The return of louis riel- Part two Trouble in the northwest

Review from last class… Frustrated Metis found Riel in America and asked him to come “home” and work with the government to get recognition for Metis The govt had recently taken money from the Indian Act budget and put it towards the railway, which was eating up most of the money the govt was able to find The Metis Bill of Rights was created, the government acknowledged receipt of it, but it was basically ignored Land was still a source of contention: Metis wanted legal title to the land they occupied, and the govt wanted to sell the land for a lot of money to put towards the cost of building the CPR

Trouble begins… Macdonald was content in letting Riel cause problems, because then he could just send the NWMP in to deal with it, and move on with his CPR plans Macdonald felt that the public would support the govt because everyone wanted this railway to be completed asap Macdonald found a rich lawyer and land owner to spy on Riel and the Metis for him; this man’s name was Lawrence Clark, and he also spread rumours that invoked suspicion and tension in the Metis community (any sort of unrest and distrust in or about Metis would work in Macdonald’s favour)

Double-cross! The Metis decided to send notice to the govt demanding “responsible government” for the Northwest Territories They needed a representative to go to Ottawa, and they chose…….. Lawrence Clark! Yes, the same Clark who was reporting to Macdonald and starting Metis rumours. Clark went to Ottawa and came back with a message for Riel: “The only message you will receive on your petition is bullets”. Sources tell us that this was probably a truthful message; however, Clark continued to tell the Metis that 500 police were on their way to arrest Riel, and THAT was a LIE

“what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive” Riel held a meeting the next day with the Metis and told them that a peaceful solution was not going to happen, as Clark told him the police were on their way to arrest Riel Riel said that the govt has left them no choice: It was time to get ready for battle Ironically, there wasn’t really a police force in the area, and the few police who were stationed nearby at Fort Carlton had no idea that any of this was happening (how could they, when Clark made most of it up?)

It’s on! Metis moved on Fort Carlton and seized their supplies Clark was watching, though; right before the Metis formally attacked the area, Clark sent a message to delay reinforcements by one day, and the verbally attacked the NWMP by calling him cowardly The Superintendent of the NWMP didn’t like that very much (obviously), and in a show of bravery, he got on his horse and rode out to Duck Lake to meet the Metis force on March 26, 1885 An argument ensued, and two Metis negotiators were shot. Both sides opened fire. Soon, 12 NWMP were dead. The Superintendent evacuated Fort Carlton the next day and the Northwest Uprising officially began.

Battles of the northwest uprising Fish Creek The Canadian govt dispatched 5000 soldiers a few days after the Duck Lake incident. General Middleton was in charge of the troops. He split his troops into groups. Gabriel Dumont (remember him?) wanted to attack the troops before they got to Batoche, so 300 Metis laid in wait and stopped the advances of over 1500 militia! Batoche A few weeks later, Batoche was attacked by troops who were surprised by Metis hiding in rifle pits and firing from under cover The Metis unfortunately ran out of bullets eventually, and were likely no match for Middleton’s Gatling gun. The Metis brought a good fight: they even fired nails and other debris from their guns, but were soon overtaken by the Canadian troops. The Metis surrendered (and some of them ran away).

The Results? The Uprising was over. The result? Loss of life, Metis defeat, lack of national attention for First Nations peoples, Dumont ran away to America, and the govt spent $5 million on their battle Although Dumont fled to the States, Riel surrendered and went to trial for treason His lawyers wanted him to plead not guilty due to insanity, but Riel refused because he wanted people to understand that the govt forced the Metis to fight for their rights Riel was found guilty on August 1, 1885, but the court asked for mercy for him Riel spoke after his verdict, insisting that all of this could have been avoided if the govt had not goaded the Metis into battle by ignoring requests for rights and freedoms Unfortunately, the judge sentenced Riel to death, regardless. Although many appeals were made, and many petitions were sent to Macdonald, Louis Riel hanged to death on Nov 16, 1885

Student questions Horizons page 189 Q# 2, 3, 5 For number 5, your answer should be a well-constructed paragraph Reminder: Louis Riel is always on your final exam for SS10. Answering #5 well will likely help you when it is time to write your test. 