Red River and Northwest Rebellions

Devin cutforth

1812 – Selkirk Settlement

Thomas Selkirk, and wealthy Scotsman, purchased land from the Hudson’s Bay Company and created a new colony in the Red River. He paid for the farmers and their families to come to Canada from Scotland to settle in the Red River Valley to become farmers. Their crops failed their first year and they almost starved.

1814 – The Pemmican Proclamation

• Pemmican is a dried meat that is pounded into powder and mixed with hot fat and berries, then poured into a pouch where it is left to cool and solidify. This was the main source of trade for the Métis. They traded for goods and skins to the North West Company. The Governor Miles Macdonell passed a bill which forbade the export of pemmican from the Red River Colony, and this almost started a war.

1869 – Fort Garry

• Louis Riel seized Fort Garry, the headquarters of the Hudson’s Bay Company. He brought in an provisional government before the land of Rupert’s Landing was transferred to the government. E and the committee of Métis wanted a peaceful negotiation to ensure that the rights of the Métis would be protected.

1870 - Manitoba becomes a Province

• Manitoba joined confederation and was now assured that the Métis culture would be preserved and the Métis would retain the titles to their land.

1869 – Rupert’s Land

• An uprising in the Red River Colony started with the transfer of Rupert’s Land to the new nation of Canada without any knowledge or input from the Métis. The farmers and hunters who lived there were afraid of losing their land rights and their cultures.

Louis Riel

• Leader of the Métis. He started the provisional government that would eventually lead to establishing the province of Manitoba.

Thomas Scott

• He was an violent person who threatened to kill Louis Riel. He was anti-French and anti Catholic. He was executed by firing squad in 1870.

Cuthbert Grant

• Cuthbert Grant a Métis leader, raided a brigade of Hudson’s Bay Company boats and seized a supply of pemmican. This was in retaliation for the government no allowing the sale or trade of pemmican by the Métis and this created a hardship.

Northwest Rebellion

• 1880 – The start of the Rebellion. The Métis treaties were not being honored by the government. The Government had promised them an new way of life for giving up claim to the whole of the territory and settling on reserves to learn a white style of agriculture.

1884

• Riel agrees to return to be the political leader and advisor to the Métis delegation.

Dec. 1884

• Riel sends a petition to the Secretary of State outlining the demands and grievances of the Métis.

March 1885

• Riel and prominent Métis leaders hold secret meetings. They would sign an oath saying that they would save our country from the wicked government by force if necessary. They seized a church and took hostages.

1886

• After The Rebellion – The rebellion was a disaster. The money used for the rebellion could have been used for basic services such as roads, drains and schools. The Aboriginals lost their right to re-negotiate treaties due to the demise of Riel. The new Canada emerged of English and Protestants and it was the held together by military strength and the railroads.

1884

• The Métis Bill of Rights – This bill would address the grievances of the Métis and form the basis of a new province in the Northwest. This bill reflected the frustration of the Métis we feeling as they only wanted to be treated as equals.

1870

• Batoche – The Métis were forced to leave the Red River settlement by the federal government because the government was ignoring their rights in order to bring in more white settles to the region.

Louis Riel

• Fought for the rights of the Métis as their leader. Was the spokesman and leader of the Red River militants. The seized the trading post of the Hudson’s Bay Company main headquarters of fort Garry and were holding it until the Canadian Government agreed to negotiate with the Métis. Riel had support of his community and instituted provisional government to discuss terms of entry in Confederation. The Métis of Red River drew up a “List of Rights” which Riel was to present to the government.

General Fredrick Middleton

• Attacked the rebel forces of Louis Riel at the Battle of Batoche. He was the general officer in command of Canada’s militia.

Gabriel Dumont

• A military commander for the Métis and folk hero know for his guerilla warfare tactics. Engaged General Middleton’s forces at Fish Creek which became a small victory for the Métis.