Louis Riel

Origin

Born and raised in the Red River Settlement in Rupert's Land, Louis Riel was the eldest son of a Franco-Ojibwa man and a French woman. He got his first education through his family's strong ties to the Roman Catholic church, and at 14 was sent to study at the Petit Séminaire at the Collège de Montréal. He performed well in school, but had some mood disturbances. Six years later, his father died suddenly and Riel soon abandoned his studies completely. Nearly destitute, he sought employment as a law clerk, and soon became engaged to a woman. However, the engagement was broken by her family who opposed to her marriage to a Métis man. He left Montréal in 1866 and travelled for some time before returning to his family home in 1868.

Major Story Arcs

Red River Rebellion

Finding an influx of anglophone settlers had disturbed the region he called home, Riel soon emerged as a leader of the Métis. He and his compatriots demanded that Ottawa negotiate with the Métis for the land, but their requests were largely ignored. He turned back an entry attempt by the newly-appointed Lieutenant-Governor, and seized the military installation of Fort Garry. He was able to sway most residents to his side, but a small pro-Canada faction attempted to organize a rebellion. They were defeated and soon imprisoned, which spurred an envoy of Canadians being sent to the Fort. Meanwhile, Riel organized a provisional government and was elected president. He met with the Canadians in early 1870, established a convention with the other residents to consider the Canadian proposal, and agreed to send envoys to Ottawa. Rebels in the settlement continued to plot against Riel, but many, including Thomas Scott, were arrested in February. Scott was repeatedly insubordinate and abusive towards his captors, and eventually sentenced to death. His execution in March at Riel's insistence crystallized opposition to Riel in English Canada. Despite this, in May his envoys negotiated the Manitoba Act, ensuring the creating of the province of Manitoba for the Métis. They were unable to secure amnesty for Riel or his government. Ahead of the arrival of Canadian emissaries, Riel fled to avoid probable arrest and potential execution.

In Exile

Riel fled to the Dakota Territory and remained there for some time. In late 1870 many of his supporters came to power in the election, but he was unable to return home due to an illness that was caused by the stress of his circumstances. He returned to the Red River in May 1871, and soon joined a militia organized against the threat of Fenian raiders. His presence there stirred up opposition in English Canada. Prime Minister Sir John A Macdonald offered a bribe to Riel to convince him to enter voluntary exile to ease tensions, which he accepted. He travelled to Minnesota in early 1872, but returned home soon after and ran for Member of Parliament in his district. He eventually won a seat but was forced to flee when an arrest warrant was issued for him. He was unable to take his seat in the House of Commons, but consistently re-won the seat several times despite repeated expulsions by other MPs. Again in exile, Riel became increasingly convinced of his divine appointment as leader of the Métis. He grew increasingly unstable, eventually resulting in a prolonged stay in various asylums. He recovered in early 1878 and was released, travelling to Montana where he eventually married and had children. He also became involved in politics there, becoming an American citizen in 1883.

North-West Rebellion

Strife in Saskatchewan was troubling both the Métis residents and the European immigrants. They asked Riel to return and represent them to the Canadian government, who had largely ignored them to that point. He agreed and travelled to Saskatchewan where he impressed the residents with his charisma. However, as negotiations began to drag, support for Riel waned, especially amongst the clergy who distanced themselves from his increasingly strange religious messages. He soon began to experience a relapse of his mental illness. Some of the Métis were angered by the Canadian response to their grievance, and proposed armed rebellion, a course which Riel supported but few others did. In March 1885 he established the rebellious Provisional Government of Saskatchewan with himself as leader. Open fighting between rebel and government forces soon broke out; Riel relied on the government being unable to respond to the distant rebellion. However, the new Canadian Pacific Railway meant that forces arrived quickly, and outnumbered the rebels significantly. Riel refused to engage in guerilla warfare, and his forces were overwhelmed and defeated in six days. He surrendered, and was put on trial for treason. Refusing to claim insanity, he was convicted; the jury recommended mercy, but he was sentenced to death. Despite opposition in francophone Canada, he was executed by hanging on November 16, 1885.

Powers and Abilities

Louis Riel was noted as a charismatic speaker and a thoughtful leader.

Other Media

Literature

La Bourrasque

A fictionalized biography of Riel, it was initially published in French and released in English as The Martyr's Folly and later The Half-Breed. It was written by Maurice Constantin-Weyer.

Opera

Louis Riel

An opera in three acts depicting Riel's life and the Red River and North-West Rebellions. Composed by Harry Somers, the libretto was written in both English and French. Riel was portrayed by Bernard Turgeon in the initial 1967 run.

Television

How the West Was Won

Riel appears as a central character in the episode "L'Affaire Riel," depicting his time in exile in the United States. He was portrayed by David Dukes.