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Monday, March 06, 2023

The 411 - Louis Riel

Louis Riel

411

Louis Riel was a Canadian politician and a leader of the Métis people, who lived from 1844 to 1885. He was born in the Red River Settlement (now part of Manitoba) to a Métis family, which was a mix of French-Canadian and Indigenous ancestry. Riel is considered a complex figure in Canadian history, seen by some as a visionary and a hero, while others view him as a traitor and a rebel.

In the 1860s and 1870s, Riel emerged as a leader of the Métis people in their struggle for recognition and rights in the Canadian West. He was a key figure in the Red River Rebellion of 1869-1870, which was a response to the Canadian government's plan to purchase the territory from the Hudson's Bay Company without consulting the local Métis population. Riel and his supporters formed a provisional government and negotiated with the Canadian government for recognition and the creation of a new province, which became Manitoba in 1870.

However, Riel's leadership also resulted in the execution of a Canadian-born settler named Thomas Scott, which led to controversy and division among Canadians. Riel was forced into exile in the United States, where he lived for several years before returning to Canada in the 1880s.

In 1884, Riel became the leader of the North-West Rebellion, which was a protest against the Canadian government's policies toward the Métis and Indigenous peoples in the West. The rebellion was eventually defeated by Canadian forces, and Riel was captured, tried, and convicted of treason. He was executed by hanging in Regina, Saskatchewan in November 1885.

Today, Riel is regarded by some as a symbol of Métis resistance and the struggle for Indigenous rights in Canada. He is also recognized as a founder of Manitoba and a key figure in Canadian history. In 1992, the Canadian government officially recognized him as a founder of Manitoba and a key contributor to Canadian history.

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