Louis Riel was a driving force throughout his entire life. He was a traitor to some, a hero to more, and a leader to all. The father of Manitoba’s actions influence Canada even today, through the Métis he so loved and the government he so radically opposed. Without his political action and leadership skills, we might not have the Manitoba we do now. Born in a period of rapid change for Canada and the territory surrounding it, he was the voice of the minority people during the resistance in Red River. He helped create a province that had rights that were best for his people and in doing so, solidified their future. He was a rebel and a madman, trying as always, to help the Métis during the North-West Rebellion even as his mental instability began to take hold of him. Until the day he was hanged so controversially, Louis Riel was a man of religion, of politics, and of belief for his culture. His actions influence Canada even today. …show more content…
He was taught by his father, Louis Riel Sr., who had been politically active in ending the Hudson Bay’s monopoly on the fur trade. He was also taught by his mother, Julie Lagimodiere, until he was seven.2 Afterwards, he was taught by the Gray Sisters in St. Boniface, was classed as advanced and sent to Montreal to become a priest.3 In 1864, eight years after leaving for Montreal, Riel Sr. Passed away. Riel, grieving, slowly drifted from his studies until finally he was told he must leave the College of Montreal in March of 1865.4 Tossed into a world where many issues were brewing between English and French, his desire for involvement in politics began to flourish. He found a job in a law office for Rudolphe Laflemme, quickly lost interest, and left for home after a disappointing and short love