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Unit

2The Development of

Western CanadaThe Development of

Western Canada

Confederation in 1867 established the new nation of

Canada. In the years following, the young country

grew and expanded westward at what may seem an

astonishing pace.

The changes disrupted the lives of Métis and Aboriginal

peoples in the West. Two uprisings occurred, one in 1869-

70 and one in 1885. To help keep order in the region, a

new police force was formed—the North-West Mounted

Police. Today we know this force as the Royal Canadian

Mounted Police.

By 1885, a ribbon of steel spanned the nation. The

Canadian Pacific Railway ran from the Atlantic to the

Pacific. Hundreds of thousands of settlers road the rails

into the West. Farms and ranches sprang up where the

buffalo once roamed. Two new provinces, Alberta and

Saskatchewan, were created. The development of the

West changed the face of Canada.

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Unit

2 Timeline1869 -

1870 -

1873 -

Focusing In!After studying this unit, you will be able to answer the following questions:

1. What factors led to the settlement of the Canadian West?2. What happened to the traditional way of life of Aboriginal peoples and Métis?3. How did the North-West Mounted Police, the railway, and settlers change the face

of the West?4. Why did uprisings take place? What changes followed?5. How did new immigrants contribute to the growth and development of the Canadian West? 6. What effects did the development of technology such as new wheat strains have on the West?

110

1869 -1870

1871 -1921

1872 -

1878 -

1885 -

1896 -

1896 -1914

Hudson’s Bay Company sells Rupert’s Land to Canada

Louis Riel leads the Red River Resistance

Manitoba enters Confederation

North-West Mounted Police is formed

Canada makes 11 treaties with Aboriginal peoples in the West

John A. Macdonald faces the Pacific Scandal Dominion Land Act takes effect

Macdonald introduces his National Policy

Transcontinental railway is completed North-West Rebellion breaks outLouis Riel is hanged

Wilfrid Laurier becomes Canada’s first French Canadian prime minister

New immigrants flood into Canada from Europe, Britain, and theUnited States

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Time: 11 October 1869

Place: Red River colony

Event: Stand-off between Canadian surveyors and Métis.

It is 1869. Canada has bought Rupert’s Landfrom the Hudson’s Bay Company, but doesnot have the right to establish rule in thearea until December. The Canadian govern-ment is eager to survey the land and get itready for settlement. Crews of Canadian sur-veyors are sent into the region.

On 11 October, one crew steps ontoAndré Nault’s land. Nault is a French-speak-ing Métis in the Red River settlement. Hetries to stop the surveyors, but the English-speaking surveyors do not understand him.Alarmed, Nault saddles his horse and ridesfor help. He returns with 16 Métis. One ofthem is Louis Riel. With the other Métis, Rielplaces his moccasined foot on the surveyor’s chain andsays, “You go no farther.”

With that act, Louis Riel stepped onto thestage of Canadian history. He became thechampion of the Métis people. He wouldspeak for the Métis and was prepared todefend their rights. The Red River uprisingwas about to begin.

Chapter

8 Trouble at Red RiverStand-Off!

Reflecting/Predicting

1. Why do you think the Métis are alarmed at the arrival ofthe surveyors? How would you have reacted if you werethere at the time?

2. Do you think the Canadian government should have sentin the surveyors?

3. What do you think will happen next?

111

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Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada112

Peoples of the WestAboriginal peoples lived in the vast territory ofRupert’s Land long before the Hudson’s BayCompany took over the land and sold it toCanada in 1869. Most of the Aboriginal groupsin the West were nomadic. They moved fromplace to place hunting buffalo and trapping fur-bearing animals. The only European settlerswere a few Hudson’s Bay Company employeesat lonely, scattered trading posts. Their job wasto buy furs from Aboriginal people in exchangefor Hudson’s Bay Company goods.

The only large settlement in the region wasthe Red River colony. About 12 000 people livedin this colony around Fort Garry (near present-day Winnipeg). Some were the original Selkirksettlers or their descendants. They had comefrom Scotland with Lord Selkirk when he estab-lished the colony in 1811. Many of these origi-nal settlers were poor farmers who had beendisplaced from their lands in Scotland. Theyhad endured many hardships in the early yearsof the settlement, including floods, hunger, andsickness.

Maxim Marion, a Métisguide. In the early days,the Métis formed thebackbone of the furtrade in the West.Theyacted as agents betweenthe Aboriginal peoplesand the Europeans. Fromone parent, the Métislearned their Aboriginallanguage. From the otherparent, they learnedFrench or English.Thismeant they could act astranslators for both sidesin the fur trade.Theybought furs from theAboriginal peoples.Thenthey sold these furs tothe agents of the furtrading companies.

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Chapter 8: Trouble at Red River 113

Other settlers were French-speaking RomanCatholic farm families from Lower Canada.They lived at St. Boniface. By the 1860s,English-speaking Protestant farmers fromCanada West also began arriving. They wereattracted by the rich prairie farmland and thedream that the region would one day becomepart of Canada.

But the largest group of people in the Red River colony were Métis. The Métis

were people of mixed heritage, Aboriginal and European. Their ways were not entirelyAboriginal, nor were they European. Theydeveloped a distinct way of living. They calledthemselves the “Métis Nation.”

In many ways, Métis culture combined elements of their varied heritage. Métis clotheswere often made in a European style but decorated with quills and beads in Aboriginalfashion. Scottish jigs and square dances werecombined with traditional dances of Aboriginalcultures. One of the most popular Métis danceswas the Red River Jig. The fiddle was afavourite instrument. From their Aboriginalancestors the Métis inherited their skill as rid-ers. They were excellent buffalo hunters. Somealso farmed small plots of land like theirEuropean ancestors. Others earned their livinghauling goods in carts for the trading compa-nies or as agents in the fur trade.

Fort Garry, 1863.The fort was the seat of government for the Hudson’s Bay Company in Rupert’s Land before the area was sold to Canada. It was also the centre of the fur trade in the region. Métis trippers rode the famous York boats carrying supplies to fur posts.The boats travelled the waterways from the Red River further west and north to Hudson Bay. Red River cartsalso made the trek back and forth over land to St. Paul, Minnesota and to posts in Saskatchewan.

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Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada114

The Red River Cart

L ong before the railroadreached the West, the Métis

had their own special “freighttrains.” These were trains ofRed River carts tied together.Sometimes there were 500 cartsin one train. Whole familiesrode the carts carrying furs,

pemmican, dried buf-falo meat, moccasins,and skin garments totrade. Pemmican

was dried buffalo meat mixed with fatand berries. To crossrivers and streams, thewheels were removedfrom the cart and

attached to the bottom of thebox. Then the cart floatedacross the rivers like a raft.Many of the early cart trailsbecame today’s roads and high-ways over the prairies.

Descriptions of the cartsspeak of their horrible, shriek-ing noise. Ungreased wheelsgrinding against wooden axlessounded like a “thousand fin-gernails being drawn across achalkboard.” People sometimesjoked that the reason the buf-falo left the plains was thatthey were trying to get awayfrom the noise of the Red River carts!

CultureLink The Métis of the Prairies

Facts• made entirely of wood with parts

held together by wooden pegsand strips of rawhide

• had strips of buffalo hide woundaround the wheels like tires tosoften bumps

• wheels about 2 m across; heightof the wheels prevented tipping

• usually pulled by an ox • could carry up to 450 kg

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Chapter 8: Trouble at Red River 115

The Buffalo HuntEach year, hundreds of Métis men,women, and children gathered for thebuffalo hunt. On Red River carts andhorses they travelled for hundreds ofkilometres across the prairies. At campbefore the hunt, they chose 10 cap-tains. Each captain led a group ofhunters. The hunt followed a strict,military-like organization. During thehunt, all captains and hunters wererequired to follow the rules and theleadership of the appointed guides.

After the hunt, the women skinnedthe many carcasses strewn across theprairie and cut the meat to be dried.They made pemmican, which was oneof the most important trade goods ofthe Métis. Fur traders and voyageursrelied on pemmican for food on theirlong treks. It would keep for yearswithout going bad.

The Métis SashMétis clothing reflected their unique cultureand environment. Many Métis wore a distinctive colourful sash tied around thewaist. The sash was both decorative and practical. Because it was woven from wool, it could become a scarf in cold weather. In an emergency, it could be used as a rope,bandage, towel, bridle, or even a saddle

blanket for a horse. Some sashes were up to 6 m long. The fringes on the end could alsobecome an emergency sewing kit. For many,the sash is a symbol of Métis culture. Like thesash, the Métis people have been woventogether from different backgrounds (French,English, Scottish, Cree, Ojibway, and otherAboriginal cultures) and speak a variety oflanguages.

1. Use a cardboard box to construct a modelof a Red River cart. Include a short descrip-tion of its features and how it was used.

2. Investigate other aspects of Métis culturesuch as their clothing, food, and homes. Useyour resource centre and the Internet tofind photos and descriptions.Then create aphoto collage or bulletin board display. Startwith this web site www.vcn.bc.ca/michif/mlife.html.

It took great discipline and skill for the riders to gallop among the stampeding buffalo and shoot theanimals at close range.The huge beasts fell to theground with a thud. It was highly dangerous. If ahunter was thrown from his horse, he would surelybe trampled by the herd.

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Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada116

Background to ResistanceThe Hudson’s Bay Company had withdrawn itsrule from Rupert’s Land in January 1869. TheCanadian government was not entitled to estab-lish rule until December. For almost 12 months,the people of the territory had no legal govern-ment. Who would protect their rights?

On sunny June days in 1869, crews ofCanadian surveyors appeared on the farms ofthe Métis in the Red River settlement. The sur-veyors were driving stakes into the ground. Thiswas ground the Métis people thought was theirsto use. They were not consulted about themethods and reasons for the surveys.

Métis people were worried because theyhad no papers to prove they owned theirhomes and their lands. The thought of settlerscoming in and taking over their lands alarmedthem. Many were also disturbed by therumours that the Canadian government wasplanning to build a railroad right through thebuffalo country. Some were ready to fight tokeep what they thought rightfully belonged tothem.

The Métis of the Red River gathered in acouncil meeting. They turned for leadership toa young Métis man, Louis Riel.

Today there are over 210 000 Métis inCanada. They make up about

a quarter of theAboriginal popu-

lation. Their flagand traditional sash

have become importantsymbols of their Nation. The

blue background of the flag repre-sents the colour of the North-West

Company. The flag has its origins in 1841when the North-West Company presented itsloyal Métis workers with uniforms and their

own flag. The figure eight suggests the joiningof cultures. The eight also stands for infinity.It means that the Métis Nation will go on for-ever. The traditional sash is also a symbol ofpride. In Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the

“Order of the Sash” is an honour bestowed onMétis who have made important contributionsto the political, cultural, or social lives of the

community.

Fast Forward

The Métis Nation Today

The Métis were told by the government surveyors that the land would be marked out in largesquares as it was in Ontario. But the Métis farms were already laid out in narrow strips facing therivers, in the same way the people of New France had laid out farms along the St. Lawrence.Thisway all families had some land along the river and they could live close together.Were the Métis notto be given any choice in the surveying of the land?

Métis strip farms Government survey of land in squares

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Chapter 8: Trouble at Red River 117

L ouis Riel was born in 1844at St. Boniface, across the

Red River from the main settle-ment. He was the oldest of 11children. His mother was thedaughter of one of the firstEuropean women to settle in

the North-West. His fatherwas an important Métis

leader. From hismother, Louis gained

a deep faith. Fromhis father, he inher-ited a pride in theMétis people.

Louis was abright boy and agood student.Local priestsarranged for himto be sent to

school in Montréalin 1858. They hoped

that Louis wouldbecome the first Métis

priest from the RedRiver. Though he trained to

become a priest, he did notcomplete his studies. Instead, in1865, he went to work in a lawoffice in Montréal. At that time,Confederation was being talked

about everywhere in Montréal.Louis’s employers wereopposed to Confederation.They were strong supporters ofthe rights of French-speakingCanadians. Their beliefsseemed to have influencedLouis Riel. He became deeplyinvolved in the struggle toimprove the lives of his people,the French-speaking Métis.

From 1866 to 1868, Rielworked as a store clerk in theUnited States. But he remainedhomesick for his family and theRed River settlement. By thesummer of 1868, he had driftedback to his Métis homeland. Rielcould speak well in both Frenchand English. His speaking abilityand his interest in his peoplemade him a defender of theMétis cause. He was to becomeone of the most controversialfigures in Canadian history.

1. What qualities do you thinkwould make Louis Riel aleader of his people?

2. What do you think mightmake him controversial?

ProfileLouis Riel

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Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada118

Resistance at Red River1869-70

One week after Louis Riel stepped on the surveyor’s chain, he forms theNational Committee of the Métis. The committee is to decide how to protectMétis lands.

The National Committee hears that John A. Macdonald has appointed a lieu-tenant-governor for the North-West Territories—William McDougall. He is on hisway to the colony to set up a Canadian government for the territory. McDougallhas to travel to the settlement through the United States because there is noroad joining Ontario and the North-West Territories. The Métis hear rumours heis bringing cases of rifles and ammunition.

When McDougall arrives at the border of the settlement, he finds the road toFort Garry blocked by the Métis. They will not have any governor without beingconsulted first. McDougall has to turn back to the closest American frontiertown.

Louis Riel and the Métis take over Fort Garry. The fort has large supplies of foodand ammunition. From this strategic position, they can control the colony.

The Métis set up a Provisional government to replace the Hudson’s BayCompany rule. Riel says it speaks for their area in any dealings with theCanadian government.

John A. Macdonald sends a messenger to find out what the people of Red Riverwant. The Red River colony does not belong to Canada until 1 December 1869.John A. wants peace in the region before Canada takes over. He does not send introops right away. The Métis draw up a Bill of Rights with their requests andsend it to Ottawa.

Louis Riel and the National Committeeof the Métis, 1869.The Committee set upthe Provisional government. Some peoplein the settlement thought that this was anact of rebellion. Riel never consideredhimself a rebel. His people were loyal citizens of the Queen.They were fightingagainst two things. First, the Hudson’s BayCompany had sold their land to Canadawithout telling them. Second, theCanadian government was taking overwithout consulting them.

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Chapter 8: Trouble at Red River 119

An artist’s view of ThomasScott’s execution.Whatimpression does this picturegive of the execution? Doyou think it was drawn by a supporter or opponent of Riel?

Some settlers from Ontario in the colonyriot to protest Riel’s Provisional govern-ment. They are jailed by Riel. One, ThomasScott, threatens to escape and kill Riel. Hestrikes his guards, calls the Métis a pack ofcowards, and insults their Roman Catholicreligion. Riel orders Scott brought to trial.He is found guilty of disobedience to thelawful government. Within 24 hours, Scottis brought before a firing squad.

Riel’s Provisional government works outan agreement with Ottawa called theManitoba Act. On 15 July 1870, Manitobaenters Confederation as the fifth province.

Macdonald decides to send troops to theRed River in case of further trouble. Withtroops in the West, it would also be clearto the United States that Canada wasclaiming the territory.

Fearing for his life, Riel flees to the UnitedStates.

The Métis Bill of Rights

Major requests:

1. the right to enter Canada’sConfederation as a province

2. the right to elect and send fourMembers of Parliament toOttawa

3. control over their own localaffairs

4. the right to use both Frenchand English languages equally inschools and law courts

5. the right to keep their customs,tradition, and Métis way of life.

The Métis also want a rail line to come to Winnipeg and theywant the federal government tonegotiate treaties with Aboriginalpeoples in the region.

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Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada120

The Thomas Scott AffairMost people in the Red River colony had sup-ported Riel’s Provisional government. But asmall group of settlers known as “theCanadians” were strongly opposed to it. Thesesettlers had come from Ontario. They believedEnglish Protestants should control the North-West and they showed little respect for Métisrights or lifestyle. Thomas Scott was one ofthose Canadians.

Why had Riel allowed Scott to be executedso quickly? Riel may have felt he had to provethat his Provisional government must beobeyed. He had to show the Canadian govern-ment that he was in charge. Then Ottawawould have to work out the terms of thecolony’s entrance into Confederation with theProvisional government.

The execution of Thomas Scott caused amajor crisis in Canada. It aroused bitter feel-ings between English and French. In Ontario,the news of Scott’s execution caused an uproar.Scott was an English-speaking Protestant.People in his home province were outraged by

his death. Newspapers throughout the provincecalled for revenge. They claimed Scott hadbeen “butchered in cold blood.” Manydemanded that Riel be hanged for Scott’s murder. They even offered a reward for Riel’sarrest.

In the Roman Catholic province of Québec,many people said Riel had done the right thing. They felt sympathetic toward him and his government. They placed the blame for the problem in the Red River colony on the“troublemakers” from Ontario. It was a longtime before the Thomas Scott affair was forgotten in Canada.

The Manitoba ActThe Manitoba Act created the province ofManitoba on 15 July 1870. It was a victory forthe Métis. The Canadian government had origi-nally wanted to leave the region a territory. Asa province, Manitoba would have better repre-sentation in Ottawa and much more power overits own affairs. Macdonald had paid attentionto the Métis Bill of Rights.

Manitoba became aprovince of Canadain 1870. It wasknown as “thepostage stampprovince” becauseof its size. It wasmuch smaller thanit is today.The restof the vast sur-rounding territorywas still known asthe North-WestTerritories.

FortWilliam

PortArthur

Ste. Anne

THE RED RIVER RESISTANCEAND THE CREATION OF MANITOBA Lake Superior

N

100 km0

FortGarry

Lake Winnipeg

Lake ofthe Woods

RainyLake

LakeNipigon

MANITOBA

NORTH-WEST TERRITORIES

ONTARIO

UNITED STATES

RedR

iver

Route of troopsRed River SettlementRoads (first stages of combined road-river route from Port Arthur to Fort Garry)

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Chapter 8: Trouble at Red River 121

By the Manitoba Act:

• Manitoba was allowed to send four mem-bers to the House of Commons in Ottawaand two members to the Canadian Senate.

• The people could use either English orFrench in schools and government.

• Land was set aside for the Métis. Each fam-ily received scrip, a certificate saying theyowned 96 ha of land. The total amount ofland set aside for the Métis was about 560 000 ha.

In time, many Métis became dissatisfied asmore settlers moved into Manitoba. Some Métissold their scrip for money. They moved fartherwest to join other Métis in the area of Canadawe now know as Saskatchewan. They hoped tobe able to hunt buffalo and follow their tradi-tional way of life.

Riel was pleased with the Manitoba Act. Hebelieved that he had fathered a new province.He had won for his people the right to be repre-sented in Ottawa. They had received land,French schools, and free use of the French language. Now he was prepared toturn over control of the settlementto the new lieutenant-governor sentfrom Ottawa.

Riel FleesThe troops Macdonald sent into theWest were British and Canadiansoldiers headed by Colonel GarnetWolseley. As the troops nearedWinnipeg, Riel began to fear that hemight be seized and punished forthe death of Thomas Scott. Riel’sfollowers begged him to flee. Heleaped on his horse and rode awayto the United States.

In fact, some of the troops fromOntario were determined to getrevenge for the execution of Scott.Some had openly vowed to shootany person involved with Scott’s

death. It was obvious that Riel’s life was in danger. One member of the Métis court thathad sentenced Scott was driven by soldiers into the Red River and drowned. Riel’s unclewas chased, stabbed, and left on the prairie for dead.

On his way to the United States, Riel wasreported to have said: “He who ruled in FortGarry only yesterday is now a homeless wan-derer with nothing to eat but two dried fish.” It would be nearly 15 years before the Métiswould see their leader again.

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oNetsurferNetsurfer

For information on

the Metis and some

personalities of

Riel,s day, visit

this web site:

www.metisnation.org/

info.html.

It took 13 weeks for Colonel Wolseley and his troops toreach Manitoba. Since there was no railroad, the soldiershad to build a road as they went along. On other partsof the trek they travelled in boats on the lakes andrivers. Finally, they arrived at the settlement.

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Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada122

In science, the tools you use include beakers andmicroscopes. In geography, you use maps. In thestudy of history, the tools you use are primaryand secondary sources.

Primary sources Primary sources are first-hand evidence containing the testimony of people alive at the time of an event. For example,Louis Riel’s personal diary or a speech given by Sir John A. Macdonald on 15 July 1870 are primary sources.

Secondary sources Secondary sources aresecond-hand accounts, such as biographies orhistory books, written about the past and basedon primary sources. Some secondary sources arebased on other secondary sources. For example,many history books use information from otherbooks to write their story.

Sorting It All OutImagine you are a historian studying the RedRiver Resistance.To get an accurate picture ofwhat happened, you have to study both primaryand secondary sources.

Test yourself! In your notebook, copy thechart below.Then place the sources listed belowin the appropriate columns.

a) a photograph of Louis Rielb) the diary of Sir John A. Macdonaldc) a map of Manitoba used by Colonel Wolseleyd) “Riel—A Television Special” on the life and

career of Louis Riele) an account written by an eyewitness to the

death of Thomas Scott

f) a word-of-mouth description by a descen-dant of André Nault of what happened whenthe surveyors stepped on his land

g) chapter 8 of Flashback Canadah) a recently drawn sketch of Riel and members

of his Provisional government when theywere in power in the colony

i) a copy of the Manitoba Actj) a newspaper article written 100 years after

Manitoba joined Confederationk) minutes of a meeting of the Provisional

government

A Closer ExaminationNow you are ready for a greater challenge. In1869, the Canadian government sent WilliamMcDougall to be governor of the Red River settlement. As he crossed the border into thesettlement from the United States, he was metby armed Métis. He was handed a letter writtenin French.Test your French by trying to translatethe following letter.Then answer the questionson the next page.

Skill Building: Recognizing Primary and Secondary Sources

Primary Secondary Sources Sources

Monsieur,Le Comité National des Métis de la Rivière

Rouge intime à Monsieur W. McDougall l’ordre de ne pas entrer sur le Territoire du Nord-Ouest sans une permission spéciale de ce Comité.

Par ordre du President,John BruceLouis Riel, Secretaire.

daté à St. Norbert,Rivière Rouge,ce 21e jour d’Octobre, 1869.

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Chapter 8: Trouble at Red River 123

1. Is this document a primary or secondarysource?

2. Who wanted to keep the governor out ofthe Red River settlement and why?

3. How would you react to this letter if youwere:a) William McDougallb) the Canadian governmentc) one of the “Canadians” from Ontario

living in the Red River colony?

4. Why is this letter an important piece of evidence for the historian?

5. Choose one of the viewpoints listed in question 3 above and write a short letter in response.

The translation:

ActivitiesUnderstanding Concepts

1. Add these new terms to your Factfile.

nomadic National Committee Manitoba ActMétis of the Métis scripRed River cart Provisional government primary sourcepemmican Métis Bill of Rights secondary source

2. a) Why were the surveyors laying out land in squares? b) How did the Métis people react? Why?

3. Imagine you are a Métis sent to Ottawa from the Red River settlement. Make alist for the government of the problems faced by your people in the North-West in 1869.

4. a) Who opposed Riel’s Provisional government in the Red River settlement?Why?

b) Describe the major incident that caused so much bitterness betweenOntario and Riel.

Sir,The National Committee of the Métis of

the Red River notifies Mr. W. McDougall of the order not to enter the North-West Territory without special permission of this Committee.

By order of the President,John BruceLouis Riel, Secretary.

dated at St. Norbert,Red River,this 21st day of October, 1869.

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Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada124

Digging Deeper

5. CAUSES AND EFFECTS Create a cause and effect organizer to outline the factors leading to the Red River Resistance and the results (refer back to pp. 27-28 for help).

6. COMPARE In an organizer, compare the terms asked for by the Métis andthose asked for by British Columbia on entering Confederation. In what wayswere the requests similar? Were the Métis asking for anything special?

7. VIEWPOINTS/ROLE PLAY Work in groups. Choose one of the following people and outline your viewpoint on the Thomas Scott affair.Then role play aconversation in your group.a) a member of the Métis Provisional governmentb) a Canadian settler from Ontario in the Red River colonyc) John A. Macdonaldd) a Riel supporter in Québece) a citizen living in Ontario

8. THINK/DISCUSS Suppose Thomas Scott had not been executed and Riel hadsimply sent him out of the settlement. Do you think this might have been a better solution to the problem? Why or why not?

9. INVESTIGATE Review the meaning of the word “rebellion.” Then answer thefollowing questions. Be prepared to support your answers.a) Who would Riel and the Métis say was the established government in the

Red River settlement in November 1869? Explain.b) Who would Sir John A. Macdonald say was the established government in

the settlement at this time? Explain.c) Should we call the situation in the Red River settlement a “rebellion?” Why

or why not? Is “resistance” or “uprising” a better description?

Making New Connections

10. WRITE These words said by Riel are inscribed on the monument to him,which stands on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislature:

Yes, I have done my duty. During my life I have aimed at practical results.I hope that after my death my spirit will bring practical results. All that Ihave done and risked, and to which I have exposed myself, rested certainly onthe conviction that I was called upon to do something for my country. . . . Iknow that through the grace of God I am the founder of Manitoba.

Write a letter to the editor of your newspaper expressing your point of viewon this statement:“Louis Riel deserves the title ‘Founder of Manitoba.’”

11. RESEARCH/CREATE Research information on some important Métis individualsin Canada today. Find out about their backgrounds and contributions. Create abulletin board display with your findings. Some examples include:

Judge Murray Sinclair Writer and teacher Olive DickasonArchitect Douglas Cardinal Actor Tom Jackson

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