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Louis RielLouis "David" Riel (October 22, 1844 – November 16, 1885), was a Canadian politician and leader of the Mtis people of western Canada. He is noted for having led two resistance movements against the Canadian government that sought to preserve Mtis rights and culture as their homelands in the Northwest Territories came progressively under the Canadian sphere of influence. The first such resistance was the Red River Rebellion of 1869 – 1870; the provisional government established by Riel ultimately negotiated the terms under which the modern province of Manitoba entered the Canadian Confederation. Although he was forced into exile in the United States as a result of the controversial execution of Thomas Scott during the rebellion, he is frequently referred to as the "Father of Manitoba". While a fugitive, he was three times elected to the Canadian House of Commons, although he never dared take his seat. During these years, he suffered from bouts of mental illness, including the delusion that he was a divinely chosen leader and prophet, a conviction that would subsequently resurface and influence his later actions. He married in 1881 while in exile in Montana, and fathered three children. In 1884, he returned to what is now the province of Saskatchewan in order to represent Mtis grievances to the Canadian government. However, this resistance, known as the North-West Rebellion of 1885, escalated into a military confrontation that ended in his arrest, trial, and eventual execution for treason. Riel was viewed sympathetically in francophone regions of Canada, and his execution has had a lasting influence on relations between the province of Quebec and English-speaking Canada. Whether interpreted as a de facto Father of Confederation or as a traitor, he remains a complex, controversial, and ultimately tragic figure in the history of Canada. Early Life Louis Riel was born in the Red River Settlement (the area surrounding modern Winnipeg, Manitoba) in 1844 to Louis Riel Sr. and Julie Lagimodire. Riel was the eldest of the eleven children in a tight-knit, highly religous and well respected French Canadian-Mtis family. The Red River Settlement was then part of Rupert's Land and nominally administered by the Hudson's Bay Company, although largely inhabited by First Nations tribes and the Mtis, an ethnic group of mixed Cree, Ojibway, Saulteaux, French Canadian, and British descent. The Hudson's Bay Company had historically exerted a trade monopoly in the area, and his father had gained prominence in this community by helping to organize a group that supported Guillaume Sayer, a Mtis imprisoned for challenging the monopoly. His eventual release as a result of agitations by Louis Sr.'s group is credited with ending the monopoly, and the name Riel was therefore locally well known. His mother was the daughter of Jean-Baptiste Lagimodire and Marie-Anne Gaboury, one of the earliest white families to settle in the Red River Settlement in 1806. He was first educated by Roman Catholic priests at St. Boniface. At age 13 he came to the attention of Alexandre Tach, then suffragan Bishop of St. Boniface, who was eagerly promoting the priesthood for talented young Mtis. In 1858 Tach arranged for Riel to attend the Petit Sminaire of the Collge de Montral in Montreal, Quebec under the direction of the Sulpician order. Descriptions of him at this time indicate that he was a fine scholar of languages, science, and philosophy, but exhibited a frequent and unpredictable moodiness. Following news of his father's premature death in 1864, Riel lost interest in the priesthood and he withdrew from the college in March 1865. For a time he continued his studies as a day student in the convent of the Grey Nuns, but was soon asked to leave following several breaches of discipline. For a period he remained in Montreal, living at the home of his Aunt, Lucie Riel. The death of his father had left his family impoverished, and Riel took employment as a law clerk in the Montreal office of Rodolphe Laflamme. During this time he was involved in a failed romance with a young woman, Marie-Julie Guernon. This progressed to the point of Riel having signed a contract of marriage, but his fiance's family opposed her involvement with a Mtis, and the engagement was soon broken. Compounding this disappointment, Riel found legal work unpleasant, and perhaps as early as 1866 he resolved to leave Quebec. He is believed to have worked odd jobs in Chicago, Illinois while staying with poet Louis-Honor Frchette, and was then for a time employed as a clerk in St. Paul, Minnesota prior to returning to the Red River on July 26, 1868. The Red River Rebellion - ''See main article: Red River Rebellion.
Background Upon his return to the Red River, Riel found that the complexion of the settlement was rapidly changing. Whereas it had previously been composed of Mtis, a minority of English-speaking mixed-bloods known as the "Country born", and Presbyterian Scottish settlers, it was now becoming dominated by anglophone protestants from Ontario. These new settlers were largely insensitive to Mtis culture and hostile to Roman Catholicism, and many were advocates of Canadian expansionism. There was also an influx at this time of Americans in favour of annexation by the United States. Against this backdrop of religous, nationalistic, and racial tension, there existed significant political uncertainty. Largely to forestall American expansionism, the British and Canadian governments had been for some time negotiating the transfer of Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company to Canada. This resulted in the Rupert's Land Act of 1868 authorizing the transfer, and the subsequent purchase by Canada in 1869. However, the terms under which political authority would be transfered remained unresolved. In anticipation of the transfer, the minister of public works, William McDougall, who along with George-tienne Cartier had been instrumental in securing Rupert's Land for Canada, ordered a survey party to the Red River Settlement. This was undertaken despite warnings to the Macdonald government from Catholic Bishop Tach, the Anglican bishop of Rupert's land Robert Machray, and the HBC governor of Assiniboia William Mactavish, that any such survey would precipitate unrest. In the event, the survey party, headed by Colonel John Stoughton Dennis arrived at Fort Garry on August 20, 1869. This aroused significant anxiety among the Mtis, as many did not possess clear title to their land, which was in any case laid out according to the Seigneurial system with long, narrow lots fronting the river, rather than the square lots prefered by the English. The survey was an obvious harbinger of a coming wave of Canadian migration, and was correctly perceived as a threat to the Mtis way of life — they feared they could lose their farms, and that their language and Roman Catholic religion would face increasing marginalisation and discrimination. Riel emerges as a leader The fears of the Mtis were exacerbated when the Canadian government appointed the notoriously anti-French McDougall as the lieutenant governor-designate on 28 September 1869, in anticipation of a formal transfer to take effect on December 1. It was at this time that the educated Riel began to emege as a leader, beginning with his denunciation of the survey in a speech delivered in late August from the steps of the Saint-Boniface Cathedral. On October 11, 1869, the work of the survey was disrupted by a group of Mtis including Riel. On October 16 this group organised itself as the "Mtis National Committee", with Riel as secretary, John Bruce as president and two representatives from each parish, to represent Mtis interests. At this time, the Hudson's Bay Company's Council of Assiniboia still asserted authority over the area, and on October 25, Riel was summoned before them to explain the actions of the Committee. Riel declared that any attempt by McDougall to enter would be blocked unless the Canadians had first negotiated terms with the Mtis and with the general population of the settlement. On November 2, Mtis under the command of Ambroise-Dydime Lpine turned back McDougall's party near the American border, forcing them to retreat to Pembina, North Dakota. The number of Riel's followers had grown rapidly, and on that same day a group of up to 400 Mtis led by Riel siezed Fort Garry without bloodshed. Considerable differences remained at the Red River Settlement over how to negotiate with Canada, and in particular, no consensus had been reached between the French and English speaking inhabitants. In a conciliatory gesture, Riel on November 6 asked the anglophones to select delegates from each of their parishes to attend a convention alongside the Mtis representatives. The first such meeting resulted in few accomplishments, and some of the anglophone delegates expressed displeasure at Riel's treatment of McDougall. On November 16, the Council of Assiniboia made a final attempt to assert its authority when Governor Mactavish issued a proclamation demanding that the Mtis lay down their arms. However the Mtis had no reason to believe that the council would safeguard their interests. This prompted Riel on November 23 to propose the formation of a provisional government to enter direct negotiations with Canada, but this was not accepted by the anglophone delegates, who requested an adjournment to discuss matters. On December 1, McDougall proclaimed that the Hudson's Bay Company was no longer in control of Rupert's Land, and that he was the new lieutenant-governor. This proclamation was to later prove problematic, as it effectively ended the authority of the Council, while failing to establish Canadian authority — unbeknownst to McDougall, the transfer had been postponed once news of the unrest reached Ottawa. On the same day, Riel presented to the convention a list of fourteen rights that were demanded as a condition of union. Even while much of the settlement was coming to accept the Mtis point of view, resistance was building among a passionately pro-Canadian minority led by Colonel Dennis, Charles Mair, Dr. John Christian Schultz, and a more reticent Major Charles Boulton. The situation escalated when McDougall attempted to assert his authority by appointing Dennis to raise a contingent of armed men, which were to arrest the Mtis occupying Upper Fort Garry. The anglophone settlers largely ignored this call to arms, and Dennis withdrew to Lower Fort Garry. Schultz, however, was emboldened to fortify his house and store, and attracted approximately fifty recruits. Riel took this threat seriously, and ordered Schultz's home surrounded. Hopelessly outnumbered, the Canadians surrendered on December 7 and were imprisoned in Upper Fort Garry. Given the unrest and absence of a clear authority, The Mtis National Committee had little choice but to declare a provisional government, and did so on December 8. Having finally received notification of the delay in transfer, McDougall and Dennis departed for Ontario on 18 December, and Major Boulton fled to Portage la Prairie. Provisional government In Ottawa on December 6, amnesty was proclaimed for all in the Red River who would lay down their arms, and Ottawa sent three emmisaries to the Red River, including Hudson's Bay representative Donald Alexander Smith. On December 27, John Bruce resigned as president of the provisional government, and Riel was elected president. Meetings between Riel and the Ottawa representatives took place on January 5 and 6, 1870. These discussions were fruitless and Smith then chose to speak in a public forum. Meetings were held on January 19 and January 20, and with Riel acting as translator, Smith assured the large audiences of the Canadian government's goodwill. With the settlement now solidly behind him, Riel proposed the formation of a new convention split evenly between French and English settlers to consider Smith's instructions and draft a more comprehensive list of rights. On February 7 the new list of rights was presented to the Ottawa representatives, and Smith proposed that a delegation be sent to Ottawa to engage in direct negotiations, a suggestion that was eagerly accepted by Riel. At this time Riel also proposed that the provisional government should be reformed so as to be more inclusive of both language groups, leading to the establishment of an elected assembly with equal representation for anglophone and francophone parishes. Canadian resistance and the execution of Scott Despite the apparent progress on the political front, the Canadian contingent was not yet silenced. John Schultz, Charles Mair, Thomas Scott, Major Boulton and others continued to plot against the provisional government. On February 17, 48 men, including Boulton and Thomas Scott, were apprehended near Fort Garry. On hearing this news, Schultz and Mair fled to Ontario. Boulton was tried and sentenced to death for his interference with the provisional government. Intercessions on his behalf by Donald Smith and others resulted in his pardon, but Thomas Scott interpreted Boulton's pardon as weakness on the part of the Mtis, whom he regarded with open contempt. After repeatedly quarelling with his guards, they insisted that he be tried for insubordination. At his trial, he was found guilty of insulting the president, defying the authority of the provisional government, and fighting with his guards. He was sentenced to death despite the fact that these were not considered capital crimes at the time. Riel was repeatedly asked to commute the sentence, but Donald Smith reported that Riel responded to his pleas by saying, - "I have done three good things since I have commenced; I have spared Boulton's life at your instance, I pardoned Gaddy, and now I shall shoot Scott."
Scott was executed by a firing squad on March 4, 1870. Riel's motivations for allowing the execution, described as his one great political blunder, have been the cause of much speculation. His own justification was that he felt it necessary to demonstrate to the Canadians that the Mtis must be taken seriously. Creation of Manitoba and the Wolseley expedition Upon receiving news that the Canadian government found the demands in the list of rights to be "in the main satisfactory", delegates representing the provisional government departed for Ottawa on March 23 and 24. Although met initially with legal difficulties arising from the execution of Scott, they soon entered into direct talks with Macdonald and Cartier. An agreement enshrining many of the demands in the list of rights was soon reached. This formed the basis for the Manitoba Act of May 12, 1870, which formally admitted Manitoba into the Canadian confederation. As a means of exercising Canadian authority in the settlement and dissuading the Minnesota expansionists, a Canadian military expedition under Colonel Garnet Wolseley was dispatched to the Red River. Ontarians especially looked on the purpose of the Wolseley Expedition as the suppression of rebellion, although the government described it as an "errand of peace". Learning that Canadian militia elements in the expedition meant to lynch him, Riel fled as the expedition approached the Red River on August 24. The arrival of the expedition marked the effective end of the Red River Rebellion. The Intervening Years The amnesty question It was not until September 2 that the new lieutenant-governor Adams George Archibald arrived and set about the establishment of civil government. In the absence of the promised amnesty, and with the Canadian militia beating and intimidating Riel's sympathisers, Riel fled to the safety of the St. Joseph's mission across the border in the Dakota Territory. However the results of the first provincial election in December 1870 were promising for Riel, as many of his supporters came to power. Nevertheless, stress and financial troubles precipitated a serious illness — perhaps a harbinger of his future mental afflictions — that prevented his return to Manitoba until May of 1871. this time, the settlement faced another threat, this time from cross-border Fenian raids cordinated by his former associate William Bernard O'Donoghue. While the threat proved overstated, Archibald proclaimed a general call to arms on October 4. Companies of armed horsemen were raised, including one led by Riel. When Archibald reviewed the troops in St. Boniface, he made the significant gesture of publically shaking Riel's hand, signalling that a rapprochement had been effected. But this was not to be — when this news reached Ontario, Mair and members of the Canada First movement whipped up a significant resurgence of anti-Riel (and anti-Archibald) sentiment. With Federal elections coming in 1872, Macdonald could ill afford any further rift in Quebec-Ontario relations. He therefore quietly arranged for Tach to offer Riel what amounted to a bribe of $1000 to enter voluntary exile. This was supplemented by an additional 600 from Smith for the care of Riel's family. With few other options, Riel accepted, arriving in St. Paul on March 2 1872. However, by late June Riel was back in Manitoba and was soon thereafter convinced to run as a member of parliament for the electoral district of Provencher. However, following the early September defeat of Cartier in his home riding in Quebec, Riel stood aside so that Cartier — on record as being in favour of amnesty for Riel — might secure a seat. Cartier won by acclamation, but Riel's hopes for a swift resolution to the amnesty question were dashed following Cartier's death on May 20, 1873. In the ensuing by-election in October 1873, Riel ran unopposed, although he had once again fled, a warrant having been issued for his arrest in September. Lpine was not so lucky; he was captured and faced trial. Riel made his way to Montreal and, fearing arrest or assassination, vacillated as to whether he should attempt to take up his seat in the house of commons — Edward Blake, the Premier of Ontario, had announced a bounty of $5000 for his arrest. Famously, Riel was the only Member of Parliament who was not present for the great Pacific Scandal debate of 1873 that led to the resignation of the Macdonald government in November. Liberal leader Alexander Mackenzie became the interim prime minister, and a general election was held in January 1874. Although the Liberals under Mackenzie formed the new government, Riel easily retained his seat. Formally, Riel had to sign a register book at least once upon being elected, and he did so under disguise in late January. He was nevertheless stricken from the rolls following a motion supported by Schultz, who had become the member for the electoral district of Lisgar. Undeterred, Riel prevailed once again in the resulting by-election, and although once again expelled, his symbolic point had been made and public opinion in Quebec was strongly tipped in his favour. Exile and mental illness During this period, Riel had been staying near Plattsburg, New York in the French-Canadian village of Keesville. It was here that he received news of Lpine's fate: following his trial for the murder of Scott, which which had begun on October 13 of 1874, Lpine was found guilty and sentenced to die. This sparked outrage in the Quebec press, and calls for amnesty for both Lepine and Riel were renewed. This presented a severe political difficulty for Mackenzie, who was hopeless caught between the demands of Quebec and Ontario. However, a solution was forthcoming when, acting on his own initiative, the Governor General Lord Dufferin commuted Lpine's sentence in January 1875. This opened the door for Mackenzie to secure from parliament an amnesty for Riel, on that the condition that he remain in exile for five years. During his time of exile, he was primarily concerned with religious rather than political matters. Spurred on by a sympathetic Roman Catholic priest in Quebec, he was increasingly influenced by his belief that he was a divinely chosen leader of the Mtis. Modern biographers have speculated that he may have suffered from the psychological condition megalomania. His mental state was deteriorating, and following a violent outburst he was taken to Montreal, and was for a period of some months under the care of his uncle, John Lee. But after Riel disrupted a religous service, Lee arranged to have him committed in an asylum in Longue-Pointe on March 6, 1876 under the assumed name "Louis R. David". Fearing discovery, his doctors soon transferred him to the Beauport Asylum near Quebec City under the name "Louis Larochelle". While he suffered from sporadic irrational outbursts, he continued his religious writing, composing theological tracts with an admixture of Christian and Judaic ideas. He consequently began calling himself Louis "David" Riel, prophet of the new world. Nevertheless, he slowly recovered, and was released from the asylum on January 23 1878 with an admonition to lead a quiet life. He returned for a time to Keesville, where he became involved in a passionate romance with Evelina Martin dit Barnab, sister of his friend, the oblate father Fabien Barnab. But with insufficient means to propose marriage, Riel returned to the west, hoping that she might follow. However, she decided that she would be unsuited to prairie life, and their correspondence soon ended. Montana and family life In the fall of 1878, Riel returned to St. Paul, and briefly visited his friends and family. This was a time of rapid change for the Mtis of the Red River — the buffalo on which they depended was becoming increasingly scarce, the influx of settlers was ever-increasing, and many had sold their land to unscrupulous land speculators. Like many other Red River Mtis who had left Manitoba, Riel headed further west in order to start a new life. Travelling to the Montana Territory, he there became a trader and interpreter in the area surrounding Fort Benton. Observing rampant alcoholism and its detrimental impact on the Native American and Mtis people, he engaged in an unsuccessful attempt to curtail the whisky trade. In 1881, he married Marguerite Monet dit Bellehumeur, a young Mtis, "in the fashion of the country" on April 28, an arrangement that was solemnized on March 9, 1882. They were to have three children: Jean-Louis, Marie-Anglique and a third child who died in infancy. Riel soon became involved in the politics of Montana, and in 1882, actively campaigned on behalf of the Republican Party. He went so far as to bring suit against a Democrat for allegedly rigging a vote, but was then himself accused of fraudulently inducing British subjects to take part in the election. In response, Riel applied for United States citizenship and was naturalized on March 16, 1883. With two young children, by 1884 he had settled down and was teaching school at the St. Peter's Jesuit mission in the Sun River district of Montana. The North-West Rebellion - See main article: North-West Rebellion.
Grievances in the Saskatchewan territory Following the Red River Rebellion, large numbers of Mtis travled west and settled in the Saskatchewan River valley, especially along the south branch of the river in the country surrounding the Saint-Laurent mission (near modern Grandin, Saskatchewan). But by the 1880s, it had become clear that westward migration was no panacea for the troubles of the Mtis and the plains Indians. The rapid collapse of the buffalo herd was causing near starvation among the Plains Cree and Blackfoot First Nations. This was exacerbated by a general failure of the government to live up to its agreements, and a reduction in government assistance in 1883. The Mtis were likewise obliged to give up the hunt and take up agriculture – but this transition was accompanied by complex issues surrounding land claims similar to those that had previously arisen in Manitoba. Moreover, settlers from Europe and the eastern provinces were also moving into the Saskatchewan territories, and they too had complaints related to the administration of the territories. Virtually all parties therefore had grievances, and by 1884 both English-speaking and Mtis communities were holding meetings and petitioning the government for redress, although the government was largely unresponsive to their demands. In the electoral district of Lorne, a meeting of the south branch Mtis was held in the village of Batoche on March 24, and thirty representatives voted to ask Riel to return and represent their cause. On May 6 a joint "Settler's Union" meeting was attended by both the Mtis and English-speaking representatives from Prince Albert, including William Henry Jackson, an Ontario settler sympathetic to the Mtis and known to them as Honor Jackson. It was here resolved to send a delegation to ask Riel's assistance in presenting their grievances to the Canadian government. The return of Riel The head of the delegation to Riel was Gabriel Dumont, a respected buffalo hunter and leader of the Saint-Laurent Mtis who had known Riel in Manitoba. Riel was easily swayed to support their cause – perhaps unsuprising in view of Riel's continuing conviction that he was the divinely selected leader of the Mtis and the prophet of a new form of Christianity. Riel also intended to use any new position of influence to persue his own land claims in Manitoba. In any case, the party departed June 4, and arrived back at Batoche on July 5. Upon his arrival Mtis and English settlers alike formed an initially favourable impression of Riel following a series of speeches in which he advocated moderation and a reasoned approach. During June 1884, the Plains Cree leaders Big Bear and Poundmaker were independently formulating their complaints, and subsequently held meetings with Riel. However, the Indian's grievances were quite different from those of the settlers, and nothing was then resolved. Inspired by Riel, Honor Jackson and representatives of other communities set about drafting a petition — Jackson on July 28 released a manifesto detailing grievances and the settler's objectives. For several months a joint English-Mtis central committee with Jackson as secretary and headed by Andrew Spence worked to reconcile proposals from different communities. In the interim, Riel's support from some quarters began to waver. As Riel's religous beliefs became increasingly removed from Roman Catholicism, the clergy began to distance themselves, and father Alexis Andr cautioned Riel against mixing religion and politics. Also, in response to bribes by territorial lieutenant-governor and Indian commissioner Edgar Dewdney, local English-language newspapers adopted an editorial stance critical of Riel. Nevertheless, work continued and on December 16 Riel forwarded the committee's petition, along with the suggestion that delegates be sent to Ottawa. Receipt of the petition was acknowledged by Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau, Macdonald's Secretary of State, although Macdonald himself would later deny having seen the petition. Break with the church While Riel awaited news from Ottawa he considered returning to Montana, but had by February resolved to stay. In the absence of a productive course of action, Riel began to engage in obsessive prayer, and was, in fact, experiencing a significant relapse of his mental agitations. This led to a deterioration in his relationship with the Catholic hierarchy, as he publically espoused an increasingly heretical doctrine. On February 11, 1885, a response to the petition was received. The government proposed to take a census of the North-West Territories, and to form a commission to investigate grievances. This angered the Mtis, who interpreted this as a mere delaying tactic — a faction emerged that favoured taking up arms at once. This was not supported by the Church, the majority of the English-speaking community, or indeed by the Mtis faction supporting local leader Charles Nolin. But Riel, undoubtedly influenced by his messianic delusions, became increasingly supportive of this course of action. In the church at Saint-Laurent on March 15, Riel disrupted a sermon to argue for this position, following which he was barred from receiving the sacraments, and increasingly frequently discussed his "divine revelations" with his followers. But disenchanted with the status quo, and swayed by Riel's charisma and eloquent rhetoric, many Mtis remained loyal to Riel, despite his proclaimations that "Rome has fallen", and that Bishop Ignace Bourget should be accepted as pope. A clergymen at Saint-Laurent later reported that - "...in his strange and alarming folly, he fascinated our poor half-breeds as the snake is said to fascinate its victim".
Open rebellion On March 18 it became known that the North-West Mounted Police garrison at Prince Albert was being reinforced. Although only 100 men had been sent in response to warnings from father Alexis Andr and NWMP superintendent L.N.F. Crozier, a rumour soon began to circulate that 500 heavily armed troops were advancing on the territory. Mtis patience was exhausted, and Riel's followers siezed arms, took hostages, and cut the telegraph lines between Batoche and Prince Albert. A provisional government was declared at Batoche on March 19, with Riel as the political and sprititual leader and with Dumont assuming responsiblity for military affairs. Riel formed a council called the "exovedate" (a neologism meaning "chosen from the flock"), and sent representatives to court Poundmaker and Big Bear. On March 21, Riel's emissaries demanded that Crozier surrender Fort Carlton, but this was refused. The situation was becoming critical, and on March 23 Dewdney sent a telegraph to Macdonald indicating that military intervention might be necessary. Scouting near Duck Lake on March 26, a force led by Gabriel Dumont unexpectedly chanced upon a party from Fort Carlton. In the ensuing Battle of Duck Lake, the police were routed, and the Indians also rose up once the news became known. The die was cast for a violent outcome, and the North-West Rebellion was begun in earnest. Riel had counted on the Canadian government being unable to effectively respond to another uprising in the distant North-West Territories, thereby forcing them to accept political negotiation. This was essentially the same strategy that had worked to such great effect during the 1870 rebellion. But in that instance, the first troops did not arrive until three months after Riel seized control. However, Riel had completely overlooked the significance of the nascent Canadian Pacific Railway. Despite major gaps in railway construction, the first Canadian regular and militia units, under the command of Major-General Frederick Dobson Middleton, arrived in Duck Lake less than two weeks after Riel had made his demands. Knowing that he could not defeat the Canadians in direct confrontation, Dumont had hoped to force the Canadians to negotiate by engaging in a long-drawn out campaign of guerilla warfare; Dumont realised a modest success along these lines at the Battle of Fish Creek on April 24. Riel, however, insisted on concentrating forces at Batoche in order to defend his "city of God". The outcome of the ensuing Battle of Batoche which took place from May 9 – May 12 was never in doubt, and on May 15 a disheveled Riel surrendered to Canadian forces. Although Big Bear's forces managed to hold out until the Battle of Loon Lake on June 3, the rebellion was a dismal failure for Mtis and Indian alike, with most surrendering or fleeing. Trial for treason - See main article: Trial of Louis Riel
Several individuals closely tied to the government requested that the trial be held in Winnipeg in July of 1885. Although several historians contend that the trial was moved to Regina due to concerns with the possibility of an ethnically mixed and sympathetic jury, historian Thomas Flanagan states that due to amendments of the North-West Territories Act of 1880 (which dropped the provision that trials with crimes punishable by death should be tried in Manitoba), the trial had to be convened within the North-West Territories. Prime minister Sir John A. Macdonald ordered the trial to be convened in Regina, where Riel was tried before a jury of six composed entirely of English and Scottish Protestants, all from the immediate area around Regina. The trial began on July 28,1885, and lasted only five days. Riel delivered two lengthy speeches during his trial, defending his own actions and affirming the rights of the Mtis people. He rejected his lawyer's attempt to argue that he was not guilty by reason of insanity, asserting, - "Life, without the dignity of an intelligent being, is not worth having."
The jury found him guilty but recommended mercy; nonetheless, Judge Hugh Richardson sentenced him to death, with the date of his execution set for September 18th, 1885. Fifty years later one of the jurors, Edwin Brooks, said that Riel was tried for treason but hanged for the murder of Thomas Scott. Execution Prior to his execution, Riel was assigned a spiritual advisor in Father Alexis Andr, and was given writing materials so that he could employ his time in prison to write a book. Boulton writes in his memoires that, as the date of his execution approached, Riel regretted his opposition to the defense of insanity and vainly attempted to provide evidence that he was not sane. After several requests for a retrial and an appeal to the Privy Council in England were denied, Louis Riel was hanged for treason on November 16, 1885. Boulton writes of Riel's final moments, - ...Pre Andr, after explaining to Riel that the end was at hand, asked him if he was at peace with men. Riel answered "Yes." The next question was, "Do you forgive all your enemies?" "Yes." Riel then asked him if he might speak. Father Andr advised him not to do so. He then received the kiss of peace from both the priests, and Father Andr exclaimed in French, "Alors, allez au ciel!"
- ...Riel's last words were to say good-bye to Dr. Jukes and thank him for his kindness, and just before the white cap was pulled over his face he said, "Remerciez, Madame Forget."
- The cap was pulled down, and while he was praying the trap was pulled. Death was instantaneous. His pulse ceased beating four minutes after the trap-door fell. The body was to have been interred inside the gallows' enclosure, and the grave was commenced, but an order came from the Lieutenant-Governor to hand the body over to Sheriff Chapleau which was accordingly done that night. Previously however, to handing it over, Colonel Irvine, in presence of Dr. Jukes, Colonel McLeod and others, had the coffin opened to inspect the body, in consequence of reports which had spread, and which had even got into the papers, that Riel's body had been mutilated. The mutilations consisted in Father McWilliams having cut off a lock of his hair and beard, and in taking off his moccasin. The other moccasin and other locks of his hair had been distributed among some of his friends.
The prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, who was instrumental in upholding Riel's sentence, is famously quoted as saying - "He shall hang though every dog in Quebec bark in his favour."
Following the execution, his body was returned to his mother's home in St. Vital, where it lay in state. On December 12, 1885, Riel's remains were laid to rest in the churchyard of the Saint-Boniface Cathedral following the performance of a requiem mass. Legacy Political legacy Riel's execution and MacDonald's refusal to commute his sentence caused lasting upset in Quebec. The widespread perception of Louis Riel, outside of the Mtis and French Canadians especially, as an insane traitor weakened considerably in the 20th century. Many now view Riel as a hero who stood up for his people in the face of a racist government; some who still question his eventual sanity still view him as an honourable figure. The Saskatchewan Mtis' requested land grants were all provided by the government by the end of 1887, and the government resurveyed the Mtis river lots in accordance with their wishes. The Mtis did not understand the long term value of their new land, however, and it was soon bought by speculators who later turned huge profits from it. As historian J.M.S. Careless has observed, it is possible that Riel was both a murderer and a hero. It is also possible that he was a man whose one foolish action drastically altered the history of his people. For example, shortly after the Red River Rebellion the Canadian government began a program which speculators and other non-Mtis exploited to dispossess the Mtis of their land; had Scott not been executed, the government might well have supervised the program more rigorously, given the good relations between Canada and the Mtis until that time. Raoul McKay and other Mtis scholars have noted that Riel is a more important figure to non-Mtis than to Mtis (perhaps because he is the only Mtis figure most non-Mtis are aware of). In the 1960s, the Quebec terrorist group, the Front de libration du Qubec, adopted the Louis Riel name for one of its terrorist cells. Monuments and place names A statue of Riel now stands on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Two statues of Louis Riel are located in Winnipeg. The first statue, a depiction of Riel as a naked, tortured figure designed by Marcien Lemay, was unveiled in 1971 and stood on the grounds of the provincial legislature for 23 years. After much outcry (especially from the Mtis community) that the statue was an undignified and gross representation of Riel, the statue was removed and placed at the Collge universitaire de Saint-Boniface. It was replaced in 1994 with a statue designed by Miguel Joyal showing Riel as a dignified statesman. In numerous Saskatchewan communities, Riel is remembered in the names of streets, schools, and other buildings. Highway 11, stretching from Regina to just south of Prince Albert, has been named "Louis Riel Trail" by the provincial government; the roadway passes near many of the locations of the 1885 rebellion. From the late 1960s until the early 1990s, Saskatoon hosted Louis Riel Day, a summer celebration that included a relay race that combined running, backpack carrying, canoeing, hill climbing, and horseback riding, as well as a cabbage roll eating contest. The student centre and campus pub at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon are named after Riel. Arts, literature, and popular culture Fictionalized portrayals of Riel's role in the Red River Rebellion include the 1979 CBC television film Riel and Canadian cartoonist Chester Brown's acclaimed 2003 graphic novel Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography. An opera about Riel entitled "Louis Riel" was comissioned for Canada's centennial celebrations in 1967. It was an opera in three acts, written by Harry Somers, with an English and French libretto by Mavor Moore and Jacques Languirand. The Canadian Opera Company produced and performed the first run of the opera in September and October, 1967. On October 22, 2003, CBC Newsworld and its French-language equivalent, Rseau de l'information, staged a one-hour simulation of a retrial of Riel, with Canadian viewers invited to vote guilty or not guilty over the Internet. The poll received 10,000 votes with 87 per cent voting not guilty. The results of this straw poll have led to the suggestion that Riel be pardoned by the government. In the CBC's Greatest Canadian project, Riel ranked 11th in the public poll as the Greatest Canadian. References External links Riel, Louis Riel, Louis Riel, Louis Riel, Louis Riel, Louis Riel, Louis Riel, Louis
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