Louis Riel Debate Louis Riel is a traitor guilty of treason to the crown. He decided to ignore Canadian law and take up arms against the government. He could of taken the more lawful, albeit slower, peaceful approach. He killed many soldiers in the Canadian Army and many members of the RCMP police force, and if that wasn’t enough he even killed an Ontarian, Thomas Scott, in cold blood. This shows how Louis Riel was guilty of treason and should be convicted for his crimes. Louis Riel caused the deaths of many Canadians. When Riel comes back, he primarily attempts a peaceful petition. The government promised to look into the problem, but by March 1885, he gets impatient and decides to take up arms. Riel’s impatience and mistrust of the government …show more content…
In other words he had no reason to take up arms. Riel had sent a request to the Canadian government requesting more rights for the Metis people, but months later he grew impatient and decided to take up arms. The government had listened before so there was no reason to take up arms and start a war. The only reason the government hadn’t responded was that it was new and it had many tasks to complete. Some examples are the railway was to be finish, westward expansion to be organized, some English-French tensions to release, and so on. This is why the government couldn’t get back right away. Impatience isn’t a reason to commit acts that could be considered treason. The Metis and Aboriginal people rebelled partly because they didn’t want to go on reserves. This is a ridicule because we’ve taken them from a desperate position with a lot of problems and no proof they own the land to a position where they own the land and have legal proof they do. Some of the problems they were facing were starvation from the disappearance of buffalo, being threatened by development, and plagues of sickness. Also, the treaties were actually quite generous. Apart from the reserve land, they also gave hunting rights, ammunition, farming tools, seeds, and an monthly/annually allowances. An example of this is treaty #7; the treaty between the Cree and the government. This treaty grants them 2.54 sq km of land for every 5 people, hunting and fishing rights, $12 monthly allowance with an $5 annuity, $1500 worth in ammunition, suit of clothing(with a new one every year), farm tools, cattle, potatoes, and teachers to instruct their children. Keep in mind that at the time money was worth much more than it is now due to monetary inflation. Most aboriginals had signed the treaties, this proves the ones who were reluctant to sign it were the odd ones out. This probably meant their perception was obscured. Louis Riel took up arms with flawed motives, therefore he