Historically, reservation life has presented challenges and hardships, which have definitely been felt at Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation. Prior to the reservation and even the Pembina Chippewa occupying Turtle Mountain, the area was inhabited by the Assiniboine Indians whose population had been drastically reduced due to diseases like smallpox. This decline led to their alliance with the Pembina Chippewa, Cree, and their Metis/Michif relatives, a union firmly established by the time Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation was recognized in 1882. With the reduction in size in 1884, challenging living conditions were created, which were only exacerbated by historical events at the end of that decade.

North of the Medicine Line or the Canadian-American border, trouble was brewing that would greatly impact Turtle Mountain. The Metis/Michif found themselves pitted against the Canadian military in a struggle for Indigenous land rights. In 1885, the Battle of Batoche ensued, resulting in the surrender of the Metis/Michif. Many fled Canada, seeking refuge among relatives, including at Turtle Mountain. The influx of people in exile increased the burden on the limited resources available in the Turtle Mountain area. Another blow came in the form of an unusually difficult winter in 1887-1888. The lack of resources coupled with the brutal weather resulted in 151 people starving to death on or near the reservation.

The people of Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation felt abandoned, forced to surrender to the ethnic genocide at the hands of the United States government. Confined to reservations, often referred to as prisoner concentration camps, they were forced to assimilate, their heritage and culture threatened. Many of the Metis/Michif at Turtle Mountain spoke fluent or partial Cree language. Sadly, due to the negative connotations associated with being Canadian Cree, few people at Turtle Mountain openly acknowledged their Cree heritage out of fear of being deported across the 49th parallel. It was a time marked with uncertainty, in what felt like unending years of hardships and challenges.