war party.

Later on, Dumont helped to sign a treaty with the Blackfoot, an action that led to a long state of peace with the traditional enemies of the Métis.

However, Dumont did move quickly to Fort Garry in order to offer his military assistance during Colonel Garnet Wolseley's movement on the area.

[3] Dumont was dealt a glancing blow to his head from a stray bullet during the battle, cutting an artery, and was thereafter confined to nursing his injury while the rest of the North-West Rebellion played out.

In order to combat the advancing threat, Dumont proposed a campaign of terror that focused on uprooting railroads and prolonged periods of violence against Canadian soldiers.

Dumont's skillful military leadership allowed them to drive off the attackers and enabled the Métis soldiers to eventually retreat to the relative safety of Batoche.

[5] Although they lacked the numbers to truly put a dent in the Canadian forces, Dumont's group handicapped a military steamer and managed to repel several of Middleton's infantry pushes.

[1] For days afterwards, Dumont remained in the vicinity of Batoche to ensure that blankets were distributed to the now homeless Métis women and children.

[3] After crossing the border into the United States via the Cypress Hills and Montana Territory,[2] Dumont and his companion Michel Dumas were detained almost immediately.

While Dumont was indeed in hiding, it was rumoured that the soldiers looking for him made a rather feeble attempt to find him after learning that "le petit", his famous rifle, was still in his possession.

[citation needed] Dumont's hereditary skills gained from his heritage as a buffalo hunter quickly gave rise to his influence politically.

He was known as a leader with a vision for the Métis, as he recognized that the declining numbers of the buffalo in Western Canada coupled with the encroaching Canadian agricultural movement spreading from the east would spark a great amount of change on the prairies.

When land surveyors from the Canadian government began to arrive in Saskatchewan during the 1870s, they showed a complete lack of regard for the Métis system of land tenure[3] When the North-West Mounted Police arrived on the plains in 1874, it proved the volatility of the situation – Sir John A. Macdonald's government had no plans to treat the Métis as a self-governing entity.

[6] Clarke sent their concerns on to Lieutenant Governor Alexander Morris,[6] claiming that the Métis were in open revolt against the Canadian government.

[2] During the 1880s Dumont's council sent petitions to the capital in Ottawa imploring the government to recognize the traditional land holdings (tenure) of the Métis.

When these petitions went unanswered by the prime minister and his cabinet, Dumont and the Métis felt compelled to protect the land through a more direct method.

[2] Subsequently, a delegation consisting of Dumont and three of his closest companions was sent to Riel requesting that he travel to Saskatchewan in order to provide insight into how best to protect Métis lands and freedoms.

During the meeting, several of the indigenous people present suggested a more violent approach to proceedings – defending their lands against the Canadian government through the use of arms.

In the spring of 2008, provincial Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Christine Tell proclaimed at Duck Lake, that "the 125th commemoration, in 2010, of the 1885 Northwest Rebellion is an excellent opportunity to tell the story of the Prairie Métis and First Nations peoples' struggle with government forces and how it has shaped Canada today.

It is located at the site of Gabriel's Crossing, where he ran a small store, billiards hall, and ferry service in the late 1870s and early 1880s.