Louis Riel
What was the Red River Resistance (aka Rebellion)
In 1869, Hudson’s Bay Company sold what was then known as Rupert’s Land to the Dominion of Canada without consultation of the Indigenous people. The Métis did not feel that HBC had the right to sell this territory.
“On Oct. 11, 1869, Métis Édouard Marion discovered government surveyors on his land and summoned his neighbours and Louis Riel to stop them.” (Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada) This led to the formation of the National Committee of the Métis, later they seized Upper Fort Garry giving them food, weapons and a defensive position to advance their cause.
Later the Convention of Forty with 20 English Métis and 20 French Métis they drafted a Bill of Rights which formed the Manitoba Act. This allowed the Red River Colony to enter confederation as the province of Manitoba. Though it was not recognized that the province was founded by these Métis leaders.
During this time, the provisional government tried and convicted Thomas Scott of insubordination. This was later was one of the reasons used to exile and later execute Louis Riel.
In August 1870, the Wolseley expedition led by Col. Garnet Wolseley came from Ottawa to crush such rebellion, this was a terrifying assault on Métis people causing more than half of the Métis people to leave for the North-West Territories and the Dakotas.
In 2008 Manitoba schools had a contest to name the province’s newest holiday in February and the winning submitting was in honour of Louis Riel, with many different schools making this suggestion. Some other suggestions were Spirited Energy Day, Family Day, Bison Day, Chil-Lax, Purification Day, Anwepiwkisikaw, Nellie McClung Day, Winnipeg Jets Day, Lord Selkirk, and more. The list can be found on the Manitoba Government website: https://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/louis_riel/
May we remember the Indigenous and Métis people’s fight to establish themselves in Turtle Island’s history to keep their culture and selves alive, resist colonization and that this fight continues today.
Sources:
https://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/louis_riel/