Little Bear (born âyimisîs, ᐋᔨᒥᓰᐢ [1] or Macquettoquet - Little Big Bear) was a Cree leader who lived in the District of Alberta, Idaho Territory, Montana Territory, and District of Saskatchewan regions of Canada and the United States, in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

In early 1885, Metis, led by Louis Riel, and some Cree living in the District of Saskatchewan fought and lost in the North-West Rebellion against Canada.

Little Bear sought assurances that the show would travel to Washington, D.C., where he hoped to gain an audience with President Grover Cleveland and plead his people's case for a reservation.

After much deliberation, Little Bear signed a six-month contract, and the Crees went on a six-week tour with the show through twenty-three cities, ending in Bellevue, Kentucky.

Unable to travel to Washington D.C., Little Bear settled for an audience with Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont at Fort Thomas, Kentucky.

En route to the fort, Little Bear's people camped along the Ohio River at Taylor's Bottom, where a crowd of local citizens led by the mayor threatened them with jail if they did not leave the state.

Finally, Little Bear received permission to camp for one night, and the next morning, he spoke to Secretary of War Lamont through an interpreter.

[7] In 1896, the United States deported Little Bear, Lucky Man and hundreds of other landless Cree and Ojibwas of Montana back to Canada.

)[8] Little Bear settled in Canada perhaps at Onion Lake[9] and in 1898 travelled, with John McDougall, to Ottawa to complain of the treatment of his people by the government.

Little Bear followed the Chippewa leader Rocky Boy, hoping that the landless nations of Montana could gain reservations.

In 1905, 1906, 1908, and around 1911 Little Bear, accompanied by missonary John Chantler McDougall, contacted Canadian government officials to request land for homes for the band formerly living in Montana.

Since hundreds of Chippewas and Cree continued to remain landless, Rocky Boy and Little Bear stepped up their efforts to get another reservation set aside in Montana.