T he historical Métis were the descendants of the union of European men and First Nations women. They developed their own unique shared customs,

culture, history, and heritage. They were known as the children of the fur trade. The great hero and icon of the Métis is Louis Riel who was born in the Red River settle-ment of Rupert’s Land in 1844.

In 1870, when he was only 25 years old, the charismatic Riel was elected by the Métis and white settlers as President of the Provisional Government of Red River that was re-sponsible for bringing the province of Manitoba into the Canadian federation.

Subsequently in 1884 the settlers of the Canadian colony of what is now Saskatchewan sent a delegation of Métis and

white settlers to Montana to plead with Riel to return with them to the North West Territories. They wanted him to help them obtain their rights and to seek remedies for their grievances against Canada.

It is not possible in a short article to give a comprehen-sive account of events surrounding this important part of Canadian history, but we would like to highlight some of the significant matters relating to Louis Riel and the Métis people.

During the Red River Resistance of 1869-70 and the Northwest Uprising of 1885 the Métis under the leadership of Louis Riel were fighting for basic human rights. Among those things they were attempting to achieve were respon-sible government, parliamentary representation, land grants and title, income for hospitals and schools, better

Legion Magazine’s November/December cover story on the 12 Military Events That Shaped Canada generated a solid reader response. The magazine received many letters on the first item listed under the heading The Northwest Rebellion, 1885. In particular, readers expressed different views on Louis Riel who remains a controversial figure to this day. The viewpoint that follows is from the BC Métis Federation, written by Métis historians George and Terry Goulet.

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LOUIS RIELMétis Hero and Icon

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provisions for First Nations, and Provincial sta-tus. At the time of the Red River Resistance of 1869-70, Canada consisted of only four provinces—Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. As part of Rupert’s Land, Red River was not part of Canada at that time. Canada had no jurisdiction over it, and as a result the Red River Resistance was not a “rebel-lion” against Canada.

At the time of the 1885 Northwest Uprising, the North West Territories (now Saskatchewan and Alberta) was a territory of Canada and the residents were being treated as second-class citizens. The armed conflict and first bloodshed of the Northwest Uprising was initiated not by the Métis but by “Gentleman Joe” McKay. On instructions from his superior, North West Mounted Police Major Lief Crozier, McKay shot at point-blank range and killed both the Métis Isadore Dumont and a First Nation representative Assywin, who had come to parley with Crozier and McKay.

According to the book The Trial of Louis Riel: Justice and Mercy Denied (by George Goulet) during the Northwest Uprising, Riel never fired a shot or killed anyone. It notes that on July 6, 1885, Riel was charged with six counts of high treason under the 1351 English Statute of Treasons, and that there were serious judicial, political, and legal improprieties related to Riel’s trial, including secret correspondence between the Minister of Justice and the Chief Justice of Manitoba.

The book also notes Riel’s lawyers disobeyed his spe-cific instructions for a trial on the merit of his actions, and without his authorization attempted to prove him insane on the instruction of some mysterious “others”, a defence unanimously rejected by the jury. The book also notes Riel’s lawyers had serious conflicts of interest in acting for him, and states that his lead lawyer Charles Fitzpatrick was a law partner and brother-in-law of Adolphe Caron, the Minister of Militia who sent the Canadian troops to crush Riel, the Métis and the Northwest Uprising.

With respect to levying war, the book adds that the 1351 Statute of Treasons applied only in the King’s “Realm” that consisted only of England, Wales and the four narrow seas abutting them. It states that the Northwest Uprising took place in what is now Saskatchewan, and not in the King’s Realm, and consequently Riel was improperly charged, convicted and executed on Nov. 16, 1885, under that archaic statute.

Today, Louis Riel is seen as the most remarkable person in Métis history. He is viewed as their iconic leader, and represents all those valiant Métis who fought for basic hu-man rights, not only for the Métis but for other Canadians.

The dynamic Riel was a natural-born leader whose life profoundly influenced Canadian society and politics, the founding of Manitoba, and the rights of western Canadians.

His impact continues to this day and will con-tinue into the future. Highly intelligent, well-

educated and a compelling orator, he was elected to the Parliament of Canada on three separate occasions while he was still in his 20s although due to politics he was never able to take his seat.

Riel’s fascinating life combined the heights of success and the depths of defeat, the sacred and the profane. To some he conjoined fame and infamy; to

others he was an iconoclast who became an icon. To Riel himself he had a pro-

phetic mission—to lead and champion his people, the Métis, in having their grievances

remedied, their rights obtained, and their lives uplifted. He has been called the first prairie popu-

list politician, and the plaque, which accompanies the monumental statue of Louis Riel adjacent to the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg, reads in part: “In 1992, the Parliament of Canada and the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba formally recognized Riel’s contribution to the de-velopment of the Canadian Confederation and his role, and that of the Métis, as founders of Manitoba.”

Many of the demands in the Bill of Rights Riel champi-oned for the Métis and for westerners in 1885 came to pass after his unjust execution. Results of his leadership of the Métis include Manitoba becoming a province of Canada in 1870; the people (other than women and “Indians”) of what is now Saskatchewan and Alberta winning the right to vote and be elected Members of Parliament in 1886, responsible government in 1887, and provincial status in 1905.

Other notable outcomes inspired by Riel’s life include the Métis people being specifically recognized as an Aboriginal rights-bearing people in the Constitution Act of Canada, 1982 and his being looked upon by the Métis as a hero and their greatest symbol. Riel has been the subject of stage, radio, film, opera, television, documentaries, monuments, and a postage stamp. Numerous books, biographies, songs, and articles have been written about this charismatic Métis icon. Riel is honoured every year in a number of Canadian cities with flag-raising ceremonies at municipal halls and other public places, including his gravesite in St. Boniface, Man. In addition, Manitoba’s statutory Family Day holiday in February has been named “Louis Riel Day”.

Today, Riel remains an inspiration to Métis people. It is as a result of his dedication, leadership, and legacy that the Métis today can be “Proud To Be Métis.” Is Riel a hero? If a hero is one who forfeits his life as a result of fighting for the rights of his people and others in a just cause, then he is a hero, not only to the Métis but to all Canadians who believe in and fight for basic human rights.

Further information on the Métis and BCMF can be obtained at the BCMF website bcmetisfederation.com.

To Riel himself he had a prophetic mission—to lead and champion his people, the Métis, in having their grievances remedied, their rights obtained, and their lives uplifted.