Editing Louis Riel (section)

===Montana and family life===
[[Image:Jean-LouisAngeliqueRiel.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Jean-Louis and Marie-Angélique Riel, children of Louis Riel]]
In the fall of 1878, Riel returned to St. Paul, and briefly visited his friends and family. The Red River Métis were encountering changing conditions—the [[American Bison|bison]] on which they depended were becoming scarce, the influx of settlers was ever-increasing, and unscrupulous land speculators were controlling more and more of the land. Like many other Red River Métis, Riel left to start a new life elsewhere.<ref name=Thomas-1982/> Travelling to the [[Montana Territory]], he became a trader and interpreter in the area surrounding [[Fort Benton, Montana|Fort Benton]]. Seeing the detrimental impact of alcohol on Métis and First Nations, he tried to curtail the [[whisky]] trade.<ref name=Thomas-1982/>

In Pointe-au-Loup, [[Fort Berthold]], [[The Dakotas|Dakota Territory]] in 1881,<ref>{{Cite web |year=2020 |url=https://shsb.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Louis_Riel_arbre_genealogique.pdf |title=L'arbre généalogique de Louis Riel |publisher=Société historique de Saint-Boniface / Centre du patrimoine}}</ref><ref>{{cite report |title=Riel Family: Home and Lifestyle at St-Vital, 1860–1910 |first=Diane |last=Payment |url=http://parkscanadahistory.com/series/mrs/379.pdf |year=1980 |publisher=Parks Canada, Historical Research Division, Prairie Region |id=Manuscript Report Number 379}} Map of Figure 10 points east of mouth of Rivière au Lait & Missouri River towards Ft. Berthold, Dakota Territory and/or Pointe au Loup.</ref> he married the young Métis Marguerite Monet ''dite'' Bellehumeur,<ref name=Thomas-1982/> according to the custom of the country (à la façon du pays), on 28 April, the marriage being solemnized on 9 March 1882.<ref name=shsba/> Evelina learned of this marriage from a newspaper and wrote a letter accusing Riel of "infamy".<ref name=mitchell/><ref name=romantic/> Marguerite and Louis were to have three children: Jean-Louis (1882–1908); Marie-Angélique (1883–1897); and a boy who was born and died on 21 October 1885, less than one month before Riel was hanged.<ref name=Thomas-1982/>

Riel soon became involved in the politics of Montana, and in 1882, actively campaigned on behalf of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]. He brought a suit against a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] for rigging a vote, but was then himself accused of fraudulently inducing [[British subject]]s to take part in the election. In response, Riel applied for United States citizenship and was [[naturalized]] on 16 March 1883.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Library and Archives Canada|url=http://www.collectionscanada.ca/confederation/023001-2390-e.html|title=Louis Riel (October 22, 1844 – November 16, 1885)|accessdate=6 March 2021|archive-date=4 May 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504233246/http://www.collectionscanada.ca/confederation/023001-2390-e.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> With two young children, he had by 1884 settled down and was teaching school at the [[St. Peter's Mission Church and Cemetery|St. Peter's]] [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] mission in the [[Sun River]] district of Montana.<ref name=Thomas-1982/>