Metis Research Paper

798 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Canadian government discrimination against aboriginals

Recently, feelings of unrest have been stirring among the Metis as the Canadian government continues its acts of injustice. The Metis continue to insist for legal title of the land they settle and desire, however they are losing tolerance. The Canadian government that promised them aid in farming aspects has not yet accomplished its promise. Could the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway be an influence? John Macdonald speculates that if the sixteen million acres of cultivation land were sold, seventy one million dollars can be gained. This is more money than what was financed in the CPR itself! Would the venal government really care about the Metis when in this situation? As expenses for the manufacture are rising, the government …show more content…

The tribes of the Cree, Blackfoot, Blood, Peigan, and Saulteaux had been struggling as the bison they depend on decreased in numbers. Herds have been disappearing and people are near starvation. Alongside this many did not recognize the land around them, the rich prairies are no longer in sight. The areas they sold to treaties had been turned to towns with elaborate farmland, fencing, and the construction of the railway. Alongside this, their familiar life of working in the fur trade and being carriers is lost.
Later Riel created a petition signed by many stressing During this time of agony, Louis Riel returned from exile in America. Does that name ring a bell? That's because Louis is famous for is efforts to protect the Metis and his resistance during the Red River Rebellion. He advised that the rebels merge in an insurgency against the Prime Minister John A. Macdonald’s Conservative government.
Metis rights, passing a 10 point list of “Revolutionary Bill of Rights.” It claimed Metis ownership of their farms along with other statements. Following this, armed Metis organized a provincial government seizing a church at Batoche, and with their efforts an HBC post at Fort Carlton surrendered. Louis Riel is titled president of the new uprising government and Gabriel Dumont the famous hunter is made military …show more content…

The CPR was not yet completed and they were almost bankrupt. Therefore if troops were needed to contain a revolt, they’d have to journey by trail. By spring time the Canadian government was ready to bring out the eastern militia. Lieutenant- Governor of the North- West territories banned the Metis from purchasing weapons. This decreases their chances of successful rebellion as they will be overpowered easier. Manitoba militia was moving into the Northwest and Superintendent Lief Crozier’s group of NWMP stood at Fort Carlton as they did not believe they had enough manpower to fight the Metis.
From what he saw, Riel was assured that this could not be resolved peacefully as the government was persistent to create a war against the Metis.
The first encounter happened at Battle of Duck Lake where after a couple of shootings, police and volunteers withdrew to Fort Carlton. Although a few Metis did get injured, Riel urged his men to not go after the retreating force and return to Batoche.
Multiple troops were scattered in the Northwest in attempts to manage the

Show More
Related

  • Louis Riel: Victim or Criminal?

    1343 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1869, Red River and the North West were to be transferred from the Hudson’s Bay Company to Canadian jurisdiction, so survey crews were sent to Red River. These crews were disrupted by a group of Métis including Riel, who then organized themselves as the “Métis National Committee” with Riel as secretary. This committee formed a provisional government in December 1869 and Louis Riel became its president. This government established a Bill of Rights for the Métis people. They were challenged by a group of English settlers known a...

    Read More

  • 1970 October Crisis Analysis

    2175 Words  | 5 Pages

    To answer this, one must address the severity of the crisis, as well as the degree to which the War Measures Act would alleviate the situation. This proves to be an unexpectedly difficult task, as it is impossible to accurately capture the zeitgeist of such a turbulent time period without being subject to bias. However from a purely objective standpoint, the evidence clearly identifies that there was no insurrection, nor was one likely to take place. Trudeau relied heavily on galvanizing the risk that the FLQ posed to the Canadian public. However, this came to be a detriment to his case when the supposed danger was discredited. According to most authorities, the FLQ “was a collection of scattered, radical grouplets who communicated amongst themselves with great difficulty and apprehension”(Conrad et al). It is of course, rather difficult to carry out widespread insurrection without a cohesive unit to do so. Trudeau’s speech relied heavily on the notion that the FLQ posed a greater threat than they realistically did, and by the end of the crisis it was clear that his claims were null. However, Trudeau did not operate alone in his endeavors. The crisis was rapidly escalated in scale by local and national media alike. The media “Fed the notion of a hydra head conspiracy, unknown, unknowable, but of course infinitely dangerous”, an error that almost did more to aid in the FLQ’s influence over the country, than it did to call in any sort of justifiable action (Bothwell, 447-50). This combined with rumors of Quebec dissolving their government due to the “severity” of the situation, a rumor that was initially reported to be started by Trudeau (although it was enforced by numerous parties”) in order to gain the support of the public for the actions he was preparing to take (Clement). It is generally agreed upon that War

    Read More

  • Louis Riel: Father of Confederation or a Treasonous Rebel?

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    However, despite all these flaws, he is known to be one of Canada’s national heroes, as he left a substantial impact on Canadian history as a dominant individual within civilization. Riel was highly looked upon by the Aboriginal peoples, notably the Métis, on account for fighting for their civil liberties in which were being stripped from them systematically by the government. While stationed in the Red River settlement, he was welcomed by the invasion of discrimination brought by Ontario Anglophone settlers; racial tensions escalated. He strived to protect the Métis habitat, customs and values in the Northwest as they were steadily l... ... middle of paper ... ...

    Read More

  • Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

    554 Words  | 2 Pages

    When chief Sitting Bull and his people ran away from their native lands to Canada, they lost all the resources they had once relied on. This led to multiple deaths due to the lack of food, warmth, and much more. A little girl of the Sioux died due to hunger and the harsh weather. M...

    Read More

  • The History of the Metis

    528 Words  | 2 Pages

    To them, the excitement and the adventure of the buffalo hunt held more appeal than farming. Hundreds of Metis were content to earn a living by hunting buffalo, making pemmican or finding employment as freight drivers. After a while Canada bought Rupertsland from Hudson Bay Company. When the Metis heard this they were alarmed. They feared their religion,their language, their lands and their old, free way of* life.

    Read More

  • Métis Essay

    1245 Words  | 3 Pages

    Life for the Métis was adventurous with all of the hunting and trading they did. Métis were the result of Aboriginal people and Europeans. Many would work at fur trading companies or just be hunters. When they would travel to different places they would often use Ox Carts to haul all of their belongings. Their culture was very important including what music they played and the language. When they traded they would sell a lot of things because they were so talented at making things. The Métis grew up an having unique and adventurous life including who they were, the culture, what they made, Red River Trails, the Fur Trade, where they've live and how they live today.

    Read More

  • Treaty-Making in Canada

    1447 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) represents the Métis community in Manitoba in political, cultural, social and economic matters (Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), 2013). Manitoba Métis Federation, representing Métis in Manitoba, filed a claim asking for a declaration that the federal and provincial statutes, which affected the implementation of Manitoba Act provisions, were "constitutionally invalid” (Chartrand, p. 477, 1991). In Section 31 of Manitoba Act, 1870, it provided lands to the Métis people. Section 32 assured the settlers, Aboriginal or not, that their occupied lands in 1869 would not be “jeopardized” by the wave of newcomers (Sprague...

    Read More

  • Louis Riel

    798 Words  | 2 Pages

    Louis Riel had taken up residence in the United States after the Red River Rebellion. A delegation traveled to Montana to enlist Riel's help once again to stop the Canadian government from encroaching on Métis land. Riel returned to Canada with the delegation and drew up a petition of grievances that had the support of both English and French speaking Métis as well as the immigrant settlers of the area. The petition was sent to the federal government calling for improved political representation, modification of the homesteading laws, and a land grant for the Métis among the seventeen items called for. Riel and his followers believed themselves to not being taken seriously by the Canadian government so he set up the first provisional government in the Northwest. Riel's earlier religious training was affecting his way of looking at his situation and he began fighting against the church and calling for war against the Canadian government. He proclaimed himself, "Prophet of the New World" and claimed his authority came directly from God (Stanley 302). Riel's provisional government was beginning to lose its original support and even the French-speaking Métis began to question his intentions. He hurriedly restored the unity with the treason trial of Charles Nolin and ...

    Read More

  • The Red River Rebellion

    1614 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Red River Colony was changing, but it wasn’t the only one, all of Canada were changing, because in the late 1860s Canada entered a new era and the changes and events that occurred in the Red River was only the beginning of many more conflicts and circumstances to come that would help shape and define this age Canada has entered. Although the Red River Rebellion had ostensibly achieved most of its major objectives, the Metis would soon find themselves at a disadvantage. They would rise yet again for another rebellion called The North-West Rebellion of 1885 to assert their nationality once more.

    Read More

  • Women In the Fur Trade

    2974 Words  | 6 Pages

    MacDougall, Brenda. One of the Family: Metis Culture in Nineteenth-Century Northwestern Saskatchewan. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2010.

    Read More

  • Louis Riel: Hero or Villain?

    1723 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...attles. It eventually ended when Louis Riel surrendered on May 15 1885, after the defeat at Batoche. Riel had written a letter to General Frederick Middleton (British general), saying that he didn’t like war and he’d surrender himself only if the Métis were freed. After the rebellion ended, Riel became a prisoner of the Canadian government and was taken to trial for treason in Regina. He was eventually convicted and executed as a traitor. And so lived and died the heroic, peaceful founder of the Province of Manitoba, and defender of the rights of the Métis.

    Read More

  • Louis Riel

    998 Words  | 2 Pages

    Louis Riel was born in 1844. He was captured and executed by Canadian authorities in November 16, 1885. He was a leader who gave up his life and time to fight for the right of the Metis, Indians and the western settlers. He was an well-educated young man fluent in both French and English. He was also selected as the Metis’s spokesman to negotiate with the Canadian government. During the 1869-70, he led the rebel when Canada purchases Manitoba from the Hudson’s bay company. Also, he organized and led a similar rebellion in 1885. Above all, is he a patriote or a traitor? It was inappropriate to accuse Riel as a traitor. He tried to defend the traditional rights of Metis and made sure they treated as equally as the British subjects. Riel was a patriote, who passionately love, supported and defended his people. He was also a serious and thoughtful person who dedicated his life to help others. Metis, Native Indians and western setters were all very proud of and respected this leader because of his life long effort. He was a person who was willing to step up and told the government what they needed. Riel never wanted any violent, in fact, he wanted to use peaceful methods to achieve the changes they desired. Moreover, he had no intention to declare independence nor to take over Canada. Unfortunately, Canadian government did not realize the difficult situation of the Metis. They kept ignoring and disregarding their demand. Consequently, these people were forc...

    Read More

  • Northern Armageddon: The Seven Years Of War

    860 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the article written by Tabitha Marshall talks about, a battle that is significant in seven years of war and played a central role in the history of Canada. The battle is also known as Battle of Québec. The battle was fought between the French and British who wanted control over North America. The campaign was fought under the British commander, Major General James Wolfe, played a significant role in the British win. He led the British to Quebec because the French inhabited it. Throughout the history the role Indigenous people have been quietly ignored same as in the article, Marshall gives little importance to Aboriginal people who fought for French. The article did not focus much on aboriginal people or any other community. So, that means this battle

    Read More

  • Sioux Tribe Research Paper

    1566 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the early 1700’s the Great Plains was filled abundantly with buffalo. The Sioux Tribe had moved from their homeland, an area near the Missouri River, to the Great Plains, because of the threatening nature of their enemies, the Chippewa. French traders had recently given the Chippewa guns and this put the people of the Sioux Tribe on edge. After the Sioux relocated, they were amazed at the abundance of buffalo, as the land seemed to teem with these animals. The buffalo were a way of life for the Sioux. Bands of men from the tribes would take up their weapons, a first just spears and bows with arrows, but later guns, and set out to hunt the buffalos for survival. Because the Native American people believed that these buffalo were gifts from Wakan Tanka, or the Great Spirit, they did not want to waste any of the animal. (O’Neill). Buffalo hunting was a way of life for these tribes, and a way to ensure that all Indians would be fed and clothed. This, however, would not stick around thanks to the greed of Americans, the Transcontinental Railroad, and the nation’s belief that Manifest Destiny was essential to the growth of the economy. These Americans came in and began

    Read More

  • Inuit People Research Paper

    685 Words  | 2 Pages

    The melting of glaciers and ice effects ground water, hunting and fishing, tracking, and trapping; all things necessary for the survival of the Inuit. They rely on their vast knowledge of animals and the environment to be successful in sub-freezing temperatures. However, the involvement of southerners continues to hinder the survival of their people. The tagging of polar bears in northern Canada by Wildlife Biologists has impacted their feeding habits, causing them to starve, become weak and die off. Now considered an endangered specie, the polar bears are slowly becoming extinct in the region. This is only one of the effects the southerners have on the Inuit. In this paper I will discuss common themes I found between the Film Muffins for Granny and Innuit Knowledge and Climate

    Read More

More about Metis Research Paper

Open Document