Leaders honour legacy of Louis Riel on 138th anniversary of his death
Riel commemorated at gravesite in St. Boniface ceremony marking Métis leaders' impact
Federal, provincial, municipal and Métis leaders honoured Louis Riel at a ceremony at his gravesite in Winnipeg's St. Boniface neighbourhood on Thursday, the 138th anniversary of his death.
Riel, 41, was executed by hanging in a public gallows on Nov. 16, 1885, at the Northwest Mounted Police barracks in Regina. His body was transported back to the Red River Settlement in Winnipeg, where he was buried at St. Boniface Cathedral's cemetery.
"Riel's unjust, judicially sanctioned murder has long been a stain on this country's history," said a statement from Manitoba Métis Federation president David Chartrand, who was absent for the ceremony. The statement was read out on his behalf.
"Every year on this day, we remind Manitobans and Canadians that our nation has always seen Riel for the great man he was."
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham, member of Parliament Terry Duiguid and others in attendance praised Riel for his contributions to the province.
Kinew said it was important on the anniversary of his death to remember how Riel was mistreated and celebrate his impact on democracy in Manitoba.
"He's certainly the reason that I speak French. He is the reason I have the opportunity to serve you, the people of Manitoba, as your premier, and he is essentially, at the end of the day, the reason we are all Manitobans," Kinew said moments after laying a wreath next to Riel's tombstone.
"Insofar as we are here to honour Mr. Riel, I hope that we all remember that this is absolutely tied up, just like the threads of a sash, with our idea of what it means to be Manitobans from all different walks of life."
Kinew told the crowd to expect to see Riel honoured during his government throne speech next Tuesday. He has promised Riel would be formally recognized as Manitoba's honorary first premier.
Riel was declared founder of Manitoba in 1992. He was officially recognized as the first leader of Manitoba in 2016, and ever since the Manitoba Métis Federation has pushed for him to be given the title of first premier.
FROM THE ARCHIVES | Louis Riel recognized as founder of Manitoba in 1992:
Riel was elected to Parliament three times but was never able to take his seat in the House of Commons over fears for his life.
He was later hanged for treason for the leadership role he played in two Métis resistances.
He has at times over the years been characterized as a controversial figure in Canadian history. But now, Riel is celebrated for forming a provisional government and paving the way for Manitoba's entry into Confederation in the 1800s — including through a bill of rights in the 1870 Manitoba Act that he presented to the government of Canada.
"I knew I was Métis, but in school you were taught that Mr. Louis Riel was a bad person, he was a traitor," said Anita Campbell, a spokesperson with the Infinity Women Secretariat, a non-profit provincial organization that works with Métis women in Manitoba.
"The schools didn't teach us … to be proud of who you were."
WATCH | Louis Riel: traitor or hero?
Campbell said while she was growing up, that influenced many Métis people to hide their identity if they could — something she says she is proud has shifted as subsequent generations have been able to embrace their heritage and Riel's legacy.
"The generations that are coming forward now ... they're finding their culture, they're finding their language and they're finding their identity… and being proud of who you are."
Mayor Gillingham said he looks forward to a day soon when the former Bank of Montreal building at the corner of Portage Avenue and Main Street in Winnipeg opens, transformed, as the Red River Métis National Heritage Centre.
"There's no disputing the critical, important, foundational leadership work that Louis Riel did to establish this province, to defend and establish and uphold the rights of the people of this province, and we are the ones who benefit today," he said.
Amid what Chartrand's statement called a "reign of terror enacted upon the Red River Métis" after Manitoba was brought into Confederation, Riel fled to the U.S. for five years. He lived in exile until he was called back to defend his people, Chartrand said.
Riel surrendered in 1885 after battles between Canadian troops and the Métis. He was hanged after trial.
At the end of the Winnipeg ceremony, an MMF spokesperson reading Chartrand's statement repeated Riel's words shortly before his death:
"I am glad that the Crown have proved that I am the leader of the Half-breeds in the North-West.
"I will perhaps be one day acknowledged as more than a leader of the Half-breeds, and if I am I will have an opportunity of being acknowledged as a leader of good in this great country."
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With files from Özten Shebahkeget