MÉTIS REBELLIONS

A part of Canada’s not so peaceful past

RED RIVER REBELLION

Conflict in Manitoba

REASONS Canadian government purchased Rupert’s Land

(what is now the western provinces and territories) from the Hudson Bay Company (HBC). The purchase would take effect 1870.

Many First Nations did not recognize the HBC’s right to sell land that the First Nations saw as belonging to them

Métis were concerned due to Canada’s history of making decisions that benefited English Protestants.

In 1869 Canada sent surveyors into what is now Manitoba prior to taking possession of the land

Surveyors were setting up a grid based land system while the Métis owned land based on the French long lot system

OPENING EVENTS Métis moved in and took Fort Garry, the

home of the governor, without any violence

48 Canadian settlers, primarily from Ontario, opposed the Métis action and gathered in a warehouse planning to fight

200 armed Métis surrounded the warehouse with 2 cannons and demanded the settlers surrender which they did with no one being harmed

THOMAS SCOTT The settlers captured were allowed to go free if

they promised to either leave or obey the provisional government

One person who refused and remained a prisoner was Thomas Scott

Scott escaped and tried to start a counter revolution before being captured again

While in prison Scott constantly taunted his jailors and threatened to kill Riel, the leader of the provisional government

Scott was tried by a court and sentenced to death, a sentence that Riel ordered carried out in spite of requests that he overturn the sentence

MÉTIS DEMANDS The following is from the Métis List of Rights which was the

basis of negotiations: That the people have the right to elect their own legislature. That the legislature have the power to pass all laws local to the

territory. That a portion of the public lands be appropriated to the benefit of

schools, the building of bridges, roads and public buildings. That the English and French languages be common in the legislature

and courts and that all public documents and acts of legislature be published in both languages.

That the judge of the Supreme Court speak the French and English languages.

That treaties be concluded and ratified between the Dominion Government and the several tribes of Indians in the territory to ensure peace on the frontier.

That we have fair and full representation in the Canadian parliament.

That all privileges, customs and usages existing at the time of the transfer be respected.

MANITOBA ACT OF 1870 As a result of negotiations with the

Canadian government the province of Manitoba was created and included some interesting points:Religious schools would be allowedEnglish and French were to be used by the

government and in their documentsMetis would be allowed to keep their land

CANADA’S REACTION Initially Canada did not send any troops due to

the large distance and lack of a railway, additionally it was winter making travel even harder

Ontario Canadians were outraged at the execution of Thomas Scott and called for Riel to be tried for his murder

Canada sent troops in with the new governor after Manitoba was formed to act as police and to appease Ontario

Riel while never charged with a crime was forced to flee Fort Garry and was eventually exiled from Canada for several years for his part in the rebellion

QUESTIONS Given that everything Riel and the Métis

did had the support of the majority of the people, including English Canadians, in the area were they justified in their actions?

Was the execution of Thomas Scott a reasonable action?

Given that all of these events occurred prior to Canada officially taking control of the territory should this be called a rebellion?

1885 REBELLIONWar in Saskatchewan

REASONS After Red River many Métis moved to

Saskatchewan Once again surveyors were ignoring the

Métis long lot farms and imposing a grid system in advance of the railway and settlers

Metis and First Nations were hurt by the lack of buffalo to hunt

First Nations were suffering from European diseases

Settlers were angry at the cost of transportation and slow development of railways

OPENING EVENTS Métis, First Nations, and English settlers

protested to Ottawa Métis recalling their success in Manitoba

sent a delegation led by Gabriel Dumont to ask Riel for assistance

Riel agreed and came to Batoche Saskatchewan

Riel planned to use the same plan as during the Red River Rebellion, he set up a provisional government and sent a list of demands to Ottawa

SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES This Metis rebellion was doomed from the

start due to several significant changes from 1869: The North West Mounted Police (NWMP) was

firmly established in the region as an armed force

The Canadian Pacific (CP) railway while not finished was well on the way to being done and could easily and quickly transport troops to the area

Riel was not the leader he had been, having suffered a mental break down after Red River and developing a messiah complex

BATTLES Duck Lake

56 NWMP and 43 volunteers met approximately 100 Métis

Both sides sent 2 men forward to talk, there was a struggle over a gun and a shot was fired starting the battle

During the battle Dumont was wounded, while Riel sat on his horse and prayed never firing a shot

Eventually the NWMP fell back and the battle was over with 12 NWMP dead and 5 Métis

BATTLES Fish Creek

Duck Lake had frightened Canada so the government sent the army under General Middleton with new repeating rifles, field guns and the new Gatling gun to deal with the Métis

Dumont yielded to Riel and fought set battles in the Batoche area

The Métis ambushed the Middleton at Fish Creek hiding in bushes and then retreating down into the coulee where they could hid in more bushes and fire at the exposed troops on the edge of the coulee

However by the time the Métis retreated they had only 47 troops who stayed to face Middleton’s 400 troops

Middleton even with fresh troops refused to attack again due to his losses

Middleton had 10 killed, and 45 wounded, the Métis had 5 killed and 1 wounded

BATTLES Batoche

Middleton planned to attack from two sides using a steamboat as a gunship

As the ship passed the Métis went to the river and exchanged gun fire before dropping a ferry cable and disabling the steamboat

Be the time Middleton’s troops arrived and attack the steamboat had passed and the Métis were back in position

Middleton opened fire with a field gun and sent his troops to attack but once again they were exposed and the Métis were under cover so the attack failed

BATTLES Batoche

For two days Middleton used field guns and the Gatling gun but did not attack in force

By day four the Métis were running low on ammunition

Middleton’s troops were also tired of waiting around

While Middleton had lunch some troops attacked and while it was successful it was poorly organized allowing many Métis including Riel and Dumont to escape

Numbers are unclear but it is accepted that a total of 25 people died during the battle

THE END A general amnesty was declared for all

those involved in 1886 First Nations leaders Poundmaker and Big

Bear were sentenced to jail even though they tried to stop their people from fighting and their people fought for food and not Riel

Dumont Fled to the US Joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show where

people paid to see his shooting and riding skills In 1893 he returned to Canada and spent the

remaining years hunting and farming

THE END Riel

Surrendered to Canadian troops several days after the battle of Batoche

Riel was brought to Regina where he was tried for treason

Riel’s lawyers tried to put forward and insanity defense but Riel refused to cooperate stating that he was sane

Jury found Riel guilty but recommended mercy Judge sentenced Riel to death by hanging Prime Minister Macdonald refused to over rule the

decision He was executed in Regina on September 18 1885

a little over a month from the end of the trial

OUTCOME Macdonald’s Conservative party would lose

power in 10 years The liberal party became the party of Quebec

for the next 100 years The CP railway went from near financial ruin to

being completed rapidly Government provided the Metis all of their

land requests by 1887 and returned the long lot system by 1890 in that area

The war cost Canada $5 million (approximately $1 billion in today’s dollars) to fight not counting the cost of the railway or the eventual granting of Métis lands

OUTCOME The war cost Canada $5 million

(approximately $1 billion in today’s dollars) to fight not counting the cost of the railway or the eventual granting of Métis lands

Fifty years after the trial one of the jurors stated he thought Riel was tried for treason but hanged for Thomas Scott’s murder

QUESTIONS Given the eventual outcomes was either

side justified in fighting this battle? Is Riel a hero standing up for his

people’s rights or a traitor who tried to topple Canada?