Louis Riel

Louis Riel was a key figure in the Métis resistance to Canadian expansion in the post-Confederation era. The voice of the Métis people, he tried to negotiate terms with the Canadian government, efforts that were foiled by the 1870 execution of Ontario agitator Thomas Scott. Exiled, Riel returned to Canada in 1885. Again, he set up a provisional government, but a skirmish between Métis and North West police at Duck Lake touched off the North West Rebellion. The Canadian government sent a military force westward, and the uprising was crushed. Riel was arrested, charged with treason and hanged on November 16, 1885, leaving a complicated and controversial legacy — a hero to some, a traitor to others. Regardless, his actions revealed the schisms (regional, cultural and linguistic) that were inherent to the new nation of Canada.