Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LOUIS RIEL
Louis Riel and the Metis, des-
cendants of French voya-
geurs and Aboriginal
people, made a signifi -
cant mark on prairie
history here in the
hills and valleys of
Saskatchewan. In
1884, after fi ghting
for the rights of the
Metis and being exiled
to the United States,
Riel was summoned by
the settlers of present-
day Saskatchewan, which at
the time was part of the vast
Northwest Territories. Riel's small
band, fi ghting for provincial status for
Saskatchewan and better treatment
of Aboriginals and Metis, defeated Dominion troops in several early
skirmishes. But Riel never wanted a military confl ict; rather, he hoped
for negotiation.
5
Louis Riel's funerary medallion.
© Philippe Renault
The Canadians, led by General James Middleton, waited for the victory
that seemed inevitable, since they outnumbered Riel's force—espe-
cially since a new coast-to-coast railroad was now capable of bringing
reinforcements quickly. The Metis were fi nally defeated at Batoche
in the last armed confl ict on Canadian soil, and Riel was hanged as
a traitor; he is still a hero in some quarters of the province because
of his unwavering determination to retain his people's sovereignty.
Saskatchewan fi nally joined the Canadian Confederation in 1905.
Today, Riel's efforts have been recognized with the renaming of
Highway 11, which leads from Regina to Prince Albert via Saskatoon,
“The Louis Riel Trail.”
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