Louis Riel Hero Or Traitor

Louis Riel was considered a criminal and a traitor to Canada for over one hundred years, but really, his involvement in the development of Manitoba and the fight for Métis rights makes him a true hero in the eyes of many Canadians. He spent ten years in Montreal becoming a priest, but his heart was where he was born in 1844: Red River, where Manitoba is now. Shortly after

Confederation, this area, and the Métis people who lived there were facing a dramatic change of lifestyle as more settlers moved to the area. This was when Riel first proved himself as a hero to the Métis people.

The Red River Resistance, or Red River Rebellion as it was called historically, was a very significant event in the development of Manitoba. In 1869, the Métis way

This failed, so Riel set up a provisional government, and together they came up with the Métis List of Rights. They wanted to keep their

French language and culture, so the majority of their demands were asking that French and

English be official languages. The provisional government had many supporters, and it looked as though Riel was making progress. Then, Thomas Scott, a Protestant, antiFirst

Nations, Irishman arrived in Red River, and began to tell people that the Métis people should not be a part of government, and that they did not need the things they asked for. Riel had Scott arrested, tried for treason, and executed. Riel then fled to the United States, and the Métis adopted a new way of life. While Riel’s tactics may not have been right, and some might question whether or not

Scott’s execution was legal, he made people consider the rights of the Métis, and think about the people living in the area before the settlers, even though in the end, he wasn’t completely successful. In 1885, the Northwest Rebellion took place, the Métis people were facing difficulties with the Canadian government, and they called upon Louis Riel to lead them. Once again,

For example, the NorthWest

Mounted Police had been formed, and the Canadian Pacific Railway was almost complete, meaning that soldiers could easily be moved across the country. However, these advantages against him did not stop Riel from fighting for the rights of the Métis. There were many battles over the next few months. The

Battle of Batoche took place from May 9 to May 12. After this battle ended, Riel surrendered.

His military commander fled to the United States.

The battles of the Northwest Rebellion were not over even though Riel had been arrested.

The Cree people continued fighting until June 3. The Rebellion was over, but Riel’s fight was not. He went to court, where some people claimed that he was insane. Riel proved this theory wrong at the end of the trial when he gave a long, religious speech, explaining his dedication to the Northwest. He said: “The North West is also my mother, it is my mother country.” Riel explained his reasoning for the Rebellion saying that he saw people, the First Nations and Métis in particular, suffering in that area. He believed that that was wrong, and that the First Nations should have rights, even if it meant fighting against Canada. After his