It is the summer of 1885. The small courtroomin Regina is jammed with reporters and curi-ous spectators. Louis Riel is on trial. He ischarged with treason for leading an armedrebellion against the Queen and her Canadiangovernment. If he is found guilty, the punish-ment could be death by hanging.

What has happened over the past 15 yearsto bring Louis Riel to this moment? This is thesame Louis Riel who led the Red RiverResistance in 1869-70. This is the Riel whowas called the “Father of Manitoba.” He isback in Canada.

The case against Riel is being heard byJudge Hugh Richardson and a jury of sixEnglish-speaking men. The tiny courtroom issweltering in the heat of a prairie summer. Fordays, Riel’s lawyers argue that he is insaneand cannot tell right from wrong. Then it isRiel’s turn to speak. The photograph showsRiel in the witness box telling his story. Whatwill he say in his own defence? Will the jurydecide he is innocent or guilty? All Canada iswaiting to hear what the outcome of the trialwill be!

The North-West Rebellion 1885Riel on Trial

Chapter

13

Reflecting/Predicting1. Why do you think Louis Riel is back in Canada after

fleeing to the United States following the Red RiverResistance in 1870?

2. What do you think could have happened to bring LouisRiel to this trial?

3. Do you think he will be found guilty or innocent?

182

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Chapter 13: The North-West Rebellion 1885 183

Riel ReturnsIn 1884, Gabriel Dumont and threeother Métis rode 1100 km from theSaskatchewan River valley toMontana. Louis Riel was living inMontana with his family and teach-ing school. Dumont’s mission wasto persuade Riel to return toCanada and fight again for theMétis cause. Gabriel Dumont wasa well-respected hunter and mili-tary leader. However, he was notthe educated, fiery representativethe Métis needed.

Dumont told Riel a very sadstory. After Manitoba joinedConfederation, many Métis movedfarther west into present-daySaskatchewan and Alberta. Theywere looking for wide open spacesand freedom to live in the traditional Métis way.Then Canadian surveyors suddenly appeared inthe North-West. They started to divide the landfor settlement. The railway was comingthrough. It would be only a matter of timebefore settlers would flood into their land. Itwas the same old problem for the Métis.

Background to RebellionWhen Riel first returned to the North-West, heseemed to have no thought of an armed rebel-lion. He wanted to try peaceful ways first. Rieldreamed of bringing the Aboriginal peoples, theMétis, and the settlers together. They wouldspeak to Ottawa with one voice. A petition tothe government was drawn up. A petition is aformal request to an authority for rights, privi-leges, or other benefits.

Although the government promised to look into these problems, Ottawa took no realaction. By March 1885, Riel decided to wait nolonger. He planned to use the same methodsthat had been successful earlier in Manitoba.He would set up his own government and armhis followers. Then he could pressure the

Canadian government to provide a better dealfor the citizens of the North-West.

It was a risky move. Conditions had changedsince 1870. Now there was the North-WestMounted Police to support the Canadian gov-ernment. There was also a railroad to bringtroops from eastern Canada.

Riel’s call to take up arms lost him the support of the settlers. They wanted to seechanges come in a lawful way. Riel also lost thesupport of the Roman Catholic Church when heencouraged the use of arms. Only the French-speaking Métis and some Aboriginal peoplecontinued to support him.

Among the Aboriginal peoples, only chiefsBig Bear and Poundmaker and their followersjoined Riel in the rebellion. They refused togive up their way of life and move quietly ontothe reserves. They became increasingly desper-ate as food grew more scarce. Big Bear wasconcerned for his people. The early successesof Riel and the Métis gave Poundmaker and BigBear hope. But what chance would Riel, theMétis, and the few Aboriginal people haveagainst the Canadian government?

What the Métis wanted:• legal proof that they owned the small spaces of land

where they lived• a voice in their own government

What the Aboriginal peoples wanted:• food and more money in exchange for the use of their

land; many people were close to starvation with thebuffalo almost wiped out

What the Settlers wanted:• lower prices for farm machinery and for moving goods

on the railroad • higher prices for their wheat• a stronger voice for the North-West in Ottawa

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Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada184

Frog Lake—2 April 1885News of the Mountie defeat at Duck Lakeswept across the prairies like wildfire.Encouraged by this Métis success, someAboriginal people decided to strike. One groupbroke into the Hudson’s Bay Company store inBattleford. They took needed supplies.

Big Bear’s son, Wandering Spirit, led a bandof Aboriginal people against the settlement atFrog Lake. The Indian agent (a governmentworker), two priests, and five others werekilled. Then the band headed toward Fort Pitt.Big Bear, who was a friend of the Mounties,warned the police to retreat. “My young menare wild. I can no longer control them,” he said. Other Aboriginal people under ChiefPoundmaker headed for Battleford.

But Chief Crowfoot and most of theAboriginal groups on the prairies refused tobecome involved in these battles. The govern-ment rushed extra supplies of food and blan-

kets to them. Train carloads of flour and sidesof bacon, as well as extra tea and tobacco,were distributed to these Aboriginal peoples.The government hoped that this would keepthem neutral during the trouble on the prairies.

Ottawa Sends TroopsOttawa was alarmed at the news of the Mountiedefeat at Duck Lake. The government decided tosend troops immediately to put down the rebel-lion. The problem was how to get the troops tothe West quickly. In March 1885, the CPR had notyet been completed. There were still 138 km oftrack to be laid.

William Van Horne was struggling to get thelast sections of track laid. He still needed moremoney to finish the job. He saw the uprising asa chance for the CPR to get another loan fromthe government. He promised to have thetroops in Fort Qu’Appelle in ten days in returnfor another loan. Van Horne would use one

The Rebellion Begins

News Bulletin

Bloodshed at

Duck Lake26 March 1885 Today, 17

North-West Mounted Police

officers set out from Fort

Carlton to pick up food and

ammunition stored at Duck

Lake. About 5 km from Duck

Lake, they found the road

blocked by a group of Métis.

The Mounties were greatly

outnumbered. They returned

to Fort Carlton without a

fight.

Superintendent Crozier

decided to lead a force of 50

police and 50 volunteers

back to Duck Lake to secure

their supplies. On the way,

they met Gabriel Dumont

and his followers. From the

top of a ridge, the Métis

could see the Mounties as

they advanced along the trail.

The Mounties were easy tar-

gets for the Métis. Ten

Mounties were killed and

eleven injured in the 40-

minute battle. Four Métis and

one Aboriginal person were

also killed. The North-West

Mounted Police abandoned

Fort Carlton and retreated to

Prince Albert. A rebellion has

begun in the North-West.

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Chapter 13: The North-West Rebellion 1885 185

method or another to get the troops over thoseincompleted sections of track!

General Middleton and the first forces leftToronto for the West. Ahead of them was ajourney of approximately 2200 km. The troopsrode in sleighs provided by the railroad com-pany in some places. On stretches of trackbetween the gaps, they rode in open flatcars.The horses suffered even more than the sol-diers because there was no way of shelteringthem from the wind and rain. One soldier,George Beauregard, recalled the misery ofbeing packed onto flatcars sheltered only by ascrap of canvas: “There were 50 of us to a car,piled one on top of another, drenched by therain which fell on our backs in torrents. For thefirst time, we really knew what misery was.”

Eight days later, the first troops arrived inWinnipeg. An eyewitness said the troops lookedas if they had already gone through a war.Many were frostbitten and half-blind with theglare of the snow.

Van Horne had kept his promise. The troopswere in Fort Qu’Appelle in nine days. The gov-ernment was happy and the CPR earned theloan to complete the railroad.

Five thousand armed troops were now inthe West. Added to these were 500 North-WestMounted Police and 50 surveyors. The survey-ors were especially helpful because they knewthe country well.

The railway west was not yet complete.Four times Middleton’s troops had toleave their trains in freezing weather tocross the gaps in the railroad.They had todrag their guns and horses through deepsnow in temperatures well below 00C.It was a very rough introduction to thelife of a soldier. Most of the troops werevolunteers. Only a few days before, theyhad been shopkeepers and clerks in eastern Canada.

This was the plan:

1. Troops under General Middleton were toadvance from Qu’Appelle to Riel’s headquartersat Batoche.

2. A column of soldiers, under Colonel Otter, wasto head north from Swift Current towardBattleford. Battleford was surrounded byPoundmaker and his people. Otter’s job was torelieve the settlement.

3. A third force, under General Strange, was toleave the train at Calgary.They were to set outfor Edmonton and the North SaskatchewanRiver to track down Big Bear.

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Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada186

Big Bear was considered one of the mostinfluential chiefs on the prairies. He was

a chief of the Plains Cree. Big Bear had astocky build and great physical strength. Hewas an excellent rider and buffalo hunter.While hunting or during a battle, he couldcling to the side of a galloping horse andshoot from the underside of the horse’s neck.

Big Bear was deeply concerned about thedisappearance of the buffalo, the increasingnumber of settlers, and the destruction of hispeople’s way of life. He believed the treatyconditions were impossible and would leavehis people in poverty. Big Bear and his fol-lowers did not want to live on reserves oraccept treaty money from the government.

Earlier in his life, it is said that Big Bearhad a strange dream. He saw a spring ofwater spouting up through the ground. In thedream, Big Bear triedto stop the flow ofwater with hishands. The waterturned to blood andsquirted through hisfingers. In 1885, thebad dream cametrue. Once again,Big Bear was notable to stop theflow of blood.

ProfilesBig Bear (Mistahimaskwa)

Gabriel Dumont

This Métis buf-falo hunter wasone of the mostcolourful figuresof the North-WestRebellion of 1885.He was a crackshot. He was alsoan excellent riderwho caught andtamed his ownwild horses.

After the rebel-lion, Dumont worked in the United States asa sharpshooter in Buffalo Bill’s travellingWild West Show.

Dumont showed his skills in militarystrategy and leadership during the battles of

the rebellion. He turned the discipline andtight organization of the Métis buffalo hunt tohis advantage in the military battles. TheMétis used their skill as sharpshooters andhit-and-run tactics against the Canadianarmies.

In July 1886, the Canadian governmentpardoned those who had taken part in theNorth-West Rebellion. Dumont did not goback to the South Saskatchewan River until1890. During the last years of his life, it issaid he would sit at his cabin door and tellneighbourhood children tales of the rebel-lion. He would show them the scar from thewound in the head he received at Duck Lake.Then the old buffalo hunter would say, “Yousee, my skull was too thick for the soldiers tokill me!”

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Chapter 13: The North-West Rebellion 1885 187

Middleton was a British general who hadspent his entire career in the army. He wasplaced in charge of all troops sent to putdown the North-West Rebellion. Why was aBritish general in command of Canadiantroops? Canada at this time was still a colonyof Britain. It was Britain’s right to appoint anexperienced British soldier to command theCanadian militia. The militia were citizenstrained to defend the country and fight as anarmy. However, they were called into serviceonly in times of emergency.

Middleton would have preferred to haveBritish regular soldiers to fight in his army.

He criticized theCanadian militia as“Sunday soldiers,”and he did not trustthe North-WestMounted Police.

He was rather stub-born and unwilling tofollow advice. Therefore,he did not listen to his offi-cers who were much more famil-iar with the Canadian countryside than hewas. He also underestimated the fighting skillsof the Aboriginal people and the Métis.

General Frederick Middleton

Poundmaker (Pitikwahanapiwiyin)

Poundmaker was an adopted son of Crowfoot.He became a Cree chief in 1878. How did heget his name? It seems that he had a specialability to attract buffalo into pounds. A poundresembled a huge corral. Sometimes a herd ofbuffalo were stampeded into this trap. Onother occasions, the buffalo were drawn inquietly by a person like Poundmaker. Hewould dress in a buffalo robe and use a bell tocapture the herd’s curiosity. One time, it issaid Poundmaker lured 500 buffalo into hispound.

Poundmakerwas genuinely con-cerned about thewelfare of his peo-ple. He did notwant to see thedestruction of theirway of life and hebelieved the gov-ernment was notfulfilling its treatypromises.

1. Compare the skills, experience, and qualifi-cations of Gabriel Dumont and GeneralMiddleton as military leaders.Who do youthink might have the advantage in battles onthe prairies? Why?

2. Poundmaker, Big Bear, Crowfoot, and otherPlains chiefs are discussing whether or not

to join Riel in the rebellion. Choose therole of a chief for or against joining. Outlineyour viewpoints and then role play themeeting. Consider the following:a) the role of the Mounted Policeb) the soldiers’ military strengthc) feelings among Aboriginal peoplesd) problems facing Aboriginal peoples.

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Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada188

Story of a Rebellion

Fish Creek 24 April 1885General Middleton marches slowly with 850troops toward Batoche. The soldiers havecannons and a large wagon train of supplies.Métis scouts bring Riel daily reports of thesoldiers’ progress. But Riel and GabrielDumont do not agree on what to do. Dumontwants to act at once. He knows Middleton’stroops outnumber the Métis and are muchbetter equipped. He wants to slow down thetroops by means of ambush.

Riel thinks it is better to wait until thesoldiers attack Batoche. He says he hasprayed about it. God has told him that if theMétis wait, they will win. But Dumont getshis way.

During the Battle of Fish Creek, Riel is athis headquarters in Batoche. He can hear theboom of Middleton’s cannons 13 km away. Itis said that all day he stands praying for suc-cess. His arms are stretched out to form across. When his arms tire and seem to drop,his friends come forward and hold them up.

Batoche9 May 1885At Batoche, Middleton’s plan is to use theHudson’s Bay Company supply steamerNorthcote. The steamer has been fitted outas a gunboat. Its sides are barricaded withplanks, boxes, and mattresses. When theNorthcote’s whistle blows, it will be the signal for the battle to begin. Troops on thesteamer will fire from the river. At the sametime, the general will attack Batoche onland.

But this first naval battle on the prairiesis a disaster! The Northcote arrives too early.Métis scouts discover the plan and set atrap. They stretch a steel wire across theriver. When the Northcote hits the wire, thesmoke funnels and whistle are ripped down.The whistle cannot blow!

On land, Dumont and his followers havedug rifle pits in the ground around Batoche.The pits are carefully hidden in the bush andshrub. From these protected pits, Métissharpshooters fire at approaching troops.

For three days, the cautious Middletonrefuses to allow his army to attack theMétis rifle pits. Finally, the troopscharge the pits without orders. By thistime the Métis are running out ofammunition. They are firing only smallstones and nails.

The first skirmish between Middletonand the Métis is at Fish Creek. Dumonttraps the army in a coulee, a shallowravine. Middleton’s troops fight back, but50 are killed. Dumont loses four of hisfollowers. He considers it a Métis vic-tory. He has slowed Middleton down.Now he has more time to gather alarger force of Métis and Aboriginalpeople.

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Chapter 13: The North-West Rebellion 1885 189

Otter Arrives at BattlefordIn the meantime, at Battleford, frightenedcitizens take shelter in the North-WestMounted Police barracks. Colonel Otter andhis troops are coming from Swift Current torelieve Battleford. They have 200 loadedwagons, 600 horses, and 500 soldiers.

For these volunteersfrom eastern Canada, it isthe first time they have expe-rienced the open spaces andthe cold April winds of theprairies. At night, freezingtemperatures make sleepingon the frozen ground a tor-ture. There is nothing to eatbut salt pork and hardtack.Hardtack is a thick, stale biscuit that is often full ofmaggots. To drink, there isonly unsweetened tea madefrom the bitter, salty water ofthe prairie ponds. During theday, the weather becomesquite hot. Then the soldiers

are nearly driven crazy by mosquitoes. Theyhave to constantly swat the insects withbranches cut from prairie bushes.

Finally, tired and footsore, Otter’s col-umn arrives at Battleford. The people arerelieved. For almost a month they have livedin constant fear of an attack.

Fort Macleod

Fort Walsh

Edmonton

Swift Current

Battleford

Fort Pitt

Saskatoon

Fort Qu'Appelle

FortCarlton

Calgary

ReginaWinnipeg

Frog Lake

Frenchman's Butte

BatocheFish CreekDuck

Lake

Cut Knife HillLake

WinnipegNorth S

aska

tch

ewanRiver

South Saskatc hew

an

Rive

r AssiniboineRiver

RedRiver

CPR

CanadaUnited States

N

200 km0

THE REBELLION OF 1885General StrangeLt. Colonel Otter

General MiddletonBattle site

At Batoche, the Métistake cover in rifle pits. Forthree days, Dumont’s planworks.When Middleton’stroops attack the highground near the church,they are in full view of theMétis in their protectedpits. Middleton’s troopsstand out against thebrightness of the sky. It isa clever scheme. But theMétis run out of ammuni-tion. It is the decisive battle of the Rebellion.The Métis are defeated.

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Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada190

Cut Knife Hill2 May 1885Colonel Otter decides to pursue Poundmaker.He believes it is wise to confront Poundmakerbefore he and Big Bear can combine forcesand go to help Riel at Batoche. Otter has twocannons and a secret weapon—a Gatling

gun. This is an early type of machine gun.Otter’s plan is to move forward under the

cover of night and attack Poundmaker at day-break on 2 May 1885. But Poundmaker andthe Crees are ready for the attack. Althoughtheir guns are old, their aim is good. Creesnipers pick off Colonel Otter’s troops.Gradually, the Cree encircle the base of the

hill. They creep through the bush until Otter’sforces are almost completely surrounded.

The troops are firing down on the Creewith their Gatling gun. At first, the Cree arealarmed with the noise. But soon they realizethat the bullets are passing harmlessly overtheir heads. One group tries to rush the hill toseize the gun, but is forced back with riflefire. At a crucial moment, the two cannonsrefuse to fire. They are not in good workingcondition.

By late morning, Otter’s troops are in seri-ous trouble. The list of wounded soldiers isgrowing. Otter knows that the Cree will soonsurround him and cut off his only line of

retreat across Cut KnifeCreek. He gives the orderto withdraw to Battleford.

Riel Surrenders15 May 1885After the defeat atBatoche, Riel writes a let-ter to Middleton. Heoffers to surrender him-self if Middleton willallow the Métis to go free.On the outside of theenvelope, Riel scribblesthe words: “I do not likewar.”

Gabriel Dumont triesto persuade Riel to fleewith him to the UnitedStates. Riel refuses to go.Sadly, Dumont leaveswithout his leader. Theold buffalo hunter slipsthrough Middleton’s mili-tary patrols and enters theUnited States.

Government troops take up their position high on Cut Knife Hilloverlooking Poundmaker’s camp. From there, they fire cannonsdown on the village. But the Cree take positions in the shelter ofthe wooded valley below.They gladly leave the exposed positionsto Otter’s troops. Otter is surrounded and must retreat.

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Chapter 13: The North-West Rebellion 1885 191

Poundmaker Surrenders23 May 1885When Poundmaker hears the news of Riel’sdefeat at Batoche, he does not follow Otter’stroops. Poundmaker is convinced that tostruggle alone is useless. On 23 May 1885, hevoluntarily surrenders to General Middleton.

Big Bear Surrenders2 July 1885Farther west, General Strange meets Big Bearin battle at Frenchman’s Butte. The troopshave the advantage of heavy guns. Big Bear’sfollowers begin to disperse. He and a few oth-ers avoid capture by heading north into thewoods and lake country.

Three groups set out insearch of Big Bear. FindingBig Bear is important to the

military because Big Bear’s Crees had takenprisoners at Frog Lake and Fort Pitt. As itturns out, the prisoners were releasedunharmed.

All through the hot days of June, the sol-diers pursue Big Bear. Through dense bushand swamps where the mosquitoes drivetroops and horses mad, the chase continues.By the end of June, Big Bear is out of ammu-nition and food. On 2 July 1885, he surrendersto the North-West Mounted Police at FortCarlton. The North-West Rebellion is over.From the outbreak of fighting at Duck Lake tothe surrender of Big Bear, exactly 100 dayshave passed.

The Gatling Gun was ahand-cranked gun with sixbarrels revolving around acentral shaft.The gun wascapable of firing 600 roundsof ammunition a minute. Itwas invented by anAmerican, Richard J.Gatling, and was first usedin the American Civil War.Gatling continued to makeimprovements to his gunand began to sell hismachine guns throughoutthe world.

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Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada192

Have you ever wondered why two historicalaccounts of an event can be very different?Sometimes an event occurred so far in the pastthat no accurate records of it exist today, orever existed. Sometimes eyewitnesses have givenconflicting accounts of the event. If there is morethan one account of an event, a historian willchoose the one that she or he feels is moreaccurate or that best suits her or his own inter-pretation.This is because each historian (andevery person) has a bias.

A person’s bias is shaped by his or herframe of reference. Frame of reference is

determined by a person’s experiences, family,friends, occupation, religion, location, interests,and politics.Two historians writing about theNorth-West Rebellion may have different framesof reference. One may believe in preserving thetraditional lifestyles of Aboriginal peoples.Theother may favour the idea of progress and settle-ment, and think that the changes the settlersbrought were good for Canada.

Read the two fictional accounts of the battleat Batoche below and then answer the questionsthat follow.

Skill Building: Analyzing Bias

HAMILTON GAZETTE

Today news reached us about a battle

at Batoche in which General

Middleton and his loyal troops

showed the Indians and Métis that

they could no longer stand in the way

of progress. The railroad is almost

completed. The Canadian government

is determined that the prairies will be

opened to the thousands of settlers

who will soon flood west.

From eyewitnesses we learn that

General Middleton opened the attack

with the brilliant use of the steamer

Northcote. The steamer was fitted out

as a gunboat. The plan called for a

surprise attack from the Saskatchewan

River. Troops would fire from the river

at the rebels in their headquarters at

Batoche. Meanwhile in Batoche, the

Métis sharpshooters had to huddle for

protection in pits dug in the ground.

General Middleton estimates that

rebel casualties were high. He reports

that a Catholic priest told him that 51

Indians and Métis were killed at

Batoche and 173 were wounded.

13 May 1885

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Chapter 13: The North-West Rebellion 1885 193

Examine Closely1. In your own words, state the bias in theHamilton Gazette article.Also, state the bias inthe Montréal Matin article.

2. Bias can lead to different interpretations ofthe same fact. Find two facts that both storiesdiscuss but disagree on.

3. Bias also occurs in the use of language.Thehistorian might use negative words to enforcehis or her point of view. Can you find two wordsor phrases in the Hamilton Gazette story thatdescribe the Aboriginal peoples in negativeterms? What two words or phrases in theMontréal Matin article describe GeneralMiddleton and his troops in negative terms?

4. A historian can use positive or favourablewords to describe her or his point of view.Search for two words or phrases in theHamilton Gazette story that describe GeneralMiddleton and his soldiers in a positive light. In

the Montréal Matin article, find two words orphrases that show the Métis and “Indians” in apositive light.

5. Another kind of bias occurs when sarcasmor humour is used. One example from theexcerpts is the Montréal Matin’s reference to theNorthcote as the “so-called gunboat.” Findanother example of sarcasm or humour in theMontréal Matin account.

6. Bias sometimes causes the reporting of factsto be different. Look at the statistics of Métisand “Indian” casualties in the two newspaperaccounts. Suggest some reasons why the twoestimates differ.Which source do you think youcan trust? Why?

7. Explain how the frame of reference of theHamilton Gazette might account for the bias ofthe newspaper in reporting this battle. How doesthe frame of reference of the Montréal Matinaccount for its bias?

Note: The term “Indians” is used in these articles in its historical context.

MONTRÉAL MATINToday news reached us about a battle at Batoche. A handful of Métis and Indians fought courageously to defend their lands. All the Métis and Indians want is to maintain their open spaces, the buffalo, and their way of life.

From eyewitness accounts at the battle we learned that General Middleton's attempt to attack Batoche was a disaster. Clever Métis scouts set a trap for the steamer Northcote. They stretched steel wire across the Saskatchewan River. When the so-called gunboat struck the wire, its smokestacks were

ripped down. The Northcote drifted helplessly down the river. So much for the general's clever battle plan! Métis and Indian snipers were hidden everywhere. From rifle pits dug in the ground for protection and from the bush, sharpshooters could pick off Middleton's troops like sitting ducks. If only they had not run out of ammunition, a Métis victory at Batoche would have been certain. As it is, Dumont reports only 13 Indians and Métis killed and 2 wounded.

12 May 1885

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Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada194

Civics &Society Trials in the North-West

L ouis Riel, Poundmaker, andBig Bear were all prisoners

of the Canadian government. Allwould be brought to trial fortheir part in the rebellion. A for-mal charge of treason was laidagainst them. What would betheir fate?

Poundmaker’s TrialWhen Poundmaker surrenderedand was brought before GeneralMiddleton, he offered to shakehands. Middleton refused. AtPoundmaker’s trial, the generalsaid, “Poundmaker, you are

accused of high treason.”However, there was no phrasefor “high treason” in the Creelanguage. The interpreter triedto make the charge clear toPoundmaker. “You are accusedof throwing sticks at the Queenand trying to knock off her bon-net” was the explanation of thecharge.

Poundmaker insisted at histrial that he had not fired first atCut Knife Hill. He also repliedthat he was only trying toimprove the living conditionsfor his people. He pointed outthat he actually saved peoples’lives. He held back his follow-ers when Otter and his soldierswere retreating at Cut KnifeHill. The jury ruled thatPoundmaker was guilty. He wassentenced to three years inStoney Mountain Penitentiary.After two years, he wasreleased, but he died a fewmonths later.

Big Bear’s TrialBig Bear was also tried for trea-son at Regina. He was chargedwith the deaths of the people atFrog Lake and with taking pris-oners. Some witnesses testifiedthat Big Bear cried out againstthe killings at Frog Lake. He per-sonally protected the prisonersthat his followers had captured.

At Poundmaker’s trial, General Middleton sat on a chair withhis interpreter nearby and his officers in a half circle behindhim. Poundmaker and his chiefs sat on the grass before him.Poundmaker was accused of high treason and sentenced toprison.

In all, 44 Aboriginal peoplewere convicted of variouscrimes. Eight were hanged.In addition, 18 Métis wereeventually sent to prison fortheir part in the 1885Rebellion.

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Chapter 13: The North-West Rebellion 1885 195

The chief delivered a speech in Cree tothe court. He pleaded more for his peoplethan he did for himself.

I ruled my country for long. Now I am inchains and will be sent to prison. . . . NowI am as dead to my people. Many of themare hiding in the woods. . . . Can this courtnot send them a pardon? My own childrenmay be starving and afraid to come out ofhiding. I plead to you Chiefs of the whiteman’s laws for pity and help for the peo-ple of my band.

Big Bear was also found guilty and sentencedto three years in the Stoney Mountain Peni-tentiary. He was released two years later, butlike Poundmaker, died shortly afterwards.

Riel on TrialThe trial that aroused the greatest interestand excitement across Canada was the trial ofLouis Riel. Held in Regina, it has been calledthe most important trial in Canadian history.The outcome is still debated.

Six settlers were chosen to act as Riel’sjury. All were English-speaking and of theProtestant religion. Riel was French-speakingand of the Roman Catholic religion. Hisfriends feared he would not get a fair trial.

Lawyers were hired to defend Riel. Moneywas raised in Québec by the Riel DefenceCommittee to pay all the expenses. Hislawyers believed that the only hope of savingRiel was to plead insanity. If he were insane,then during the rebellion Riel would not havebeen able to tell right from wrong. This wouldmean he could not be held responsible for hisactions. His lawyers pointed out that twice Rielhad been in institutions for the mentally ill.

Riel himself would not accept this excuseof insanity. In two long speeches to his jury,he argued that he was sane. For Riel, to pleadinsanity would be a disgrace. It would also

make his Métis followers look foolish for fol-lowing an insane man.

The lawyers for the Canadian governmentargued that Riel was sane. They argued thatno insane person could lead 700 people into arebellion. They believed Riel knew what hewas doing. He had taken up arms against thegovernment. He had stirred up the Aboriginalpeoples. He was guilty of treason!

Riel’s jury took only one hour and twentyminutes to reach a decision. They declaredhim guilty. Mr. Justice Richardson, the trialjudge, read the sentence:

You shall be taken now from here to thepolice guardroom at Regina jail . . . and onthe 18th of September . . . be hanged bythe neck till you are dead, and may Godhave mercy on your soul.

1. Do you think Poundmaker and Big Bear gota fair trial? Why or why not?

2. Divide your class into groups and put Rielon trial.You will need a judge, a prosecutinglawyer, a defending lawyer, Riel, a six-personjury, witnesses, reporters, and spectators. Ifyou decide not to hang Riel, what else canyou do with him? Did Riel get a fair trial inyour class? In Regina in 1885? Explain youranswer.

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Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada196

Riel is ExecutedLetters from all provinces poured into Ottawa.“Hang Riel,” said some. “Free Riel,” said others.Twice the execution was delayed. Sir John A.Macdonald and his Conservative governmentwere in a tricky position. If Riel was not hanged,Ontario would be enraged. The Conservativeswould lose votes in Ontario in the next election.If Riel was punished, then Québec would beangry with the Conservative party.

Finally, Macdonald decided he would haveto take his chances with losing support inQuébec. “Riel shall hang,” he is reported tohave said, “though every dog in Québec shallbark.”

On the bright, cold day of 16 November1885, the execution was carried out in theRegina jail. Riel was dressed in a black coat, awoollen shirt, grey trousers, and moccasins.Two priests, two guards, and the deputy sheriff

walked with him from his cell to the scaffold.Riel said, “I thank God for having given me thestrength to die well . . . I die at peace with Godand man, and I thank all those who helped mein my misfortunes.” Riel showed no signs ofweakness. During the Lord’s Prayer, the trap-door opened. Riel was hanged.

On the day of the execution, crowds gath-ered quietly in English-speaking Canada to hearthe news. In French-speaking Canada, however,the reaction was quite different. Flags flew athalf-mast. Black-framed pictures of Rielappeared in store windows. Hundreds of stu-dents in Montréal shouted “Glory to Riel!”Likenesses of Sir John A. Macdonald wereburned openly in the streets.

In the newspapers and in Parliament,French-speaking Canadians blamed the deathof Riel on Macdonald and English Canada.They said that he had been murdered becausehe was French. They asked, “CouldConfederation, which had joined English andFrench together, manage to survive?”

What does this cartoon suggest about JohnA. Macdonald’s position over the Riel affair?Use your skills to analyze the cartoon.

In 1885 Riel was executed as a traitor. Todaymany more people are seeing him as a hero.In 1992, more than 100 years after Riel washanged in Regina, the Canadian Parliamentpassed a bill. It recognized the contributionsthat Louis Riel made to Canada’s growth as a

nation. Other attempts have been made tohave Riel’s conviction for high treason

reversed and to have him formally recognizedas a Father of Confederation and the Founder

of Manitoba. Some new evidence suggeststhat the Chief Justice in Manitoba at the timeof Riel’s trial was secretly working to ensure

his execution because it was what federalpoliticians wanted. Recently, a Member of

Parliament suggested that July 15 be recog-nized as Louis Riel Day. The issue of Riel’s

true position in Canadian history is stilldebated.

Fast Forward

Louis Riel Today

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Chapter 13: The North-West Rebellion 1885 197

Results of the Rebellion

For Aboriginal Peoples

1. The only Aboriginal rebellion in Canadian history was put down by force.2. The Aboriginal peoples realized that the government was going to enforce the treaties. Since

rebellion was unsuccessful, they had no other choice than to move onto the reserves.3. Aboriginal people who took part in the rebellion lost their annual government payments.

Their horses and ammunition were seized.

For the Métis

1. Many Métis fled to the wilderness in northern Alberta.2. Others took scrip worth $169-$240.They took the money because they remembered how

they were unable to keep their land after 1870.When this money was gone, these Métiswould have neither land nor money.

3. The Métis Nation was broken up. Not until the 20th century were Métis organizationsformed again to improve conditions for their people.

For French-English Relations in Canada

1. The split between English-speaking and French-speaking people over the Riel affair was bitter.Neither side forgave the other for its view of Riel.

2. Hard feelings between Ontario Protestants and Québec Catholics lasted a long time afterRiel’s execution.

For Political Parties

1. Many people in Québec stopped voting for the Conservative party.They no longer supportedthe party that had hanged Riel.

2. Many people of Québec began to vote in large numbers for the Liberal party.This was espe-cially true after the Liberals chose a French-Canadian leader,Wilfrid Laurier.

For Western Canada

1. The railroad was completed to bring the troops west.2. Settlers felt more secure in moving to the West because the rebellions had been put down.3. Many soldiers who fought in the rebellion settled in the West.

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Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada198

ActivitiesUnderstanding Concepts

1. Add these new terms to your Factfile.

petition Battle of Fish Creek Gatling gunmilitia Battle of Batoche high treasonBattle of Duck Lake Battle of Cut Knife Hill plea of insanity

2. a) On an outline map of western Canada, locate the following places. Use anatlas to help you.

North Saskatchewan River Qu’AppelleSouth Saskatchewan River Prince AlbertCPR Duck LakeBatoche WinnipegBattleford Fort CarltonFort Pitt Swift CurrentMedicine Hat ReginaCut Knife Frog Lake

b) Devise symbols to mark each battle site in the North-West Rebellion andindicate who was fighting whom at each location.

3. a) Why would Riel be considered a hero in Québec?b) How did the Riel situation create problems for Sir John A. Macdonald?c) How did the people of Ontario react to Québec’s opinion of Riel? Why?

Digging Deeper

4. THINK Gabriel Dumont and his Métis followers made a long trip to Montanato see Riel. Imagine you are a member of this Métis group. Make a list of thearguments you would use to persuade Riel to come back to Canada and leadthe Métis people.

5. COMPARE Develop a comparison organizer to determine the similarities anddifferences between the forces of Middleton and Dumont. Use the followingheadings in your organizer.a) battle tactics and strategiesb) available military equipmentc) skills of the soldiersd) importance of the railroad in the campaign

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Chapter 13: The North-West Rebellion 1885 199

6. TIMELINE Arrange the following events in the history of the Canadian West inchronological order.Then create a timeline to record and illustrate the events.Remember to give your timeline a title.a) The Manitoba Actb) the Red River Resistancec) the last spike ceremony at Craigellachied) the signing of Treaty Number 7 with the Blackfoot (Siksika)e) the hanging of Louis Rielf) the Great March of the North-West Mounted Policeg) Gabriel Dumont’s ride to convince Louis Riel to return to Saskatchewan h) the British North America Acti) the Pacific Scandalj) John A. Macdonald’s National Policy

7. THINK/WRITE Do you think that the Métis should have fought against thegovernment? Can you think of anything they could have done instead? Write aletter to the editor that would appear in a newspaper of the time giving yourpoint of view.

8. SPEAK/LISTEN Imagine that you are either a soldier with Colonel Otter orone of Poundmaker’s followers.You are asked to be a witness at Poundmaker’strial.Audiotape your eyewitness report of the Battle at Cut Knife Hill.Compare your version with a partner who has taken the same role as youhave and another partner who has taken the role of an individual on the otherside of the battle. Note similarities, differences, and any biases.

9. CLASS SURVEY Gabriel Dumont, Riel’s commander, was eventually pardonedfor his part in the rebellion. Riel was hanged. Do a class survey to determinehow many people believe this was fair or not fair. List reasons for both sides.

Making New Connections

10. CREATE In 1967, Canada’s Centennial year, Poundmaker’s bones were movedto Cut Knife Hill Reserve and a plaque was put up to honour the chief.Whatdo you think this plaque might say? Create a model of the plaque forPoundmaker, as well as plaques for Big Bear, Gabriel Dumont, and GeneralMiddleton. Decide where each plaque should be placed to best rememberthese people from our past.

11. DEBATE Debate this statement:“It is time that Louis Riel be recognized as aFather of Confederation.”

12. CURRENT EVENTS In Canada today, there are still many land claims ofAboriginal peoples that have not been resolved. In some cases, there have beenarmed conflicts where Aboriginal people or police have been killed. Couldsomething like the Rebellion of 1885 happen today? What do you think needsto be done to avoid armed conflicts?

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