Louis Riel Rhetorical Analysis

The nineteenth century saw the emergence of the Metis leader Louis Riel, one of, if not Canada’s most controversial and contentious public figures. Since the hanging of Riel for treason in 1885, his legacy and reputation has been under continuous scrutiny and invented and reinvented to suit the political, ideological and philosophical agendas of historians, Political Scientists, politicians, policy makers, ethnic groups and the majority of Canadian Citizens. The depictions and perceptions of this leader by Canadians are various, opposite and contradictory to one another, which could be assessed from titles that are given to him: a traitor to the Confederation of Canada, a ‘Father of Confederation,’ a Catholic Martyr, a rebel, a prophet, a madman,

This gives gives us two perspectives on his personality, which are his strong sense of pride and love for his community and provides us a glimpse into his personality. His love for the Metis is expressed, when he dictates that “I will go out to red river to follow the footsteps of my father… he has been a benefactor of our people, and I shall seek to be their benefactor to.” Moreover, when Riel speaks of his people he usually starts with ‘our’ or ‘my’ people which gives the sense of his entitlement to his people and that he is one of them. Then again, his father did raise him with the sense that one day he was going to lead his metis people. Even though, Riel encountered troubles and obstacles from the French people, he never gave up on them, he knew that there were too many commonalities between these two groups. In addition, he saw The French as the protectors of the metis because of their religion and French background. Riel argues that “Quebec ought to support the Metis, not because it is a Catholic society, but because mere colonie,” which translate to mother colony. Therefore, he argues, like “any loving parent, it must not abandon it offspring and spare itself ‘la douleur.” Or the pain. Moreover, Riel makes the link clear between the French people and the Metis, whether it is in his diary, letters or poems that he writes. In one of Riel’s more famous poems, ‘Le Chat et Les Souris,’ historian Albert Braz suggests, that the poem exemplifies the degree to which Riel considers Quebec or the French not just his people's ancestral homeland but their actual homeland. More over, in the poem the antagonist, which is the cat is clearly being labeled as “Anglais” or “Saxon” and the mice the victims of oppression represent the Metis or all of the French speaking people. No matter the difference that arise between the two group Riel was sure that the French were not his