In response to (A hero in the eyes of the beholder) I guess it is who you talk to when it comes to Riel and if you are Metis or not. Being Metis myself and being raised within the culture we were always taught that Riel was our hero, one of Canada's Fathers of Confederation having set up the provisional government in Manitoba. But going to school, he was a traitor to Canada and John A. McDonald was the hero.
One thing that MUST be remembered is that most of Canadian history is or has being written or taught by a non-aboriginal, mostly male demographic or a colonial point of view, so the perspective is different. No one can say for sure if Riel suffered from mental illess or if he was a very reverent man. We were not there. We were not suffering alongside them, we were not hiding in the river banks like the women and children had to during the Riel Resistance. We are not having letters written to the editors of the Winnipeg Free Press or the Edmonton Bulletin calling us “savages” and stating that we were holding secret meetings. We are able to meet in large groups but my grandparents were not allowed to.
Regardless if Riel had a mental illness or not, or if he was in Canada or not, those events would have taken place – that was why Gabriel Dumont went to the United States to bring Riel back. Selling the land, having the Scrip commission was all part of assimilation tactic on the Metis of Canada. Little did they know that we would rise again and bring back the vibrant history and culture that is truly and uniquely Canadian.
Marci (Michif for thank you)
S. Morin, Edmonton
