The Red River

Resistance

The Métis: Review

“Half-Bloods”

Children of Europeans and First

Nations

Distinct culture

Mostly French speaking

Mostly Catholic

Largest group concentrated in

Red River

The Red River Colony

In present day Manitoba

Lived on and farmed by the Métis

for over 100 years

Land “owned” by Hudson Bay

Company

Land sold to Scottish Lord Selkirk

by HBC

Attempts to create Scottish

settlement

Conflict at Red River

Scottish colonists try to move in on

Métis territory

Métis fight back – Battle of Seven

Oaks

Many colonists give up, return

home

Lasting resentment between

English colonists and Métis

Sale of Rupert’s Land

Rupert’s Land owned by Hudson’s

Bay Company

Running out of good farmland in

Eastern Canada

Fear of America claiming land

Canada purchases land for $1.5

million

Sale of Rupert’s Land

Métis upset about purchase of

Rupert’s Land

Were not consulted before the

purchase

Felt it was not Hudson’s Bay

Companies to give away

Already had farms and

settlements there

Cultures in Conflict

Canada sends surveyors out to

divide land

Land divisions break up Métis

lands

Métis force surveyors to stop

Métis man named Louis Riel tells

surveyors to leave colony

Louis Riel

Educated Métis Man

Spoke English, French, and Cree

Studied to become a priest and a

lawyer

Would become leader of Métis

Resistance of Canadian

government

Red River Resistance

Riel organizes Métis

Métis take over Hudson’s Bay

Companies Fort Garry

Formed provisional (temporary)

government to control lands

around Red River

Negotiate better terms for

entrance into Canada

Métis Fears

Métis feared takeover by

Canadian government

would lead to:

Loss of land

Loss of power

Assimilation

Loss of Language

Loss of culture

Bill of Rights

Created a list of demands including:

Creation of Province for the Métis

Protection of French and English in the new province

Right of Métis to keep their land

Government elected by local people

Right to vote for federal government

English Colonists React

Still English colonists in Red

River

Want to become part of

Canada

Raise militia – try to fight Métis

Defeat and held prisoner in

Fort Garry

Execution of Thomas Scott

One of the prisoners taken by the

Métis

Loud and obnoxious – insults Riel

and Métis guards

Métis put Scott on trial – decide to

execute him

Scott killed by firing squad in front

of Fort Garry

English Canada Reacts

English Canada outraged

Call execution of Scott murder

Want revenge against Métis

Provisional Government

Want Riel executed

French Canada Reacts

French Canada supports Métis

Similar language and religion

See similar struggle to preserve

language and culture

Ask for recognition of Métis

demands

First Nations Reaction

First Nations find common cause

with Métis

Similarly affected by sale of

Rupert’s land

Lands also being claimed without

permission

Desire preservation of language

and culture

Not as involved in Red River

Resistance

Creation of Manitoba

John A. Macdonald and the

federal government work to keep everyone happy

Give Métis most of what they

asked for

Pass Manitoba Act which

creates province, supports

Métis rights

Aftermath of the Resistance

Canadian government also sends

army to Red River

Refuses to pardon Riel and

associates

Riel banished for five years

Mostly English army takes anger

out on local Métis

Many promised land claims not

given

English settlers move into

Manitoba

Sets the Stage for: The North West Rebellion