By Staff
November 16th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
“On this day in 1885, Louis Riel, an elected Métis leader and founder of Manitoba, was executed for treason.
“We must cherish our inheritance. We must preserve our nationality for the youth of our future. The story should be written down to pass on.”
Looking back, we now recognize him as a highly skilled and visionary politician, a capable negotiator, and a committed advocate for the Métis Nation. Notably, he also served as an elected member of the House of Commons, contributing significantly to the political landscape of his era.
Riel is now seen as a defender of rights and a champion of Indigenous language and culture. Métis communities across Canada celebrate Louis Riel for preserving their identity, political contributions, and history.
As the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) marks its 30th anniversary, we celebrate the significant contributions of Métis people, including Louis Riel, to the fabric of this country.
To honour Louis Riel Day, representatives from the Métis Nation of Ontario will be raising the Métis flag used by MNO at Queen’s Park today. I encourage all Ontarians to take the opportunity to learn more about Riel and the Métis Nation, exploring their history, culture, and valuable contributions.” It isn’t a pleasant story
The only comment that can be made today is: It took us long enough.
I’m not saying that this perspective is wrong but it certainly is incomplete. This ‘remaking of Riel’ is similar to the frontal revisionist assault that was made on Egerton Ryerson several years ago.
Louis Riel is one of the most enigmatic figures in Canadian history and the Red River Rebellion is one of the most complex and interesting episodes. I encourage people to do some research. Here is a start:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Red-River-Rebellion
At least we don’t have a facility or Park in Burlington that our Mayor, Council and School Board feel compelled to rename – don’t even think about Bateman Marianne.