Shannon, Krystal
474.73 KB of textual records (PDF)
Audience: Undergraduate. -- Dissertation: Thesis (B. A.). -- Algoma University, 2010. -- Submitted in partial fulfillment of course requirements for HIST 4055. -- Includes references. -- Contents: Thesis.
There are many people within Canadian history who have made an impact on the country as a whole or an individual province. Louis Riel is one who has done both. Having his beginnings in the Red River Settlement, Louis Riel would grow up to become known as the „Father of Manitoba and would be an influential leader for the Métis people. His impact however would not just be within present-day Manitoba but also felt across the entire country of Canada. Even 125 years after the death of Louis Riel, there are still controversial ideas about how he should be viewed for his role in Canadian history. There are divides all across the country; whether by language or ethnicity, there are some who view him as a hero and others who see him as a traitor. Yet he was so much more than just a hero or a traitor, in fact he was both. Louis Riel was a complicated, enigmatic man who held many positions and roles in his lifetime. He was the leader of the provincial government for the Métis people in present-day Manitoba, a school teacher in Montana, and a leader of the North-West Rebellion in present-day Saskatchewan. In the middle of the nineteenth century, in the territories that would eventually become the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the Métis formed a significant portion of the population. In these areas, the Métis consisted primarily of those who had both Indian1 and French-Canadian/European blood. In order to assert their cultural and political rights the Métis people required organization and formal leadership. Louis Riel, with his messianic vision, became the leader that would fill that void and help form a culture that would unify the Métis across Canada. It is through his efforts that present-day Métis in the west are able to carry on their culture and identity. Without Louis Riel, it is possible that they could have faded in obscurity when the Canadian government began expanding their newly formed country in the north west.
