The Contribution of Louis Riel to the Acceptance of Metis Rights in Canada - Essay Example

The Contribution of Louis Riel to the Acceptance of Metis Rights in Canada Introduction Very few are written about the role played by Louis Riel in guaranteeing the admission of Manitoba into the Confederation as a province. And almost none is known about his dedication to and love of the rights of the Metis inhabitants. A great deal of literature on Louis Riel puts emphasis on his contribution in the 1869 and 1885 Metis oppositions.i Studying the life of Riel in a more profound and sincere way will disclose the remarkable fact that he was, certainly, a strikingly unique individual who was motivated by a great commitment to justice and an ardor to aid the oppressed and demoralized. Louis Riel contributed dramatically to the ultimate growth of Manitoba and its ascension to provincial status. He was active as well in the creation and declaration of a Provisional Government in the area of Red River directly following the Red River Resistance in 1869.ii The primary cause of the Metis response during that moment was that HBCo was attempting to transfer Rupert’s Land to the Dominion of Canada.iii This transfer would have maintained the status of the territory as a protectorate and hence, all governmental procedures would have been resolved by the Federal administration and the four provinces.iv Riel realized that for the Metis to sustain their control over the decision making process the area would have to change its status into a province. Because this was not possible, the sole way to advance the matter was to establish a temporary government.v The administration of John A. McDonald considered the proposal and Parliament in 1870 ratified the decree. The decree would give millions of acres of land to the Manitoba Metis children and safeguard the rights and privileges of the Metis tradition and culture.vi By 1871, in some way, specific portions of the Manitoba Act were stated in a different way in order to simply dispose of the thought of granting acres of land to the people of Metis which, if not, would be recognized as the native soil of the Metis people.vii Hence, due to these historical controversies, this essay discusses the role of Louis Riel in winning Metis Rights in Canada. The Story behind Louis Riel’s Struggle Louis Riel headed the two Metis oppositions in Red River and in the Saskatchewan District.viii Louis Riel did not initially desire involvement in politics. Yet, when he was informed of the death of his father, he sought employment at Rudolphe Laflamme’s Montreal law firm. He decided in 1868 to return to the Red River Settlement.ix He came back home to head the resistances of the Metis against the seizure of Rupert’s Land by the Dominion of Canada. Canada had acquired Rupert’s Land, which is comprised at present of Northwestern Territories and Nunavut, Quebec, northern Ontario, and Prairie Provinces, from the HBC with no authorization from the Aboriginal settlers of the region.x The Metis resented the move because they believed that as the region’s native inhabitants, they should have the right to express their opinions and influence decision making. Hence, they opposed this seizure. Riel assumed active leadership of the Metis opposition from 1869 to 1870, sooner or later becoming the interim government’s president.xi Riel showed remarkable skills in negotiating that the federal administration gave in and formed The Manitoba Act, which established Manitoba’s new province.xii The act was founded to some extent on The Bill of Rights which Louis Riel himself co-created and inserted guidelines for educational organizations and bilingual citizens, and processes to address the rights of Metis Aborigines through the individual removal of their ancestral ownership of the land.xiii In spite of Riel’s attempts to involve Manitoba into the Confederation, he was dragged into political banishment. His position was perilous and uncertain due to the execution of Thomas Scott, who detested Roman Catholics and Francophones.xiv Thus, a reward was put on Riel’s head. As a result, Riel escaped to the United States. When he was informed of his mother’s poor health condition, he went home to Manitoba. There was a Fenian attack of Manitoba in the fall of 1871.xv Riel, in response to the attack, proposed to form a Metis force to ward off the aggressors. Louis Riel went back to Manitoba to campaign for Provencher’s federal constituency. Yet, he was egged not to take part in the election and was assured an official pardon if he allows Sir George Cartier participate in the election of Provencher.xvi Yet, Riel was forced to run in the 1873 by-election due to the sudden demise of Cartier who won the Provencher election. He became eligible for his seat by agreeing to the Test Roll in Parliament.xvii Nevertheless, due to the reward tendered by Blake, Riel was not able to acquire it. Riel lived in exile in the United States for a long time.xviii It was resolved at a convention held in May 1884 that the assistance and support of Louis Riel was vital to deal with the complaints of the Metis people with the federal administration. Riel was well-informed and eloquent and was broadly distinguished by the Metis as the character most accountable for involving Manitoba into the Confederation.xix Hence, a group composed of Michel Dumas, Moise Ouellette, James Isbister, and Gabriel Dumont were designated to set out to the Montana Territory to persude Louis Riel to go back to Canada.xx During the summer, numerous settlers of the North-West Territories’ Saskatchewan District gathered to talk about their common complaints with the federal administration.xxi Primarily, the Metis were apprehensive of the absence of their permanent land title and were disheartened by the failure of the federal administration to address their many appeals concerning this issue. The non-Aboriginal planters detested the unreasonable freight rates, low prices of wheat, and the taxes that skyrocketed machines’ prices.xxii They also resented the bypassing of the territories by the Canadian Pacific Railway. William Henry Jackson and Riel outlined a final request summarizing the complaints of the Metis and the farmers to the government in 1884.xxiii Unfortunately, their request has not been positively responded, and so Riel resorted to more severe actions. Riel headed a convention on March 1885, where in a decree was passed that proclaimed that the Metis would resort to armed resistance if needed.xxiv The people who signed the decree were Napoleon Nault, Calixte Lafontaine, Moise Ouellette, Auguste Laframboise, Philippe Gariepy, John Ross, Isidore Dumont, Pierre Gariepy, Gabriel Dumont, and Joseph Ouellette.xxv At this instant, with discussions of the possibility of armed rebellion, the non-Aboriginal planters left their pact with the Metis. On March 8, in another convention, Riel suggested the formation of an interim government.xxvi A ‘Bill of Rights’, like the one drafted in 1869 at the Red River, was also sketched at this convention.xxvii The resistance of the Metis officially began as an outcome of the actions of a non-Aboriginal campaigner. The chief factor of HBC at Fort Carlton, Lawrence Clarke, returned from Ottawa declaring that the federal administration was dispatching 500 combatants to Batoche as a response to the latest request of the Metis.xxviii The Metis then, after hearing the news, established an interim government. Riel afterwards gave the Adjutant-General position to Gabriel Dumont.xxix Riel made a decision that the preliminary action of the Metis in reaction to the likelihood of the government of Canada to exercise military might to overwhelm Metis rebellion was the peaceful invasion of Fort Carlton. Inopportunely, the North-West Mounted Police had just strengthened the garrison.xxx Louis Riel refused involvement in the 1885 Resistance fighting. Nevertheless, he controlled Metis tactics by advising them to prevent violence whenever necessary.xxxi For example, he commanded the Metis not to chase escaping combatants, non-Aboriginal armed forces, and police. Gabriel Dumont recounted that Riel, at the Battle of Duck Lake, mounted his horse without any weapons, only a crucifix in his hand.xxxii Riel surrendered himself to Thomas Hourie, an English-Metis reconnoiter, several days after Batoche’s collapse. Louis Riel was convicted with High Treason on July 1885 for his involvement in the Resistance in 1885.xxxiii Louis Riel, to the High Treason conviction, pleads ‘not guilty’. His attorneys had urged him to plead innocence by insanity; still, Riel decline because he envisioned that the objectives of the Resistance would be mocked if he plead insanity.xxxiv Nevertheless, many bore witness against Riel, which facilitated his indictment. Riel defended the cause of the Metis and himself throughout the trial. He pleaded sane in his defense. Moreover, he showed that the Resistance started with a police assault on the Metis, and hence was not instigated by the Metis people who were just protecting themselves.xxxv Riel ended his defense by revealing that the Metis dispatched formal requests to have their complaints serenely and peacefully resolved, though the government dispatched the military and the police.xxxvi After thoroughly considering the fate of Riel, the adjudicators declared him guilty, but proposed leniency. The eloquent defense of Riel of the objective of the Metis and the inefficiency of the government in addressing the grievances of the Metis had manipulated the jury.xxxvii In spite of the findings of the adjudicators, Magistrate Richardson approved capital punishment in 1885.xxxviii The trial of Louis Riel aroused public opinion all over Canada. Some, largely in Ontario, wanted him dead, and others, generally in Quebec, supported him. For the people of Quebec, the Roman Catholic and Francophone Riel embodied French Canada and the ambition of a bilingual and bicultural nation.xxxix For English Canadians, specifically Protestant Ontarians, Riel embodied ‘French supremacy’. Neither French Canadians nor English tried to make sense of the execution of Riel and the Resistance from the point of view of a Metis.xl Conclusions Most societies place too much value on land. However, to the native inhabitants of Canada, a land is a powerful symbol of culture. Cultural identity emanates from the land. Not only is the land a source of native identity, it has also been a source of livelihood and a fundamental element of myths of creation. Louis Riel’s history as a man was rooted in the land. Louis Riel was a fervent and naturally born leader. He had a vision of a peaceful and enlightened humanity that recognizes all world cultures. Because of this vision, Riel encouraged the events that led to the ascension of Manitoba as a province of Canada. Louis Riel is also a supporter of justice and fairness for the people of Metis, but he embodies more than that. He contributed a lot in the formation of the paradigm for cultural support and minority rights. It is seriously essential to commemorate the contribution of Louis Riel to Canada and particularly to remember that he was tried and died for being an ardent supporter of people’s rights. Read More