1. North-West Rebellion Gabriel Dumont The Return of Riel
Battle of Duck Lake
Battle of Batoche
Execution of Riel

2. The North-West Rebellion
New settlers had arrived pushing the Metis out
The Metis had gone to Saskatchewan as the buffalo were disappearing
The Metis had no clear title to the land they settled and the surveyors had take land
The Plains People were also suffering from starvation as were the Cree, Blackfoot and the Sioux

3. The Return of Louis Riel
Other settlers were angry as well
Harvests were poor and the prices for goods were low low
Most settlers had taken land along the northern rail route
Railway was on southern route
By 1884 the North-West was ripe for rebellion
“Only one man can help us now Riel!”
Gabriel Dumont was sent to get Riel

4. Riel is in Montana
Gabriel Dumont legendary hunter and master sharpshooter led the Metis to find Riel
Dumont was an expert horseman who spoke 6 different native languages as well as French and some English
Dumont asked Riel to return

5. Lead his People to Freedom
Louis Riel was now teaching in Montana it had been 15 years since the Red River Rebellion but the Metis still remembered
Louis Riel was not the same person he had suffered a series of emotional breakdowns and had spent several years in asylums
Louis Riel was convinced he was the “prophet of the grasslands”
He had begun to call himself “David”
Obsessed with establishing a Catholic state in N.A

6. Louis and John
Return to Sask: Riel sent Macdonald a petition on behalf of the residents of the region asking for concessions
Wanted an elected government and control of natural resources
“Old Tomorrow” Macdonald delayed
Riel and the Metis grew impatient
Louis Riel declared a provisional government in the village of Batoche
On March 19, 1885 the North-West Rebellion began

7. “Fire. In the name of the Father. In the name of the Son
“Fire! In the name of the Father! In the name of the Son! In the name of the Holy Spirit! Fire!
Dumont wanted violent protest
Duck Lake the North-West Mounted Police and the Metis under the command of Gabriel Dumont clashed
Dumont won the battle sending the Mounties into retreat 12 officers and men died
Dumont wanted to pursue and kill them all but Riel would not let him
“If you are going to give them the advantage like that, we cannot win!” Dumont complained
By this time Riel’s religious delusions had resurfaced

8. Poundmaker
In effect they were 2 rebellions 1 of the Metis and the other Cree
Food shortages among the Cree led Native leaders to pressure the government to honour treaty agreements
2 breakaway bands of Cree warriors along with some Sioux and Assiniboine joined rebellion
Big Bear originally resisted the call to war. Felt peaceful protest best method.
Poundmaker the adopted son of Crowfoot lead the revolt

9. Big Bear
Big Bear’s warriors under Wandering Spirit attacked the settlement at Frog Lake and killed 9 settlers
Poundmaker attacked Battleford, the settlers fled
Big Bear wanted no part of the violence, but with his people starving he could not stop events

10. General Middleton
Riel dispatched General Middleton to squash rebellion
Before the rebellion the railway had been next to bankruptcy
With the outbreak of the rebellion parliament gave the extra money and the troops moved westward
Used CPR to move quickly to western remote territories and stop rebellion.

11. Batoche: Death Of A Rebellion
Dumont and Middleton battle at Batoche
Metis fought valiantly so rebels could escape
Dumont and Riel became separated in the escape
On May 15, 1885 Louis Riel the “prophet of the grasslands” surrendered to the Canadian Army
11 days later Poundermaker also surrendered
Big Bear held out for another month and a half before he too surrendered
Gabriel Dumont escaped to the United States were he joined “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show”as “the Hero of the Half-Breed Rebellion”

12. The Trial of the Century
Poundermaker and Big Bear were sent to prison
8 Cree warriors including Wandering Spirit were sentenced to public hangings
Riel refused to plead insanity
He was tried in Regina and found guilty of treason
The jury recommended mercy, Quebec warned that if Riel was executed it was “a declaration of war against Quebec”
John A refused to intervene

13. Riel Must Die!
As John A. said “He will hang, though every dog in Quebec barks in his favour.”
John A. refused to pardon Louis Riel, Riel did lead an armed rebellion against the government that caused the death of more than 200 people
At this time the penalty for such crimes was death
John A. Macdonald had built his political career on an alliance between English and French-Canadians

14. “The Old Man, the Old Flag, and the Old Policy”
Like John A. Macdonald Louis Riel has become all things to all people, “a prophet, a traitor, a madman, a hero”
On November 7, 1885 Donald Smith drove home the last spike for the CPR
On November 17, 1885 Louis Riel climbed the steps to the gallows
In 1891 John A. Macdonald fought his last campaign and won
On June 6, 1891 John A. Macdonald died

15. The End of Riel and Macdonald
What now for Canada?