land speculator:someone who buysand sells land for profit

munitions: militaryweapons, ammunition,and equipment

provisionalgovernment: atemporary government

The Red River RebellionDuring 1869; the actions of the sur¬veyors—and the land speculatorswho followed them—raised the levelof tension within the Red RiverSettlement. The settlers were angryat the HBC for proceeding with thesale of Rupert's Land without con¬sulting them. They were also angryat the surveyors, who were layingout square townships with no regardfor their traditional strip lots. Theywondered if the Canadian govern¬ment was trying to take away theirland. That summer, in an effort topreserve the rights of his people,Riel organized bands of Metis toobserve and confront the surveyors.

One week later, he formed theMetis National Committee to fightfor Metis concerns about their land.One of its first tasks was to greet thenew governor of the North-WestTerritories, William McDougall.The welcome was not warm.

Members of the committee toldMcDougall to go back to Ottawabecause they intended to governthemselves. Next, several Metis

under Riel's command occupied Fort

Garry and seized its munitions. TheRed River Rebellion had begun.

Riel and his supporters had nointention of rebelling againstCanada. They wanted only to ensurethat the people of the Red Riverwould retain their rights and tradi¬tions after the region was transferredto Canadian authority. Riel decidedto set up a provisional governmentto maintain order and to negotiatean agreement by which the territorysurrounding the Red River Settle¬ment could enter Confederation asthe province of Manitoba. Rielfeared, with justification, that ifGovernor McDougall were allowedto take charge of the area, he wouldgive members of the Canadian Partyall the power and ignore the Metis.This would lead to the Metis losingall their rights. Angered by recentevents, the Metis of Red River drewup a List of Rights (see page 159).

Riel was determined to work toprotect the rights of not only theMetis, but of all groups in the settle¬ment. However, he feared civil warbecause the Canadian Party wasalready armed and prepared to attackthe Metis. In early December, Riel

Figure 4-25 Louis Riel andthe provisional government

158 CHAPTER 4

(G?055

The Metis List of Rights and the Charterof Rights and Freedoms

The Metis List of Rightsis an importantCanadian document. Hereare those rights, as agreedto by the convention ofthe Red River Settlement,These resolutions wereadopted at a meeting heldin Fort Garry onWednesday, December 1,1869,

Ol. That the people have the right to elect their own Legislature: 2. That the Legislature have the power to pass all laws local

to the Territory over the veto of the Executive by a two-thirds vote.

3. That no act of the Dominion Parliament (local to the territory) bebinding on the people until sanctioned [approved] by theLegislature of the Territory.

4. That all Sheriffs, Magistrates, Constables, School Commissioners,

and so on, be elected by the people.

5. A free Homestead and preemption Land Law.

6. That a portion of the public lands be appropriated for the benefit ofSchools, the building of Bridges, Roads and Public Buildings.

7. That it be guaranteed to connect Winnipeg by Rail with the nearestline of Railroad, within a term of five years; the land grant to besubject to the Local Legislature.

8. That for the term of four years all Military, Civil and Municipalexpenses be paid out of Dominion funds.

9. That the Military be composed of the inhabitants now existing inthe Territory.

10. That the English and French languages be common in theLegislature and Courts, and that all Public Documents and Acts ofthe Legislature be published in both languages.

I I. That the Judge of the Supreme Court speak the English and Frenchlanguages.

12. That Treaties be concluded and ratified between the DominionGovernment and the several tribes of Indians in the Territory toensure peace on the frontier.

13. That we have a fair and full representation in the CanadianParliament.

14. That all privileges, customs and usages existing at the time oftransfer be respected.

/

THE NORTHWEST TO 1870 159

continued

Excerpts from the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

The Charter of Rightsand Freedoms wasentrenched as part of theConstitution of Canadaunder the terms of theConstitutional Act, 1982.Here are some excerpts.

WHAT DOYOU THINK?1. How are these two

documents similar?Dissimilar? Discuss in agroup or with apartner.

2. Why do you supposethe provisions of theList of Rights are soprecisely stated?

habeas corpus: requiring thatthe lawfulness of a person'sarrest or detention beinvestigated by a judge orcourt

Fundamental Freedoms

I- 2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: (a)freedom of conscience and religion; (b) freedom of thought,belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of thepress and other media of communication; (c) freedom ofpeaceful assembly; and (d) freedom of association.

Democratic Rights

3. Every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in an election ofmembers of the House of Commons or of a legislative assemblyand to be qualified for membership therein.

Legal Rights

7. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person andthe right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with theprinciples of fundamental justice.

8. Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search orseizure.

9. Everyone has the right not to be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned.

10. Everyone has the right on arrest or detention (a) to be informedpromptly of the reasons therefore; (b) to retain and instruct counselwithout delay and to be informed of that right; and (c) to have thevalidity of the detention determined by way of habeas corpus andto be released if the detention is not lawful.

12. Everyone has the right not to be subjected to any cruel andunusual treatment or punishment.

Equality Rights

15. (I) Every individual is equal before and under the law and has theright to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law withoutdiscrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on

race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mentalor physical disability.

Official Languages of Canada

16. (I) English and French are the official languages of Canada andhave equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to theiruse in all institutions of the Parliament and government of Canada.

160 CHAPTER 4

led a party of armed Metis toSchultz's home, which was used asheadquarters for the Canadian Party.Schultz's house was surrounded, andhe and forty-eight of his followerswere taken to Fort Garry. Riel nowdeclared that he was prepared tonegotiate with the Canadian govern¬ment. Prime Minister John A.Macdonald, however, refused to rec¬

ognize Riel, let alone negotiate withhim. Macdonald said:

O Smith goes to carry an olive; branch. We must not think ofmilitary force until peaceable

means have been exhausted.Should these miserable half-breeds not disband, they must beput down.

Undaunted, the provisional gov¬ernment met to draft a proposal forthe creation of the province ofManitoba, which Metis representa¬tives could take to Ottawa.

In the meantime, Schultz hadescaped from Fort Garry and plottedto free the other prisoners. But beforeSchultz could attack, his raidersclashed with the Metis, and severalof his followers were arrested yetagain. One of these prisoners wasThomas Scott, the most belligerentmember of the Canadian Party. Inprison, Scott loudly publicized hisanti-Metis views, verbally and physi¬cally abused his guards, and threat¬ened the life of Louis Riel. On March4, he was executed by firing squad byRiel's provisional government.

Many people in the Settlementregretted the execution of ThomasScott, but many also believed the cri¬sis had passed. On March 9, Riel for¬mally proclaimed that the troublehad subsided. A few weeks later, theOttawa delegation departed in anoptimistic mood—they were on theirway to negotiate the creation of the

province of Manitoba. Unfortunatelyfor Riel and the Metis, Schultz hadalso left the Northwest for Ontario.Arriving in early April, he began topublicize his views on the Metis andthe execution of Thomas Scott.Gradually the Orange Order createda mythology around Thomas Scott—he was transformed into a Protestantmartyr who had been cruelly mur¬dered by the Metis. The circum¬stances of Scott's execution fuelledthis interpretation. Although the sixmembers of the firing squad hadtaken careful aim together, they did

A Public Meeting of the iimabitants of Hullefct,Morris and Wavvanbsh will be held in the

illage if mnimuiiiiiih im

AT 4 O CUOCK, P. MTo afford Loyal People an opportunity of expressing their deepindignation at the vile crimes conaitted in Rupert's land, by Sza-prisoning and murdering Britastt and Canadian subjects. Thehonor ofRngland was never outrssed with imounity, and never•will be. Let Canada not be dearac&d the honor of the countrymust be maintained, the blood ob lie Martyred Scott must notcry in vain for vengeance. Let Catada speak out now. and let therycaacgin Kiel feel that a Canadian nust be like an ancient Roman, #ffoe from injury wherever he goea The men that went to Hag-dalls can go to the Red Riven, Cons ail Loyai Men to the meeting,

thin is the common came of all Canadians.

msnmg sFMir m n is attmmHURRAH FOt CANADA.

A HOPE FOR THEjMUKDEHER RIEL!: GOD SAVET mB QUEEN-1

Printed at the .Tc* Era Cbesp JdPnotint EtaUahmcnt. Citstoo.

Figure 4-26 An anti-Riel poster announcing a meeting in 1870

THE NORTHWEST TO 1870 161

Figure 4-27 These troopshave arrived too late to"restore order" to the RedRiver area. Although thetroops are clambering upthe hill in great anticipation,Riel has already fled.

not kill Scott instantaneously. Thesquad director, Francois Guillemette,had to step forward and deliver onemore bullet to Scott's head. Cries forjustice and retribution soon reachedgovernment ears in Ottawa.

The delegates from Red Riverhad a hard time getting recognitionfrom Macdonald's government.

Their case was finally heard in lateApril, and the government agreed tothe terms for Manitoba's admissionto Confederation. Macdonaldrefused to allow provincial controlof public lands, but he did offer acompromise: a grant of 200 000hectares of land for the Metis, in

recognition of their aboriginal title.On May 2, legislation confirmingManitoba's admission was passed bythe House of Commons.

Macdonald was also determinedto show his support for the callsdemanding justice from Ontario. Hedispatched a force of 1200 toWinnipeg under the command ofColonel Wolseley, with the instmc-tions that they keep the peace untilthe transfer of power to a new provin¬

cial government could be made. Healso made it clear that they were notto treat Riel or his followers as beinga legitimate government. WhenWolseley's force arrived in late

August, Riel had wiselyfled the area—fearing, withjustification, that his lifewas in danger. Eventually,all members of the provi¬sional government were

granted amnesty, with theexception of Riel. TheCanadian governmentdecreed that he be ban¬ished from Canada for aperiod of five years. Thearchitect of Manitobadeparted quietly, and spentthe next fifteen years inexile in the United States.

ACTIVITIES

1. Did immigrants from Canada drastically changethe composition of the population of the RedRiver Settlement between 1860 and 1870? Why?

2. How was the Orange Order racist? Why wouldpoliticians like Macdonald be influenced by suchan organization?

3. What did Canada need in order to acquireRupert's Land? How did this action precipitate arebellion?

4. Was Riel's provisional government legal? With a

partner, discuss this question and share yourfindings with the class.

5. Evaluate key incidents of the Red River Rebellion.Consider the execution of Thomas Scott, theMetis List of Rights, and the actions of JohnShultz and Macdonald's government. Refer toFigure 4-26 and then create a poster that youthink presents a fair view of Riel.

6. Did Sir John A. Macdonald demonstrate a lackof understanding about the Northwest? Explainyour answer, with reasons.

162 CHAPTER 4

ACTIVITIES

1. Why was Prime Minister Mackenzie so unwillingto spend more money on the CPR?

2. Examine the National Policy. With a partner,determine which aspects of this policy favourcertain parts of the country. Explain your answer.

3. The final cost of the railway was about $100million. Why do you suppose the CPR Syndicatewas willing to agree to the deal they made withthe federal government?

4. Why was Van Home necessary for the successfulcompletion of the CPR?

5. Why do you think John A. Macdonald was sounwilling to provide extra funds for the CPR,when its failure would mean the end of his"National Dream"? Explain your answer in ashort paragraph.

6. In what ways was the CPR an unfair employer?Why were people willing to work under thecircumstances they did?

7. Railway workers normally worked a six-dayweek. Assuming that three days a week werelost during the winter, calculate the net pay of aworker between December 1 and March 1.

8. Imagine you are a worker on the railway. Writea letter to your family describing yourexperiences as a railway worker.

9. You are a Canadian living in 1885. In a letter orpoem, describe your feelings on learning that theCPR has finally been completed. You might wishto take the role of a western farmer, a Nativeperson now living on a reserve, a Quebecker, or

a businessperson living in Ontario.

The IVIorthwest RebellioimOF 1885

By the early 1880s, the Metiswere beginning to lose patiencewith the Canadian government.

As you read earlier, many Metis hadmoved into the Northwest in the1870s because the Manitoba govern¬ment had made it difficult for themto get title to their land. In theNorthwest, the Metis continued topress for title to the land they occu¬pied, and they also wanted somefinancial aid to help them becomesuccessful farmers. They did notwant to rebel against the authority ofthe Canadian government.

But the Canadian governmenthad its own agenda for the landoccupied by the Metis—an agendadriven by the high cost of the CPR.

The government had surveyed theprairies in the 1870s, and knew thatthere were some 16 million acres[6.4 million hectares] suitable forcultivation. Much of this land wasowned by land speculators who soldit to farmers and gave a portion ofthe proceeds to the government.

Macdonald had calculated that ifmost of the land was sold, the gov¬ernment would collect about $71million—more than all the moneythe government had poured into theCPR. There was no way that thegovernment was going to jeopardizethis potential revenue by hearingMetis petitions about "their" land.

The building of the railway alsoaffected the government's treatment

192 CHAPTER 5

of the aboriginal peoples with whomthey had just concluded treaties. Asrailway costs rose between 1882 and1883, the government slashed thebudget of its Indian department. Thepromised aid to start new lives asfarmers never materialized, and theNative peoples had to rely on foodhandouts from the government justto survive. The government made itclear to the Native peoples thatreceiving food was conditional onnot causing trouble. In other words,the government used the handoutsas a form of social control, and "diffi¬cult Indians" would receive no food.By 1884, many aboriginal peopleswere facing starvation.

In 1884, Gabriel Dumont, theMetis leader, wrote:

OThe Government should not; be surprised if we side withthe Indians. They are our

relatives, and when they arestarving, they come to us for reliefand we have to feed them. TheGovernment is not doing right bythem ... I heard the speeches and

explanations given of the Treaty[Treaty Number 6], not only theywould live as well as they hadbefore, but better... Is that taking

place now? Now they are allowedto go about starving and theburden of feeding them falls on us.We desire the Indians to be fed;because if they are not weourselves will be kept in poverty.

Louis Riel ReturnsIn the summer of 1884, the Metissent a delegation to Montana, whereLouis Riel had lived since the mid-1870s working as a school teacher.Riel was moved by the plight of hispeople, and agreed to fight for jus¬tice on their behalf. Riel returnedwith peaceful intentions, but his

very presence in the Northwest sig¬nalled to the government and itssupporters that another rebellionwas a possibility. Conservative busi¬nessmen in Prince Albert wrote let¬ters to the government, warning

that the Metis were planning anarmed revolt. The NWMP investi¬gated and determined that between500 and 1100 Metis and aboriginalpeople were ready to take up armsagainst the government.

In late 1884, a sympatheticEuropean farmer and Riel collabo¬rated on a Metis Bill of Rights. Theyhoped this document would addressthe grievances of the Metis andform the basis of a new province inthe Northwest, but it was ignoredby the Canadian government. TheBill of Rights was far more detailedthan the 1869 List of Rights. Itreflected both the frustration of theMetis and their desire to be treatedas equals with the other peoples inthe Northwest. As such, it bore acloser resemblance to theDeclaration of Independence whichthe American colonists had sent theBritish government in 1776. Hereare some of the grievances listed inthe Bill of Rights:

¦ that the Indians are so reducedthat the settlers in many locali¬ties are compelled to furnishthem with food, partly to preventthem from dying at their door,and partly to preserve the peace inthe Territory

¦ that the Metis of the Territoryhave not received 240 acres of land,each, as did the Manitoba [Metis]

¦ that the Metis who are in posses¬sion of tracts of land have notreceived patents (title)

n that settlers are charged dues ontimber, nails, and firewoodrequired for home use

THE PRAIRIES 1870-1896 193

Figure 5-21 A modern-day photo of Fort Carlton

¦ that customs duties are levied onthe necessaries of life

¦ that no effective measures haveyet been taken to put the peopleof the Northwest in direct com¬munication with the EuropeanMarkets, via Hudson Bay

¦ that settlers are exposed to coer¬cion at elections, owing to the factthat votes are not taken by ballot

Section 17 detailed a number of griev¬ances relating to the government notliving up to its arrangements for theNorth-West Territories, and detailedin the Manitoba Act.

By the end of 1884, tensions werebuilding in the Northwest, and theMacdonald government was facing acrisis. The CPR was almost bankruptand still not finished. If troops wereneeded to suppress a rebellion, theywould have to travel quickly by rail.Macdonald saw an opportunity to fin¬ish the CPR and put down a rebellionin the Northwest. If war broke out,the public would view the moneyspent on the railway as politicallyacceptable.

By the spring of 1885, theCanadian government was ready to

call out the eastern militia. At thesame time, the Manitoba militiastarted moving into the Northwest,and the Lieutenant-Governor of theNorth-West Territories banned thesale of ammunition in his jurisdic¬tion. This meant that the Metiswould not have any weapons if theydecided to rebel. Ottawa's only forcenear St. Laurent, in the heart of

Metis territory, was SuperintendentLief Crozier's small group of NWMPofficers at Port Carlton. But Crozierdid not think he had enough officersto fight the Metis.

On March 19, Louis Rieladdressed the Metis at St. Laurent.He told them that a peaceful resolu¬tion was impossible, and that theCanadian government was deter¬

mined to make war on the Metis. Heconcluded his speech with the state¬ment "Justice commands us to takeup arms," and he demanded the sur¬render of Port Carlton.

The first clash between theNWMP and the Metis began with anattempt at negotiation, but itquickly disintegrated. Angry wordswere exchanged between the twosides at Duck Lake, near Batoche,

194 CHAPTERS

and two Metis delegates were shot.Both sides opened fire. Within thirtyminutes, twelve NWMP officers laydead, and another twenty-five laywounded. Crozier retreated to FortCarlton—the Northwest Rebellionhad begun.

More than 5000 Canadian troopswere deployed throughout theNorthwest to contain the rebellion.The main force was sent fromRegina to deal with the centre of therebellion—Batoche and St. Laurent.In April, 1600 militia clashed withGabriel ©umont and fewer thansixty Metis at Fish Creek, just southof Batoche. This small group held offthe Canadian troops for a day, andprevented them from moving on toBatoche. Reinforcements arrived,

but the militia did not reach Batocheuntil May 9.

At Batoche, some 725 militiaattacked 175 Metis. In spite of theassault, the Metis held their groundfor three days. As the battle wasdrawing to a close, Riel and Dumont

met for the last time near Batoche.Riel was distraught over the Metisdefeat and the loss of life. He askedDumont, "What are we going to do?"Dumont replied, "We are defeated.We shall perish. But you must haveknown this when we took up armsthat we would be beaten. So theywill destroy us." Riel was capturedon May 15; Dumont escaped to theUnited States, where he spent thenext decade in exile.

After the Metis defeat atBatoche, Canadian troops trackeddown and arrested the aboriginalleaders who had taken part in theRebellion. In most cases, these lead¬ers were either pardoned or sen¬

tenced to a short prison term. Thegovernment's view of the Nativepeoples was paternalistic—it viewedthem as wayward children who hadbeen misled by Riel, rather than aspeople driven to desperate actions bythe Canadian government.

After Riel's arrest, he was takento Regina and charged with high

Figure 5-22 Battle sitesduring the NorthwestRebellion

e Northwest RebellionDSSTRICT OFliSKATOHEWAN

idmonton

FortCarlton

lattlefordLake

Winhipegosist) 0 / /

luck LakeBatocheFish Creek

district 0aALberta

Cjaskatc/)^DISTI

ReginaTo\Winnipeg^

kilometres

Native reservations

North West Mounted Police posts

Canadian Pacific Railway

THE PRAIRIES 1870-1896 195

Chief Crowfoot and the CPR

Throughout the NorthwestRebellion, the Cree, who alsowanted a better deal from the fed¬eral government, supported theMetis cause. Following the skir¬mish at Duck Lake, they attacked asettlement on Frog Lake, and theNWMP post at Fort Pitt.

But while the Cree rose inrebellion with the Metis, theBlackfoot nation, led by ChiefCrowfoot, did not. The Blackfoot'slarge reserve lay very close to theCPR line. In 1883, CPR construc¬tion encroached on the reserve.Father Lacombe, the Oblate mis¬sionary who had lived among theBlackfoot since 1870, negotiatedwith Crowfoot, and the Blackfootreceived additional land as com¬pensation. Lacombe's argument toCrowfoot appears at right.

Crowfoot did not like theEuropeans or what they had done

on the prairies, but he was apragmatist. He understood thatchange would happen anyway,and he saw no reason to put hispeople through more difficulty.After the CPR was finished, itrewarded both Lacombe andCrowfoot with lifetime passes onthe railway. Crowfoot had his

pass glazed, framed, andinscribed with his Blackfoot name,Sapomaxicow. Deeply moved,Crowfoot wrote Van Home,thanking him for his gesture.

Oblate: a Roman Catholic order ofmissionaries

pragmatist: someone who can see thepractical, realistic side of an issue

Well, my friends, I have some advice to give you today.Jjp.i Let the white people pass through your lands and let

them build their roads. They are not here to rob you ofyour lands. These white men obey their chiefs, and it is withthe chiefs that the matter must be settled. I have already toldthese chiefs that you were not pleased with the way in whichthe work was being pushed through your lands. The Governorhimself will come to meet you. He will listen to your griefs; hewill propose a remedy. And if the compromise does not suityou, that will be the time to order the builders out of yourreserve.

Figure 5-23 Chief Crowfoot and his family

196 CHAPTER 5

treason—taking up arms against theCanadian government. Treason was

punishable by death, and theCanadian government probablywanted to make an example of Riel.The trial took place in July 1885.Riel was defended by three lawyersfrom Quebec, who decided that heshould plea not guilty by reason ofinsanity. They believed that thiswas the only way his life could besaved. Riel refused. Before JudgeRichardson, a staunch Conservativesupporter, and a six-man jury of

English Protestants, Riel pleaded hiscase and that of his people.

By this time, Riel was resigned tohis fate, but he was also determinedto show that the Metis had been mis¬treated and goaded into rebellion sothat they would no longer be a forcein the Northwest. In his summationto the jury, Riel not only describedthe deprivation of his people ("Ifound the Indians suffering ... I foundthe [Metis] eating the rotten pork ofthe Hudson Bay Company ..."), he

also placed the responsibility of therebellion on the shoulders of theCanadian government:

OThe agitation of the North-; West Territories would havebeen constitutional, and

would certainly be constitutionaltoday. If, in my opinion, we hadnot been attacked. Perhaps theCrown has not been able to findout the particulars, that we wereattacked, but as we were on thescene, it was easy to understand.When we sent petitions to thegovernment, they answered us bysending police ..."

... So irresponsible is thatgovernment ... that in the courseof several years, besides doingnothing to satisfy the people ofthis great land, it has even hardlybeen able to answer once or givea single response. That fact wouldindicate an absolute lack ofresponsibility, and therefore,insanity complicated withparalysis.

Riel was found guilty of hightreason, but the jury and judge rec¬ommended clemency. The Canadiangovernment refused to considermercy, and Riel was hanged onNovember 16, 1885.

DID YOU KNOW?When Rial's lawyers askedthe judge to admit all theMetis petitions to thegovernment as evidence inRial's defence, he refused.

Figure 5-24 The jury thatconvicted Louis Riel. Whywould this jury have posedfor this photograph? Whatemotion do you read onthe face of each juror?

THE PRAIRIES 1870-1896 197