A Heroic Figure In The Struggle For Métis Rights: Louis Riel

Emily Swanson

May 12, 2023

A Heroic Figure in the Struggle for Métis Rights: Louis Riel

Louis Riel was the ignition to the flames of events that ended in him being branded nothing but a hero to the Métis. A hero is a person idolized and admired for outstanding and heroic courage, something this historical figure can be classified as. He was an incredibly devoted man, who gained larger understandings of the land around him, could personally relate and would stand up for all Métis people, and was a great, daring leader in the face of government. Perpetually, Louis Riel was a strong and fearless commander, not afraid of the Canadian government, thus is nothing but a hero.

This true hero was committed to his studies, which made him a powerful and educated leader that could represent the Métis. Louis studied in Montreal, giving him a better understanding of life outside of the Red River settlement, and Canada in general. This was very valuable to the Métis later in the

For reference, the Métis were the children of First Nations mothers and British or French fathers. In Riel’s case, his father was a Métis, and his mother was a Canadienne. This made Louis even more amazing to the Métis, as not only was he educated, he himself was a Métis. It was a great achievement, especially for aboriginals across Canada. He was also very willing to sacrifice his own life to protect his people, and would never give up. Even when escaping to the U.S. Riel proved himself that he was so dedicated he would recklessly flee and face being arrested. He also accepted his punishment of being hung as a traitor. On a better note, he helped the Métis make the List of Rights. This was due to him being able to speak Cree, English, and French, all learned in his studies. This was valuable as he could communicate with both the government and Métis, to make sure they were on the same