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Louis Riel: Founder of Manitoba

Who was Louis Riel? The Mtis leader commanded two rebellions in western Canada and was tried, convicted and hanged for treason in 1885. Until well into the 20th century Riel was regarded as "misguided and impetuous" at best and a psychotic traitor at worst. But in the 1960s Riel's image began to turn around. Today most Canadians, particularly the Mtis, have reclaimed him as a heroic patriot, founder of Manitoba and a Father of Confederation.

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The banks of the Red River in Winnipeg are a fitting place for a tribute to Louis Riel. Here, Manitobans are celebrating official federal and provincial recognition of Riel's role in the founding of Manitoba. It's a proud moment for the Mtis people, too: they've gained a long-sought seat at the 1992 constitutional talks. "Mtis people will be able to walk with their heads up high," says leader Yvon Dumont in this report from CBC News.

In 1992 the Mtis also won a Supreme Court decision recognizing them as an aboriginal nation in Canada.

The House of Commons officially acknowledged Riel's contribution to Confederation in March 1992. The resolution, which passed in a unanimous vote, applauded Riel's efforts to secure protection for Mtis and francophone rights in the creation of Manitoba.

The unanimous vote, arranged by an all-party agreement, nevertheless heard dissent from Nova Scotia MP Patrick Nowlan. According to Maclean's magazine, Nowlan said Parliament was "rewriting Riel history" in a bid for political correctness. He reasoned that the move set a precedent that might prompt future MPs to retroactively declare Prime Minister Mackenzie King "a security risk because he did things during the war according to a medium's ball."

In the 2001 census, the number of Canadians who reported their ethnicity as Mtis was 292,305. Of these, there were about 65,000 in Alberta, 55,000 in Manitoba, 50,000 in Ontario, and 45,000 each in Saskatchewan and British Columbia.

Yvon Dumont, speaking as the leader of the Manitoba Mtis Federation in this clip, became Manitoba's lieutenant-governor in March 1993.

In 1992 the Mtis negotiated a place in the newly drafted Constitution that went to a referendum that year. If the agreement passed, all aboriginal groups -- on-reserve, non-status, Inuit and Mtis -- would gain the right to negotiate individual self-government arrangements with Ottawa.

The result of the referendum was a No vote.

The Mtis did win a long-fought battle in 2003. The Supreme Court of Canada upheld a ruling that allowed Mtis people to hunt and fish out of season and without a license, a right aboriginal people have long held.

The ruling said Mtis people have that right provided they can prove a link to a historic Mtis community.

While the ruling applied to the Sault Ste. Marie region only, Mtis said it paved the way for future similar challenges.

In September 2007, Manitoba named a new provincial holiday in February after Riel. The first Louis Riel Day was scheduled for Feb. 18, 2008. "It's very, very tough to make all of the people happy all of the time, but at the end of the day, this is the name that was chosen, and I think Manitobans will be happy with it," said provincial Labour Minister Nancy Allen after the announcement was made.

Medium: Television
Program: The National
Broadcast Date: July 11, 1992
Guests: Norman Chartrand, Yvon Dumont, Gary Filmon, Ferdinand Guiboche
Host: Wendy Mesley
Reporter: Saa Petricic
Duration: 3:28

Last updated: October 30, 2013

Page consulted on September 10, 2014

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