North-West Rebellion

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! 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 Riels 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 Bears 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 Bills Wild West Showas 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?