Louis Riel - A Manitoba Legend Traditional Cache

Louis Riel was born on October 22, 1844 in what was then called the Red River Colony, near present-day Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was a Métis (pronounced may-TEE) person, having mixed French-Aboriginal ancestry. The son of a prominent leader of his people, Louis followed in his father’s footsteps to become the most influential Métis leader in history. A large part of his charisma was due to his resistance to the expansion of the Canadian state on traditional aboriginal and Métis lands. His opposition brought about the Red River Resistance, wherein Riel and the Métis refused to allow Canadian authorities into the Colony. This resistance culminated in the formation of the Legislative Assembly of Assiniboia in 1869, which governed the colony on a provisional basis for less than a year. With Riel as its President, the Assembly negotiated the entry of Manitoba into the Canadian state, with certain safeguards for the rights of Métis and aboriginal peoples. Manitoba, which was dramatically smaller in 1870 than it is today, became the first “expansion” province since Canada was formed in 1867. In the midst of the Resistance, Métis leaders captured, tried, and executed a Canadian man named Thomas Scott. This action prompted a military response from the Canadian government. Rather than face the militarily superior Canadian Army, Riel fled to the United States.

Louis Riel’s story doesn’t end there. In subsequent years he returned to Canadian territory to again lead the Métis in resistance against the Canadian government. This campaign, known as the North-West Rebellion, ended with his military defeat and arrest in what would later be called the Province of Saskatchewan. For his leadership in uprising against the state, Riel was charged and convicted of high treason, the only person in Canadian history to befall that fate. Louis Riel was executed on November 16, 1885. He remains a controversial figure to this day, with some seeing him as a Métis hero and a national treasure, while others regard him as a murderer and traitor. Valorous or villainous, he is the “Father of Manitoba”. The third Monday of February each year is designated “Louis Riel Day” in this province.