Chapter 8: The Métis

An Emerging Identity in the West

The first Métis were the children of Frist Nation women and European men.

The largest Métis population was in present-day Manitoba.

The Demographics of Red River

Demographics: The characteristics of the people of a particular place

Mostly Francophone Métis in Red River, but also: Country Born Métis Cree and Anishinabe First Nations Roman Catholic Missionaries Canadiens British Employees of the Hudson's Bay Company

Culture of the Red River Métis

They developed their own language, artistic style, poetry, music, dance, economy, and values.

Red River Métis: Language

They learned several languages including French, English, and one or more First Nations languages.

Many Red River Métis also spoke their own language called Michif.

Red River Métis: Shared Economy

Fur Trade:

There were Métis at every trading post who supplied buffalo meat, and usually spoke two or more languages. Why would this be useful at a trading post?

They delivered furs on York boats which replaced canoes.

The Buffalo Hunt:

The Red River Métis were expert Buffalo hunters and made hunting buffalo their way of life.

They Made pemmican from Buffalo meat which kept well for years and was very valuable at trading posts.

Conflict at Red River

The colonists were coming to settle in Red River where there were already many Métis people living... The Métis feared they would be pushed away from their land because they had no legal papers to say they owned it, even though they had been there for over 100 years.

The Nor'Westers (North West Company employees), who were allied with the Métis also opposed the colony.

Conflict over Resources

The governor of the colony was worried that his colonists would starve if too much buffalo meat left the colony.

But the Nor'Westers and Red River Métis relied on trading this meat to other areas.

The governor of the colony issued the Pemmican Proclamation (1814):

> This banned the exporting of any meat, fish, or vegetables from Red River.

How do you think this effected the Red River Métis and Nor'Westers?

Conflict over Resources

The Métis and Nor'Westers decided they would drive the colonists out of the area by doing things like stealing farm equipment and horses and shooting off their guns to scare them.

Natural disasters such as locust infestations also drove the colonists out of the area.

By 1815 many of the colonists decided to leave.

Battle of Seven Oaks

The colonists that remained in the area were still in disagreements with the Red River Métis.

In 1816, a group of Métis passed by Fort Douglas (the colonists' home base).

The colonists came out to challenge the Métis. After arguing, a shot was fired! Within a few

minutes a Métis and 21 colonists were dead.

Battle of Seven Oaks

The issues between the colonists and the Métis remained.

The battle was the first time the Métis stood up as a united group against the Canadian government.

This was the beginning of the Métis Nation.

Migration Further West

In 1821, the Hudson's Bay Company took over its rival, the North West Company. The Red River Colony and surrounding land now belonged to the British.

As the buffalo began to die out, many of the Red River Métis migrated west.

Rupert's Land

The Red River Métis felt that Rupert's Land belonged to them, they had been there for over 100 years and depended on the resources.

The government of Canada first saw Rupert's Land as an area that would not be good for farming, so they left it to the Aboriginal people who lived there.

Canada Takes an Interest in the West

The Canadian government began to realize that Rupert's Land actually was well suited for farming, so they saw it as a good place to send more European colonists

Rupert's Land Joins Canada

The British colonists began to worry that if they did not claim Rupert's Land, the United States would.

In 1869 Canada purchased Rupert's Land.

Fears of Assimilation

The Métis and First Nations living in what used to be Rupert's Land were now uncertain about their future.

They were worried about forced assimilation (when a culture is absorbed into another culture).

They were worried they would be forced to give up their way of life.

The Red River Resistance, 1869

In 1869 Canada sent surveyors to Red River to prepare the land for the farming colonists. The government did not warn the First Nations and Métis that surveyors were coming.

The Métis tried to ask the surveyors what they were doing but could not speak English to them.

One Métis man named Louis Riel who could speak French, English, and Cree told the surveyors to leave.

Louis Riel

The Métis knew that the surveyors would be back soon.

Louis Riel became an important Métis committee member. He was a well known Francophone Métis who was studying to be a priest.

The Métis established a Métis Provisional Government and made Louis Riel the president.

Métis Bill of Rights

The Métis were being forced to join Canada so their Provisional Government drew up a Bill of Rights to present to the Canadian government which included protecting the rights of the people who already lived there and the demand for provincial powers

French and English Take Sides

The Canada Party (Anglophone) were so furious with the Métis Provisional Government that they took up arms against them.

The Métis put some of these Anglophones in jail, one of them was named Thomas Scott.

Thomas Scott threatened to kill Louis Riel and was put on trial and sentenced to death by the Francophone Métis.

The Anglophone vs Francophone Perspective

Anglophone Perspective: One of their English-speaking members (Thomas Scott) was killed and they wanted revenge against the Métis leaders who were responsible

Francophone Perspective: They saw Scott's death as the Métis defending the Francophone Catholic way of life in the west and demanded they be given their rights.

The Creation of Manitoba

Prime Minister John A Macdonald wanted to find a solution that would please all sides in the Red River crisis.

He recognized the Métis Provisional Government and agreed to most of the items on their Bill of Rights

In 1870 he passed the Manitoba Act which created the province of Manitoba.

The Manitoba Act

The Manitoba Act made it so Manitoba: would have its own provincial government would have both French and English in government and

courts would be able to send 4 elected members to the House of

Commons in Ottawa and 2 members to the Senate. would have 2 publicly funded school systems (one Protestant

and one Catholic) would have an area of land set aside for the Métis to use Manitoba's natural resources would remain under the control of

the federal government.

Louis Riel leaves to the United States

The prime minister sent 1200 soldiers to Red River to keep the peace in the new province of Manitoba.

But these soldiers thought it was part of their job to get revenge for the death of Thomas Scott by killing Louis Riel too.

Louis Riel escaped across the border into the United States and was banished from Canada for 5 years for the killing of Thomas Scott.

Problems Persist

When the Manitoba act was created, land was to be set aside for the Métis.

But there were many problems with this where many Métis did not receive their land.

This led to many Métis moving even farther west and north where they could set up their own laws and govern themselves.

To outsiders, it looked as though they were opposing the Canadian government.

Métis Struggles

By the 1880s the Métis were faced with many challenges such as starvation and poverty from the reduced buffalo population

Many First Nations who had these same issues had no choice but to make treaties with the Canadian government.

The Métis were sometimes allowed to join in on these treaties with the First Nations but did not qualify for their own treaties

Riel Returns

After the Métis and First Nations sent 15 petitions to Ottawa and were ignored, in 1884 a group of Métis led by Gabriel Dumont, travelled to the United States and invited Louis Riel back to Canada.

They wanted Riel to be their voice.

Métis Forces

Led by Riel, the Métis set up their own government and sent a BIll of Rights to Ottawa which included fixing land issues, and creating two new provinces west of Manitoba.

Nothing happened so Riel suggested they take up arms Many Métis didn't want to battle because they were

outnumbered. However Dumont supported Riel and many Métis

supported Dumont, so they decided to go to battle and name Dumont the general of the Métis forces

Rising in Arms

The Northwest Resistance of 1885 was violent, but brief.

The Métis defeated a group of North West Mounted Police forcing them to retreat.

A few days later a group of Cree joined the Métis Resistance.

Together they captured a police post and finally got the government's attention.

The Government Reacts

The federal government rushed thousands of soldiers west to stop the Métis

There was a 3 day battle until the outnumbered Métis and their allies surrendered.

The resistance was over

What will happen to Louis Riel?

Louis Riel was captured and put on trial for treason (the betrayal of one's country).

He was sentenced to be hung and killed. John A Macdonald had to decide whether or

not to put Riel to death. He knew that the Ontarians wanted him killed because they thought he was a traitor and a murderer. But the Canadiens thought Riel was a hero and wanted him to live.

The end of Louis Riel John A Macdonald knew that the

number of voters in Ontario was larger than in Quebec so he had better do what the Ontarians wanted so he would remain the Prime Minister.

"Riel shall hang though every dog in Quebec shall bark"

Riel was hung and Quebec felt betrayed.

Canadian Government continues to rule

The government finally decided on some Métis problems that had been ignored for so long.

They did not create the two new provinces that the Métis wanted.

They did begin to issue more land to the Métis but the Métis people just sold it because they knew it would be difficult to control.

The end of the Métis Resistance

The Métis tried to deal with Canada peacefully and simply wanted equal rights that other provinces had.

The government ignored their requests and the Métis struggled to be recognized as distinct people.

The government of Canada with it's army gained a strong control of the west and stopped the Métis in every way they could.