Original Items. One-of-a-Kind Group. This is an outstanding lot of relic items worn by members of the Canadian Northwest Military Police, having been dug from the site of the North-West Rebellion of 1885. There are 11 items total, including a very rare North West Mounted Police belt buckle, three different styles of NWMP buttons, a gothic text NWMP badge, two spike helmet spikes, ring chinscales, half of a snake belt buckle, and other spike helmet pieces.

The most prominent piece in the group is a rectangular NWMP belt buckle, with the corners cut diagonally and an applied North-West Mounted Police badge at center. The reverse retains the crossbar and fastening lip. Despite its excavated condition, the basic construction and central insignia remain clearly visible.

The relics include:

- NWMP belt buckle with rectangular plate diagonally cut at all four corners with NWMP badge attached. Cross bar and lip on reverse.
- Great Canadian MP snake belt buckle half with MP embossed on both sides of the snake, GREAT PIECE!
- Three different variants of NWMP buttons, one large with the Buffalo head, one small with the Buffalo head, and one medium size with NWMP and a Crown over CANADA. The two Buffalo buttons are maker-marked for a Birmingham firm.
- NWMP gothic text badge, possibly for belt buckle or hat badge. 
- Two Canadian spike helmet spikes, with screw-posts, heavily dented.
- Two vented bases for spike helmet and one interior four-bar vent fitting from spike helmet. 
- Chain ring chinscales for spike helmet.

The North-West Rebellion of 1885, also known today as the North-West Resistance, developed from longstanding Métis grievances over land, political representation, and federal policy in the North-West Territories. Louis Riel returned from the United States in 1884 and became a leading figure in the movement, while Gabriel Dumont emerged as its principal military leader.

Armed conflict began in earnest at Duck Lake on March 26, 1885, where Métis forces encountered a column of North-West Mounted Police and local volunteers under Superintendent Leif Crozier. The NWMP force was defeated and withdrew to Fort Carlton. The clash demonstrated that the police alone could not contain the uprising, prompting the Canadian government to mobilize the larger North-West Field Force under Major-General Frederick Middleton.

The campaign also included the Frog Lake incident, fighting around Battleford, Fish Creek, Cut Knife Hill, Frenchman’s Butte, and ultimately the Battle of Batoche from May 9–12, 1885. Batoche ended in a decisive Canadian government victory, and Riel surrendered a few days later. The NWMP remained deeply involved in policing, communications, scouting, and the defense of posts throughout the conflict.

The role of Indigenous peoples during the conflict was complex and cannot be reduced to a single unified uprising. Métis, Cree, Assiniboine, Dakota, and other individuals and communities made differing choices, with some fighting against government forces while others remained neutral or served as scouts and auxiliaries with the NWMP and Canadian forces.

The combination of the NWMP belt buckle, three distinct button types, Gothic-letter badge, snake-buckle half, two helmet spikes, vent fittings, and surviving chinscales, together with their reported recovery from an 1885 rebellion site, makes this an exceptional research group connected with one of the defining conflicts of early Canadian western history. The precise recovery location and individual ownership are not documented here, but the surviving NWMP insignia and equipment components provide substantial historical interest on their own.