In his response to my June 1 column (‘A hero in eyes of beholder’, Gazette, June 7), Dr. Robert Lane criticizes my comments on Louis Riel and gives an account of the Battle of Batoche. He invited me to reply, and I am doing so now.
When Canada bought Rupert’s Land (which included what are now the prairie provinces) from the Hudson’s Bay Company, communities like early St. Albert and the Red River Colony became part of Canada. The Red River Colony was inhabited by Métis, many of whom had established their own farms and businesses, and were French-speaking Catholics. They were not consulted about Rupert’s Land becoming part of Canada, and were not happy at the arrival of Canadian surveyors or settlers from Ontario. Many of these settlers were radical Orange Protestants, who brought their bigotry against francophones, Catholics and indigenous people with them.
Louis Riel and his supporters formed a provisional government for the Red River Colony that filled the void left by the Hudson’s Bay Company’s sale, and forced Ottawa to start negotiating on Red River’s entry into Confederation. Riel and his supporters were not opposed to the idea of joining Canada, but they demanded recognition of their property and language rights before they would agree to it. Ottawa agreed, and Red River was incorporated as the province of Manitoba.
This is when Thomas Scott was executed. What Dr. Park calls a “murder” was an execution, given that Scott and some of his fellow radical Orange cronies were opposed to recognizing the Métis’ language, religious and property rights, and tried to overthrow Riel’s government. Scott was condemned by a Métis jury before being shot. Scott shouldn’t have been executed, but he was no angel – he was a violent thug who openly threatened the Métis’ rights and livelihoods.
Riel was eventually forced to flee when enraged Ontario Protestants forced Ottawa to send a military expedition to capture him. He certainly wasn’t “banished” – in fact, his people elected him to Parliament, though he couldn’t serve.
While Riel lived in the United States, Ottawa began signing the numbered Treaties with many of the First Nations. However, it did such a bad job of living up to its commitments, when it didn’t outright prevent the First Nations from getting the food it promised them, that many indigenous people were starving and desperate. Riel came back to try and help them, but despite the efforts of leaders like Big Bear and Poundmaker, many indigenous people had enough and were ready to fight for their rights.
Riel, Big Bear and Poundmaker are expected to take all the blame for the violence. Apparently Scott and the rest of the Orange bigots get a free pass despite openly threatening the Métis’ rights and livelihoods. Same with Ottawa, even though its incompetence and broken promises were the main reasons so many indigenous people on the Prairies were starving.
The whole sorry saga is a perfect example of my original point.
Jared Milne, St. Albert
