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MÉTIS REBELLIONS
A part of Canada’s not so peaceful past
RED RIVER REBELLION
Conflict in Manitoba
REASONS Canadian government purchased Rupert’s Land
(what is now the western provinces and territories) from the Hudson Bay Company (HBC). The purchase would take effect 1870.
Many First Nations did not recognize the HBC’s right to sell land that the First Nations saw as belonging to them
Métis were concerned due to Canada’s history of making decisions that benefited English Protestants.
In 1869 Canada sent surveyors into what is now Manitoba prior to taking possession of the land
Surveyors were setting up a grid based land system while the Métis owned land based on the French long lot system
OPENING EVENTS Métis moved in and took Fort Garry, the
home of the governor, without any violence
48 Canadian settlers, primarily from Ontario, opposed the Métis action and gathered in a warehouse planning to fight
200 armed Métis surrounded the warehouse with 2 cannons and demanded the settlers surrender which they did with no one being harmed
THOMAS SCOTT The settlers captured were allowed to go free if
they promised to either leave or obey the provisional government
One person who refused and remained a prisoner was Thomas Scott
Scott escaped and tried to start a counter revolution before being captured again
While in prison Scott constantly taunted his jailors and threatened to kill Riel, the leader of the provisional government
Scott was tried by a court and sentenced to death, a sentence that Riel ordered carried out in spite of requests that he overturn the sentence
MÉTIS DEMANDS The following is from the Métis List of Rights which was the
basis of negotiations: That the people have the right to elect their own legislature. That the legislature have the power to pass all laws local to the
territory. That a portion of the public lands be appropriated to the benefit
of schools, the building of bridges, roads and public buildings. That the English and French languages be common in the
legislature and courts and that all public documents and acts of legislature be published in both languages.
That the judge of the Supreme Court speak the French and English languages.
That treaties be concluded and ratified between the Dominion Government and the several tribes of Indians in the territory to ensure peace on the frontier.
That we have fair and full representation in the Canadian parliament.
That all privileges, customs and usages existing at the time of the transfer be respected.
MANITOBA ACT OF 1870 As a result of negotiations with the
Canadian government the province of Manitoba was created and included some interesting points:Religious schools would be allowedEnglish and French were to be used by the
government and in their documentsMetis would be allowed to keep their land
CANADA’S REACTION Initially Canada did not send any troops due to
the large distance and lack of a railway, additionally it was winter making travel even harder
Ontario Canadians were outraged at the execution of Thomas Scott and called for Riel to be tried for his murder
Canada sent troops in with the new governor after Manitoba was formed to act as police and to appease Ontario
Riel while never charged with a crime was forced to flee Fort Garry and was eventually exiled from Canada for several years for his part in the rebellion
QUESTIONS Given that everything Riel and the Métis
did had the support of the majority of the people, including English Canadians, in the area were they justified in their actions?
Was the execution of Thomas Scott a reasonable action?
Given that all of these events occurred prior to Canada officially taking control of the territory should this be called a rebellion?
1885 REBELLION
War in Saskatchewan
REASONS After Red River many Métis moved to
Saskatchewan Once again surveyors were ignoring the
Métis long lot farms and imposing a grid system in advance of the railway and settlers
Metis and First Nations were hurt by the lack of buffalo to hunt
First Nations were suffering from European diseases
Settlers were angry at the cost of transportation and slow development of railways
OPENING EVENTS Métis, First Nations, and English settlers
protested to Ottawa Métis recalling their success in Manitoba
sent a delegation led by Gabriel Dumont to ask Riel for assistance
Riel agreed and came to Batoche Saskatchewan
Riel planned to use the same plan as during the Red River Rebellion, he set up a provisional government and sent a list of demands to Ottawa
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES This Metis rebellion was doomed from
the start due to several significant changes from 1869:The North West Mounted Police (NWMP) was
firmly established in the region as an armed force
The Canadian Pacific (CP) railway while not finished was well on the way to being done and could easily and quickly transport troops to the area
Riel was not the leader he had been, having suffered a mental break down after Red River and developing a messiah complex
BATTLES Duck Lake
56 NWMP and 43 volunteers met approximately 100 Métis
Both sides sent 2 men forward to talk, there was a struggle over a gun and a shot was fired starting the battle
During the battle Dumont was wounded, while Riel sat on his horse and prayed never firing a shot
Eventually the NWMP fell back and the battle was over with 12 NWMP dead and 5 Métis
BATTLES Fish Creek
Duck Lake had frightened Canada so the government sent the army under General Middleton with new repeating rifles, field guns and the new Gatling gun to deal with the Métis
Dumont yielded to Riel and fought set battles in the Batoche area
The Métis ambushed the Middleton at Fish Creek hiding in bushes and then retreating down into the coulee where they could hid in more bushes and fire at the exposed troops on the edge of the coulee
However by the time the Métis retreated they had only 47 troops who stayed to face Middleton’s 400 troops
Middleton even with fresh troops refused to attack again due to his losses
Middleton had 10 killed, and 45 wounded, the Métis had 5 killed and 1 wounded
BATTLES Batoche
Middleton planned to attack from two sides using a steamboat as a gunship
As the ship passed the Métis went to the river and exchanged gun fire before dropping a ferry cable and disabling the steamboat
Be the time Middleton’s troops arrived and attack the steamboat had passed and the Métis were back in position
Middleton opened fire with a field gun and sent his troops to attack but once again they were exposed and the Métis were under cover so the attack failed
BATTLES Batoche
For two days Middleton used field guns and the Gatling gun but did not attack in force
By day four the Métis were running low on ammunition
Middleton’s troops were also tired of waiting around
While Middleton had lunch some troops attacked and while it was successful it was poorly organized allowing many Métis including Riel and Dumont to escape
Numbers are unclear but it is accepted that a total of 25 people died during the battle
THE END A general amnesty was declared for all
those involved in 1886 First Nations leaders Poundmaker and Big
Bear were sentenced to jail even though they tried to stop their people from fighting and their people fought for food and not Riel
Dumont Fled to the US Joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show where
people paid to see his shooting and riding skills In 1893 he returned to Canada and spent the
remaining years hunting and farming
THE END Riel
Surrendered to Canadian troops several days after the battle of Batoche
Riel was brought to Regina where he was tried for treason
Riel’s lawyers tried to put forward and insanity defense but Riel refused to cooperate stating that he was sane
Jury found Riel guilty but recommended mercy Judge sentenced Riel to death by hanging Prime Minister Macdonald refused to over rule the
decision He was executed in Regina on September 18 1885
a little over a month from the end of the trial
OUTCOME Macdonald’s Conservative party would lose
power in 10 years The liberal party became the party of Quebec
for the next 100 years The CP railway went from near financial ruin to
being completed rapidly Government provided the Metis all of their
land requests by 1887 and returned the long lot system by 1890 in that area
The war cost Canada $5 million (approximately $1 billion in today’s dollars) to fight not counting the cost of the railway or the eventual granting of Métis lands
OUTCOME The war cost Canada $5 million
(approximately $1 billion in today’s dollars) to fight not counting the cost of the railway or the eventual granting of Métis lands
Fifty years after the trial one of the jurors stated he thought Riel was tried for treason but hanged for Thomas Scott’s murder
QUESTIONS Given the eventual outcomes was either
side justified in fighting this battle? Is Riel a hero standing up for his
people’s rights or a traitor who tried to topple Canada?