Editing Louis Riel

{{Short description|Métis leader in Canada (1844–1885)}}
{{About|the Métis leader in Canada}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Louis Riel
| image               = Louis Riel.jpg{{!}}border
| office              = President of the [[Legislative Assembly of Assiniboia|Provisional Government, then, Legislative Assembly of Assiniboia]]
| term_start1         = 27 December 1869
| term_end1           = 24 June 1870
| riding2             = [[Provencher]]
| parliament2         = Canadian
| predecessor2        = [[George-Étienne Cartier]]
| successor2          = [[Andrew Bannatyne]]
| term_start2         = 13 October 1873
| term_end2           = 25 February 1875
| birth_date          = {{Birth date|df=yes|1844|10|22}}
| birth_place         = [[St. Boniface, Manitoba|St. Boniface]], Red River Colony, Rupert's Land
| death_date          = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1885|11|16|1844|10|22}}
| death_place         = [[Regina, Saskatchewan|Regina]], North-West Territories, Canada
| death_cause         = [[Hanging|Execution by hanging]]
| occupation          = 
| spouse              = {{marriage|Marguerite Monet [[Dit name|''dite'']] Bellehumeur|1881}}
| children            = 3
| signature           = Louis Riel Signature.svg
| resting_place       = [[St. Boniface Cathedral]]
}}

'''Louis Riel ''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|uː|i|_|r|i|ˈ|ɛ|l}}; {{IPA|fr|lwi ʁjɛl|lang}}; 22 October 1844 – 16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of [[Manitoba]], and a political leader of the [[Métis in Canada|Métis]] people. He led two resistance movements against the [[Government of Canada]] and its first prime minister [[John A. Macdonald]]. Riel sought to defend Métis rights and identity as the [[Northwest Territories]] came progressively under the Canadian sphere of influence. 

The first resistance movement led by Riel was the [[Red River Resistance]] of 1869–1870. The [[provisional government]] established by Riel ultimately negotiated the terms under which the new province of Manitoba entered the [[Canadian Confederation]]. However, while carrying out the resistance, Riel had a Canadian nationalist, [[Thomas Scott (Orangeman)|Thomas Scott]], executed. Riel soon fled to the United States to escape prosecution. He was elected three times as [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|member]] of the [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]], but, fearing for his life, never took his seat. During these years in exile he came to believe that he was a divinely chosen leader and prophet. He married in 1881 while in exile in the [[Montana Territory]].

In 1884 Riel was called upon by the Métis leaders in [[Saskatchewan]] to help resolve longstanding grievances with the Canadian government. He returned to Canada and led an armed conflict with government forces: the [[North-West Rebellion]] of 1885. Defeated at the [[Battle of Batoche]], Riel was imprisoned in Regina where he was [[Trial of Louis Riel|convicted at trial]] of [[Treason Act 1351|high treason]]. Despite protests, popular appeals and the jury's call for clemency, Riel was executed by [[hanging]]. Riel was seen as a heroic victim by [[French Canadians]]; his execution had a lasting negative impact on Canada, polarizing the new nation along ethno-religious lines. The Métis were marginalized in the Prairie provinces by the increasingly English-dominated majority. A long-term effect of these actions was the bitter alienation felt by [[Francophones]] across Canada, and their anger against the repression by their countrymen.<ref>{{harvnb |Bumsted|1992|pages=xiii, 31}}</ref>

Riel's historical reputation has long been polarized between portrayals as a dangerous religious fanatic and rebel opposed to the Canadian nation, and, by contrast, as a charismatic leader intent on defending his Métis people from the unfair encroachments by the federal government eager to give Orangemen-dominated Ontario settlers priority access to land. Riel has received among the most formal organizational and academic scrutiny of any figure in Canadian history.<ref name=bumsted-1987>{{Cite journal |last= Bumsted |first= J. M. |title=The 'Mahdi' of Western Canada: Lewis Riel and His Papers |journal=The Beaver |year= 1987 |volume= 67 |issue=4 |pages=47–54 }}</ref>

==Early life==
[[Image:YoungLouisRiel.gif|thumb|upright|Louis Riel, age 14]]
The [[Red River Colony|Red River Settlement]] was a [[Rupert's Land]] territory administered by the [[Hudson's Bay Company]] (HBC). At the mid-19th-century the settlement was largely inhabited by [[Métis]] people of mixed [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]]-European descent. Their ancestors were for the most part Scottish and English men married to [[Cree]] women, and [[French-Canadian]] men married to [[Saulteaux]] (plains [[Ojibwa|Ojibwe]]) women.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia = The Canadian Encyclopedia | first1=J. M. |last1=Bumsted |first2=Julie |last2=Smyth | title = Red River Colony |date=25 March 2015|url =https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/red-river-colony }}</ref>

Louis Riel was born in 1844 in his grandparents' small one-room home in [[Saint Boniface, Manitoba|St-Boniface]] near the fork of the Red and Seine rivers.<ref>{{harvnb|Hamon|2019|page=32}}</ref><ref>{{cite report|title=Riel Family: Home and Lifestyle at St-Vital, 1860–1910|id=  Report No. 379 |first=Diane |last=Payment |url=http://parkscanadahistory.com/series/mrs/379.pdf |year=1980 |publisher=Parks Canada |page= 32}}</ref>  Riel was the eldest of eleven children in a locally well-respected family. His father, who was of Franco-[[Chipewyan]] Métis descent, had gained prominence in this community by organizing a group that supported [[Guillaume Sayer]], a Métis arrested and tried for challenging the HBC's historical trade monopoly.<ref name=Thomas-1982>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Thomas|first=Lewis H. |orig-year=1982 |year=2016|url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/riel_louis_1844_85_11E.html |title=Riel, Louis (1844–85) |encyclopedia =Dictionary of Canadian Biography |volume=11  }}</ref><ref name=senior>{{cite encyclopedia|last =Morton |first=W. L. |year=1976 |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/riel_louis_1817_64_9E.html |title=Riel, Louis (1817–64) |encyclopedia=Dictionary of Canadian Biography |volume=9 }}</ref> Sayer's eventual release due to agitations by Louis Sr.'s group effectively ended the monopoly, and the name Riel was therefore well known in the Red River area. His mother was the daughter of [[Jean-Baptiste Lagimodière]] and [[Marie-Anne Gaboury]], one of the earliest White families to settle in Red River in 1812. The Riels were noted for their devout Catholicism and strong family ties.<ref>{{harvnb|Stanley|1963|pages= 13–20}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Hamon|2019|page=30}}</ref>

Riel began his schooling at age seven,<ref name=mitchell>{{cite web|first=W.O.|last=Mitchell|date=1 February 1952|title=The Riddle of Louis Riel Part 1|work=Maclean's|url=https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1952/2/1/the-riddle-of-louis-riel|archive-date=30 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030114602/https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1952/2/1/the-riddle-of-louis-riel|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Goldsborough>{{cite web|first=Gordon |last= Goldsborough|date= 16 February 2020|title=Louis 'David' Riel (1844–1885)|work=Memorable Manitobans |url=http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/people/riel_l.shtml|publisher=Manitoba Historical Society}}</ref> and by age ten he attended St.&nbsp;Boniface Catholic schools, including eventually a school run by the [[De La Salle Brothers|French Christian Brothers]].<ref name=shsba>{{cite web |date=2020 |publisher=Société historique de Saint-Boniface / Centre du patrimoine | title =Louis Riel – One Life, One Vision |url= https://shsb.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Louis_Riel_Biography.pdf | accessdate =8 December 2020}}</ref> At age thirteen he came to the attention of Bishop [[Alexandre-Antonin Taché|Alexandre Taché]], who was eagerly promoting the priesthood for talented young Métis.<ref name=Thomas-1982/> In 1858 Taché arranged for Riel to attend the [[Petit Séminaire de Montréal]].<ref name=Thomas-1982/> Descriptions of him at the time indicate that he was a fine scholar of languages, science, and philosophy.<ref>{{harvnb|Stanley|1963|pages=26–28}}</ref> While a good student, he was also hot-tempered, extreme in his views, intolerant of criticism and opposition, and not opposed to arguing with his teachers.<ref name=markson>{{cite journal |last1=Markson |first1=ER  |date=1965 |title=The Life and Death of Louis Riel a Study in Forensic Psychiatry Part 1 – A Psychoanalytic Commentary |url= |journal=Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=246–252 |doi=10.1177/070674376501000404|pmid=14341671 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Following news of his father's premature death in 1864, Riel lost interest in the priesthood and withdrew from the college in March 1865. For a time, he continued his studies as a day student in the convent of the [[Grey Nuns]], but was soon asked to leave, following breaches of discipline.<ref name=shsba/> During Riel's period of mourning of his father, he believed that Louis Riel was dead and he himself was David Mordecai, a Jew from Marseilles, and as David, he was not eligible to the immense inheritance of his father (which, in fact, was of little value). Seized with religious fervour, he announced that he was going to form a new religious movement.<ref name=markson/> He remained in Montreal for over a year, living at the home of his aunt, Lucie Riel. Impoverished by the death of his father, Riel took employment as a law clerk in the Montreal office of [[Rodolphe Laflamme]].<ref name=Thomas-1982/><ref name=Stanley-2013>{{cite encyclopedia |first1=George F. G. |last1=Stanley |last2=Gaudry |first2=Adam|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/louis-riel/ |title=Louis Riel |encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia |date=9 May 2016}}</ref> During this time he was involved in a failed romance with a young woman named Marie–Julie Guernon. This progressed to the point of Riel having signed a contract of marriage, but his fiancée's family opposed her involvement with a Métis, and the engagement was soon broken. Compounding this disappointment, Riel found legal work unpleasant and, by early 1866, he had resolved to leave [[Canada East]].<ref name=shsba/><ref>{{harvnb|Stanley|1963|page= 33}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Louis Riel| year =2006 | publisher =Métis Nation of Ontario | url = http://www.metisnation.org/culture/Riel/home.html| archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20070707200538/http://www.metisnation.org/culture/Riel/home.html | archivedate =7 July 2007 }}</ref> Some of his friends said later that he worked odd jobs in [[Chicago]], while staying with poet [[Louis-Honoré Fréchette]],<ref>{{harvnb|Stanley|Huel|Martel|Flanagan|Campbell|1985|loc= pp. xxv & xxvi, Stanley's Foreword: "The Fréchette experience [in Chicago] is, however, open to question."}}</ref> and wrote poems himself in the manner of [[Lamartine]], and that he was briefly employed as a clerk in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]], before returning to the Red River settlement on 26 July 1868.<ref>{{harvnb|Stanley|1963|pages=13–34}}</ref>

==Red River Resistance==
{{Main|Red River Rebellion}}
The majority population of the Red River had historically been Métis and First Nations people. Upon his return, Riel found that religious, nationalistic, and racial tensions were exacerbated by an influx of [[English language|Anglophone]] Protestant settlers from Ontario. The political situation was also uncertain, as ongoing negotiations for the transfer of Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company to Canada had not addressed the political terms of transfer.<ref name=Thomas-1982/><ref name=rrr/> Bishop Taché and the HBC governor [[William Mactavish]] both warned the Macdonald government that the lack of consultation and consideration of Métis views would precipitate unrest.<ref>{{cite journal |title =Bishop Taché and the Confederation of Manitoba, 1969–1970 |url =http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/transactions/3/tacheconfederation.shtml |last = Dorge |first =Lionel |journal =MHS Transactions |series= 3 |number =26 |year=1969 }}</ref><ref name=brodbeck>{{cite news|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/the-riel-deal-unfriendly-manitoba-566177611.html|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|title=The Riel deal|last=Brodbeck|first=Tom|date=13 December 2019}}</ref> Finally, the Canadian minister of public works, [[William McDougall (politician, born 1822)|William McDougall]], ordered a survey of the area. The arrival of a survey party on 20 August 1869 increased anxiety among the Métis as the survey was being carried out as a grid system of townships (an American system) that cut across existing Métis river lots.<ref name=rrr/><ref>{{cite journal | title =The Red River Rebellion and J. S. Dennis, 'Lieutenant and Conservator of the Peace'| url=http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/03/dennis_js.shtml | last=Read | first =Colin |journal=Manitoba History |number=3 |year=1982}}</ref><ref name=Read-1982>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Read|first=Colin|year=1982|url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/dennis_john_stoughton_1820_85_11E.html |title=Dennis, John Stoughton (1820–1885) |encyclopedia =Dictionary of Canadian Biography |volume=11 }}</ref>

In late August, Riel denounced the survey in a speech, and on 11 October 1869, the survey's work was disrupted by a group of Métis that included Riel.<ref name=Thomas-1982/> This group organized itself as the "[[National Committee of the Métis]]" on 16 October, with Riel as secretary and [[John Bruce (Canada)|John Bruce]] as president.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indigenouspeoplesatlasofcanada.ca/article/red-river-resistance/|title=Red River Resistance|work=Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada|accessdate=6 April 2021}}</ref> When summoned by the HBC-controlled [[Council of Assiniboia]] to explain his actions, Riel declared that any attempt by Canada to assume authority would be contested unless Ottawa had first negotiated terms with the Métis. Nevertheless, the non-bilingual McDougall was appointed the [[lieutenant governor]]-designate, and attempted to enter the settlement on 2 November. McDougall's party was turned back near the Canada–US border, and on the same day, Métis led by Riel seized [[Fort Garry]].<ref>{{Cite news |year=2001| publisher= CBC | work =From Sea to Sea |title= Louis Riel| url =https://www.cbc.ca/history/EPCONTENTSE1EP9CH2LE.html|accessdate=4 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | publisher= CBC |year=2001| work =From Sea to Sea |title= The Execution of Thomas Scott | url =https://www.cbc.ca/history/EPCONTENTSE1EP9CH2PA4LE.html|accessdate=4 April 2021}}</ref><ref name=Thomas-1982/><ref name=brodbeck/>

On 6 November, Riel invited Anglophones to attend a convention alongside Métis representatives to discuss a course of action, and on 1 December he proposed to this convention a list of rights to be demanded as a condition of union. Much of the settlement came to accept the Métis point of view, but a passionately pro-Canadian minority began organizing in opposition.<ref name=Thomas-1982/><ref name=brodbeck/> Loosely constituted as the [[Canadian Party]], this group was led by [[John Christian Schultz]], [[Charles Mair]], Colonel John Stoughton Dennis, and a more reticent Major [[Charles Boulton]].<ref>{{cite journal | last =Mitchell | first =Ross | journal =Manitoba Pageant | year=1960|volume= 5| issue=2 | title =John Christian Schultz, M.D. – 1840–1896 | url =http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/pageant/05/schultz_jc.shtml }}</ref> McDougall attempted to assert his authority by authorizing Dennis to raise a contingent of armed men, but the Anglophone settlers largely ignored this call to arms. Schultz, however, attracted approximately fifty recruits and fortified his home and store. Riel ordered Schultz's home surrounded, and the outnumbered Canadians soon surrendered and were imprisoned in [[Upper Fort Garry]].<ref name=Thomas-1982/>

===Provisional government===
[[Image:ProvisionalMetisGovernment.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|right|The Métis provisional government]]

Hearing of the unrest, Ottawa sent three emissaries to the Red River, including HBC representative [[Donald Alexander Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal|Donald Alexander Smith]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia | first=Alexander |last=Reford |year=1998 | title =Smith, Donald Alexander, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal | volume=14 |encyclopedia=Dictionary of Canadian Biography | url =http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/smith_donald_alexander_14E.html }}</ref> While they were en route, the Métis National Committee declared a provisional government on 8 December, with Riel becoming its president on 27 December.<ref name=rrr>{{cite encyclopedia |first1=J. M. |last1=Bumsted |first2=Richard |last2=Foot | encyclopedia =The Canadian Encyclopedia | title =Red River Rebellion | date=22 November 2019 | url =https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/red-river-rebellion}}</ref>

Meetings between Riel and the Ottawa delegation took place on 5 and 6 January 1870. When these proved fruitless, Smith chose to present his case in a public forum. After large meetings on 19 and 20 January, Riel suggested the formation of a new convention split evenly between Francophone and Anglophone settlers to consider Smith's proposals. On 7 February, a new list of rights was presented to the Ottawa delegation, and Smith and Riel agreed to send representatives to Ottawa to engage in direct negotiations on that basis.<ref name=Thomas-1982/> The provisional government established by Riel published its own newspaper titled ''New Nation'' and established the [[Legislative Assembly of Assiniboia]] to pass laws.<ref name="newnation">{{Cite news|title=Local Laws|newspaper=New Nation|date=15 April 1870|page=3|volume=1|issue=18}}</ref> The Legislative Assembly of Assiniboia was the first elected government at the Red River Settlement and functioned from 9 March to 24 June 1870. The assembly had 28 elected representatives, including a president, Riel, an executive council (government cabinet), adjutant general (chief of military staff), chief justice and clerk.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Indigenous & Northern Relations|url=https://www.gov.mb.ca/inr/resources/the-legislative-assembly-of-assiniboia.html |title=Legislative Assembly of Assiniboia|accessdate=6 March 2021}}</ref>

===Thomas Scott's execution===
Despite the progress on the political front, the Canadian party continued to plot against the provisional government. They attempted to recruit supporters to overthrow Riel. However, they suffered a setback on 17 February, when forty-eight men, including Boulton and [[Thomas Scott (Orangeman)|Thomas Scott]], were arrested near Fort Garry.<ref name=Thomas-1982/>

[[Image:ShootingThomasScott.jpg|thumb|This fictionalized depiction of Scott's execution in the ''Canadian Illustrated News'' was "conceived in the context of heightened partisanship" and "helped inflame anti-Métis sentiment".<ref name=Dick>{{Cite journal |last= Dick |first= Lyle |title=Nationalism and Visual Media in Canada: The Case of Thomas Scott's Execution |journal=Manitoba History |volume =48 |issue=Autumn/Winter |pages=2–18 |url=http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/48/nationalism.shtml|date=2004–2005}}</ref>]]
Boulton was tried by a tribunal headed by [[Ambroise-Dydime Lépine]] and sentenced to death for his interference with the provisional government.<ref>{{harvnb|Salhany|2020|p=25}}</ref><ref name=Belanger-Scott>{{cite encyclopedia | last=Bélanger |first= Claude | publisher=Marianopolis College |encyclopedia=The Quebec History Encyclopedia | year =2007 |url =http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/QuebecHistory/readings/ThemurderofThomasScott.html |title=The 'Murder' of Thomas Scott}}</ref> He was pardoned, but Scott interpreted this as weakness by the Métis, who he regarded with open contempt.<ref name=Thomas-1982/> After Scott repeatedly quarreled with his guards, they insisted that he be tried for insubordination. At his court martial he was found guilty and was sentenced to death. Riel was repeatedly entreated to commute the sentence, but responded, "I have done three good things since I have commenced: I have spared Boulton's life at your instance, I pardoned Gaddy, and now I shall shoot Scott."<ref>{{harvnb|Boulton|1985|page =51}}</ref>

Scott was soon executed by a Métis firing squad on 4 March.<ref name="Bumsted 2000 p. 3">{{harvnb|Bumsted|2000|page=3}}</ref> Riel's motivations have been the cause of much speculation, but his justification was that he felt it necessary to demonstrate to the Canadians that the Métis must be taken seriously. Protestant Canada did take notice, swore revenge, and set up a "[[Canada First]]" movement to mobilize their anger.<ref>{{harvnb|Anastakis|2015|page=27}}</ref><ref name=Dick/> Riel biographer Lewis H. Thomas noted that "as people then and later have said, it was Riel's one great political blunder".<ref name=Thomas-1982/>

===Creation of Manitoba and the Wolseley expedition===
The delegates representing the provisional government arrived in Ottawa in April. Although they initially met with legal difficulties arising from the execution of Scott, they soon entered into direct talks with Macdonald and [[George-Étienne Cartier]]. The parties agreed on several of the demands in the list of rights, including language, religious, and land rights (excepting ownership of public lands). This agreement formed the basis for the [[Manitoba Act]], which formally admitted Manitoba into the Canadian confederation; the Legislative Assembly of Assiniboia unanimously supported joining. However, the negotiators could not secure a general [[amnesty]] for the provisional government; Cartier held that this was a question for the British government.<ref name=Thomas-1982/><ref>{{cite journal|first=Thomas |last=Berger|title=The Manitoba Metis Decision and the Uses of History |url=https://www.canlii.org/en/commentary/doc/2014CanLIIDocs265|journal=Manitoba Law Journal |volume=38|issue= 1 |year=2015|pages=1–28  |doi=10.29173/mlj920 }}</ref>

As a means of exercising Canadian authority in the settlement and dissuading [[Manifest Destiny|American expansionists]], a Canadian [[Wolseley Expedition|military expedition]] under Colonel [[Garnet Wolseley]] was dispatched to the Red River. Although the government described it as an "errand of peace", Riel learned that [[Colonial Militia in Canada|Canadian militia]] elements in the expedition meant to [[lynching|lynch]] him.<ref name=Thomas-1982/>

==Intervening years==

===Amnesty question===
It was not until 2 September 1870 that the new Lieutenant-governor [[Adams George Archibald]] arrived and set about the establishment of civil government.<ref>{{cite journal | last =Bowles | first =Richard S. | journal =MHS Transactions |volume=3 |issue=25 | title =Adams George Archibald, First Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba | year =1968 | url =http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/transactions/3/archibald_ag.shtml}}</ref> Without an amnesty, and with the Canadian militia threatening his life, Riel fled to the safety of the St. Joseph's mission across the Canada–US border in the [[Dakota Territory]].<ref name="Huel-2003-117">{{harvnb |Huel | 2003 | page=117}}</ref> The results of the first provincial election in December 1870 were promising for Riel, as many of his supporters came to power. Nevertheless, stress and financial troubles precipitated a serious illness—perhaps a harbinger of his future mental afflictions—that prevented his return to Manitoba until May 1871.<ref name=Thomas-1982/>
[[Image:LouisRielPortrait2.jpg|thumb|left|Louis Riel circa 1875]]
The settlement now faced a possible threat, from cross-border [[Fenian raids#Pembina Raid (1871)|Fenian raids]] coordinated by his former associate [[William Bernard O'Donoghue]].<ref name=swan>{{Cite journal |first1=Ruth |last1=Swan |first2=Edward A. |last2=Jerome |title='Unequal justice:' The Metis in O'Donoghue's Raid of 1871 |journal=Manitoba History |year=2000 |number=39 Spring / Summer |url=http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/39/unequaljustice.shtml }}</ref> Archibald issued a call to arms in October, and assured Riel that if he participated he would not be arrested. Riel organized several companies of Métis troops for the defense of Manitoba. When Archibald reviewed the troops in St. Boniface, he made the significant gesture of publicly shaking Riel's hand, signaling that a rapprochement had been effected.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/new-province-old-hatred-recriminations-after-the-resistance-571707372.html|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|last=Brodbeck|first=Tom|title=Métis stepped up for Crown, got stepped on for their trouble|date=10 July 2020}}</ref><ref name=swan/><ref name=Thomas-1982/>

When this news reached Ontario, Mair and members of the Canada First movement whipped up anti-Riel (and anti-Archibald) sentiment. With Federal elections coming in 1872, Macdonald could ill afford further rift in Quebec–Ontario relations and so he did not offer an amnesty. Instead he quietly arranged for Taché to offer Riel a bribe of [[Canadian dollars|C$]]1,000 to remain in voluntary exile. This was supplemented by an additional [[Pound Sterling|£]]600 from Smith for the care of Riel's family.<ref>{{harvnb|Gwyn|2011|pages=150–151}}</ref><ref name=Thomas-1982/>

Nevertheless, by late June, Riel was back in Manitoba and was soon persuaded to run as a Member of Parliament in the riding of [[Provencher]]. However, following the early September defeat of George-Étienne Cartier in his home riding in Quebec, Riel stood aside so that Cartier — on record as being in favour of amnesty for Riel — might secure a seat in Provencher. While Cartier won by acclamation, Riel's hopes for a swift resolution to the amnesty question were dashed following Cartier's death on 20 May 1873. In the ensuing by-election in October 1873, Riel ran unopposed as an Independent, although he had fled, a warrant having been issued for his arrest in September. Meanwhile Lépine was not so lucky; he was captured and faced trial.<ref name=Thomas-1982/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/theme_cartier.html?project_id=62&p=15|website=Dictionary of Canadian Biography|title=Relations with First Nations and Métis|accessdate=3 April 2021}}</ref>

Riel made his way to Montreal and, fearing arrest or assassination, vacillated as to whether or not he should attempt to take up his seat in the [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]]—[[Edward Blake]], the [[Premier of Ontario]], had announced a bounty of $5,000 for his capture.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Virtual Museum |url=http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/sgc-cms/expositions-exhibitions/batoche/docs/proof_en_riel_bio.pdf |title=Louis Riel (1844–1885): Biography |accessdate=6 March 2021 |archive-date=31 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200331135925/http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/sgc-cms/expositions-exhibitions/batoche/docs/proof_en_riel_bio.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=Thomas-1982/> Riel was the only Member of Parliament who was not present for the great [[Pacific Scandal]] debate of 1873 that led to the resignation of the Macdonald government in November. [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] leader [[Alexander Mackenzie (politician)|Alexander Mackenzie]] became the [[Prime Minister of Canada|prime minister]]. In [[1874 Canadian federal election|a general election in January 1874]], his party received a majority of seats in the House of Commons and he formed a government. Riel ran in Provencher and was easily re-elected. To take his seat, Riel had to sign a register book at least once upon being elected, and he did so under disguise in late January. He was nevertheless stricken from the rolls following a motion supported by Schultz, who had been elected the MP for the riding of [[Lisgar (electoral district)|Lisgar]].  

Riel ran as  candidate again in the resulting by-election and won again. He was again expelled from the House of Commons.<ref>{{cite web | last1 =Marleau | first1 =Robert | last2 =Montpetit | first2 =Camille | publisher = Parliament of Canada | work =House of Commons Procedure and Practice |title=The House of Commons and Its Members – Notes 351–373 | year =2000 | url =http://www.parl.gc.ca/MarleauMontpetit/DocumentViewer.aspx?Sec=Ch04&Seq=23&Lang=E }}</ref><ref name=Thomas-1982/><ref>{{harvnb|Tolton|2011|p=19}}</ref>

===Exile and mental illness===
During this period, Riel had been staying with the [[Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate|Oblate fathers]] in [[Plattsburgh (town), New York|Plattsburgh]], [[New York (state)|New York]], who introduced him to parish priest Fabien Martin ''[[Dit name|dit]]'' Barnabé in the nearby village of [[Keeseville, New York|Keeseville]]. It was here that he received news of Lépine's fate: following his trial for the murder of Scott, which had begun on 13 October 1874, Lépine was found guilty and sentenced to death. This sparked outrage in the sympathetic Quebec press, and calls for amnesty for both Lépine and Riel were renewed. This presented a severe political difficulty for Mackenzie, who was hopelessly caught between the demands of Quebec and Ontario. However, a solution was forthcoming when, acting on his own initiative, the [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]] [[Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava|Lord Dufferin]] commuted Lépine's sentence in January 1875. This opened the door for Mackenzie to secure from parliament an amnesty for Riel, on the condition that he remain in exile for five years.<ref name=Stanley-2013/><ref name=Thomas-1982/>

During his time of exile, Riel was primarily concerned with religion rather than politics. Much of these emerging religious beliefs were based on a supportive letter dated 14 July 1875 that he received from Montreal's Bishop [[Ignace Bourget]]. His mental state deteriorated, and following a violent outburst he was taken to Montreal, where he was under the care of his uncle, John Lee, for a few months. But after Riel disrupted a religious service, Lee arranged to have him committed in an asylum in [[Longue-Pointe]] on 6 March 1876 under the assumed name "Louis R. David".<ref name=Stanley-2013/><ref name=Thomas-1982/> Fearing discovery, his doctors soon transferred him to the Beauport Asylum near [[Quebec City]] under the name "Louis Larochelle".<ref name=cbc-rethinking-lr>{{Cite news | title =Rethinking Riel – Was Louis Riel Mentally Ill? |publisher= CBC |year=2006 | url =https://www.cbc.ca/archives/topic/rethinking-riel}}</ref> While he suffered from sporadic irrational outbursts, he continued his religious writing, composing theological tracts with an admixture of Christian and Judaic ideas.<ref name=Thomas-1982/> He consequently began calling himself "Louis David Riel, Prophet, Infallible Pontiff and Priest King".<ref name=littmann/>

Nevertheless, he slowly recovered, and was released from the asylum on 23 January 1878 with an admonition to lead a quiet life. He returned for a time to Keeseville, where he became involved in a passionate romance with Evelina Martin ''dite'' Barnabé, sister of Father Fabien.<ref Name=Thomas-1982/> He asked her to marry him before moving west "with the avowed intention of establishing himself" before sending for her; however, their correspondence ended abruptly.<ref name=romantic>{{cite journal|last1=Campbell|first1=Glen|last2=Flanagan|first2=Tom|title=Louis Riel's romantic interests|journal=Manitoba History|issue=90|date=Fall 2019|pages=2–12}}</ref>

===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/>

==North-West Rebellion==
{{Main|North-West Rebellion}}
[[File:LouisRiel1885.jpg|thumb|upright|Riel in 1882]]
Following the Red River Resistance, Métis travelled west and settled in the [[Saskatchewan Valley]]. But by the 1880s, the rapid collapse of the buffalo herd was causing near starvation among the First Nations. This was exacerbated by a reduction in government assistance, and by a general failure of Ottawa to live up to its treaty obligations. The Métis were likewise obliged to give up the hunt and take up agriculture—but this transition was accompanied by complex issues surrounding land claims similar to those that had previously arisen in Manitoba. Moreover, settlers from Europe and the eastern provinces were also moving into the Saskatchewan territories, and they too had complaints related to the administration of the territories. Virtually all parties therefore had grievances, and by 1884 Anglophone settlers, [[Anglo-Métis]] and Métis communities were holding meetings and petitioning a largely unresponsive government for redress.<ref name=beal/><ref name=atlas>{{cite web|url=https://indigenouspeoplesatlasofcanada.ca/article/1885-northwest-resistance/|title=1885 Northwest Resistance|work=Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada|accessdate=6 March 2021}}</ref>

In the electoral district of [[Lorne (N.W.T. electoral district)|Lorne]], a meeting of the south branch Métis was held in the village of [[Batoche, Saskatchewan|Batoche]] on 24 March, and representatives voted to ask Riel to return and represent their cause. On 6 May a joint "Settler's Union" meeting was attended by both the Métis and English-speaking representatives from [[Prince Albert, Saskatchewan|Prince Albert]], including [[Honoré Jackson|William Henry Jackson]], an Ontario settler sympathetic to the Métis and known to them as Honoré Jackson, and [[James Isbister]] of the Anglo-Métis.<ref>{{cite journal|last =Flanagan |first =Thomas |title =Louis Riel's Land Claims |journal=Manitoba History |year=1991 |volume=21 |issue= Spring |url =http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/21/riellandclaims.shtml }}</ref> It was here resolved to send a delegation to ask Riel to return.<ref name=atlas/>

===Return of Riel===
The head of the delegation to Riel was [[Gabriel Dumont (Métis leader)|Gabriel Dumont]], a respected buffalo hunter and leader of the Saint-Laurent Métis who had known Riel in Manitoba.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |first=Adam |last=Gaudry | encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia | title =Gabriel Dumont | date=9 September 2019 | url =http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/dumont-gabriel/}}</ref> James Isbister<ref>{{cite encyclopedia | first=David |last=Smyth |year=1998 | title = Isbister, James |encyclopedia=Dictionary of Canadian Biography | url = http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/isbister_james_14E.html | volume = 14 }}</ref> was the lone Anglo-Métis delegate. Riel was easily swayed to support their cause. Riel also intended to use the new position of influence to pursue his own land claims in Manitoba.<ref name=Thomas-1982/>

Upon his arrival Métis and Anglophone settlers alike formed an initially favourable impression of Riel following a series of speeches in which he advocated moderation and a reasoned approach. During June 1884, the Plains Cree leaders [[Big Bear]] and [[Poundmaker]] were independently formulating their complaints, and subsequently held meetings with Riel. However, the Native grievances were quite different from those of the settlers, and nothing was resolved.<ref name=Thomas-1982/>

Honoré Jackson and representatives of other communities set about drafting a petition to be sent to Ottawa. In the interim, Riel's support began to waver. As Riel's religious pronouncements became increasingly heretical, the clergy distanced themselves, and father [[Alexis André]] cautioned Riel against mixing religion and politics. In response to bribes by territorial [[lieutenant-governor]] and Indian commissioner [[Edgar Dewdney]], local English-language newspapers adopted an editorial stance critical of Riel.<ref name=Thomas-1982/>

Nevertheless, Riel's campaign for better treatment continued, and on 16 December Riel forwarded the committee's petition to the government, along with the suggestion that delegates be sent to Ottawa to engage in direct negotiation. Receipt of the petition was acknowledged by [[Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau]], Macdonald's Secretary of State, although Macdonald himself would later deny having ever seen it.<ref name=Thomas-1982/> By then many original followers had left; only 250 remained at Batoche when it fell in May 1885.<ref>{{harvnb|Miller|2004|page=[https://archive.org/details/reflectionsonnat0000mill/page/44 44]}}</ref>

While Riel awaited response from Ottawa he considered returning to Montana, but had by February resolved to stay. Without a productive course of action, Riel began to engage in obsessive prayer, and was experiencing a significant relapse of his mental agitations. He publicly espoused an increasingly [[Christian heresy|heretical]] doctrine, causing a deterioration in his relationship with the Catholic clergy.<ref name=Thomas-1982/>

On 11 February 1885, the Métis received a response to their petition. The government proposed to take a census of the North-West Territories, and to form a commission to investigate grievances. This angered a faction of the Métis who saw it as a mere delaying tactic; they favoured taking up arms at once. Riel became the leader of this faction, but he lost the support of almost all Anglophones and Anglo-Métis, and the Catholic Church.<ref name=shsba/> He also lost the support of the Métis faction supporting local leader [[Charles Nolin]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |first=Diane P. |last=Payment |title =Nolin, Charles |volume=13 |url =http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/nolin_charles_13E.html |encyclopedia= Dictionary of Canadian Biography |year=1994 }}</ref> But Riel, undoubtedly influenced by his messianic delusions,<ref>{{Cite journal |last= Dumontet |first= Monique |year=1994 |title= Essay 16 Controversy in the Commemoration of Louis Riel |url=http://canadianpoetry.org/mnemographia_canadensis/volume2/essay_16.html |journal=Mnemographia Canadensis |volume=2 }}</ref> became increasingly supportive of this course of action. Disenchanted with the status quo, and swayed by Riel's charisma and eloquent rhetoric, hundreds of Métis remained loyal to Riel, despite his proclamations that Bishop Ignace Bourget should be accepted as pope, and that "Rome has fallen".<ref name=Thomas-1982/><ref name=cbc-rethinking-lr/>

===Open rebellion===
The [[Provisional Government of Saskatchewan]] was declared at Batoche on 19 March. Riel was the political and spiritual leader and Dumont assumed responsibility for military affairs.<ref name=atlas/><ref name=falcon>{{cite journal|url=http://www.journal.forces.gc.ca/vol14/no4/PDF/CMJ144Ep54.pdf|last=Ouellette|first=Robert-Falcon|title=The Second Métis War of 1885: A Case Study of Non-Commissioned Member Training and the Intermediate Leadership Program|journal=Canadian Military Journal|volume=14|issue=4|date=Autumn 2014|pages=54–65}}</ref><ref name=Thomas-1982/> Riel formed a council called the [[Exovedate]] (a [[neologism]] meaning "those who picked from the flock").<ref name=Thomas-1982/> On 21 March, Riel's emissaries demanded that Crozier surrender [[Fort Carlton]].<ref name=falcon/> Scouting near Duck Lake on 26 March, a force led by Gabriel Dumont unexpectedly chanced upon a party from Fort Carlton. In the ensuing [[Battle of Duck Lake]], the police were routed and the [[North-West Rebellion]] was begun in earnest.<ref name=falcon/><ref name=shsba/>

The near-completion of the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] allowed troops from eastern Canada to quickly arrive in the territory.<ref name=oosterom>{{cite web|url=https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/first-nations-inuit-metis/shifting-riel-ity-the-1885-north-west-rebellion|website=Canada's History|title=Shifting Riel-ity: The 1885 North-West Rebellion|first1=Keith |last1=Foster|first2=Nelle|last2= Oosterom|date=13 February 2014}}</ref> Knowing that he could not defeat the Canadians in direct confrontation, Dumont had hoped to force the Canadians to negotiate by engaging in a sustained campaign of [[guerrilla warfare]]; Dumont realized a modest success along these lines at the [[Battle of Fish Creek]] on 24 April 1885.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Virtual Museum|url=http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/sgc-cms/expositions-exhibitions/batoche/docs/proof_en_battle_of_fish_creek.pdf|title= The Battle of Fish Creek (April 23, 1885)|accessdate=6 March 2021}}</ref> 

Riel, however, insisted on concentrating forces at Batoche to defend his "city of God".<ref name=Thomas-1982/> The outcome of the ensuing [[Battle of Batoche]] which took place from 9 to 12 May<ref name=beal>{{cite encyclopedia |first1=Bob |last1=Beal |first2=Rod |last2=MacLeod |first3=Richard |last3=Foot | title =North-West Rebellion | encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia | date=30 July 2019 | url =http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/north-west-rebellion }}</ref> was never in doubt, and on 15 May a disheveled Riel surrendered to Canadian forces.<ref name=Thomas-1982/> Although Big Bear's forces managed to hold out until the [[Battle of Loon Lake]] on 3 June,<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |first=Stewart |last=Mein |title=North-West Resistance |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan |year=2006 |url=https://esask.uregina.ca/entry/north-west_resistance.jsp |archive-date=13 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613020711/https://esask.uregina.ca/entry/north-west_resistance.jsp |url-status=dead }}</ref> the Rebellion was a dismal failure for Indigenous communities.<ref name=beal/>
==Trial==
{{Main|Trial of Louis Riel}}
[[Image:Louis Riel addressing the jury during his trial for treason (cropped) MIKAN 3192595.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Louis Riel testifies at his trial]]
[[File:1884 Regina Court House.jpg|thumb|Regina courthouse, 1884]]
Several individuals closely tied to the government requested that the trial be held in Winnipeg in July 1885. Some historians contend that the trial was moved to Regina because of concerns with the possibility of an ethnically mixed and sympathetic jury.<ref>{{harvnb|Basson|2008|page=66}}</ref> Prime Minister Macdonald ordered the trial to be convened in [[Regina, Saskatchewan|Regina]], where Riel was tried before a jury of six Anglophone Protestants. The trial began on 20 July 1885.<ref name=Thomas-1982/>

Riel delivered two long speeches during his trial, defending his own actions and affirming the rights of the Métis people. He rejected his lawyers' attempt to argue that he was [[Insanity defence|not guilty by reason of insanity]]. The jury found him guilty but recommended mercy; nonetheless, Judge [[Hugh Richardson (magistrate)|Hugh Richardson]] sentenced him to death on 1 August 1885, with the date of his execution initially set for 18 September 1885.<ref name=Thomas-1982/> "We tried Riel for treason," one juror later said, "And he was hanged for the murder of Scott."<ref>{{harvnb|Stanley|1979|page= 23}}</ref> Lewis Thomas notes that "the government's conduct of the case was to be a travesty of justice".<ref name=Thomas-1982/>

==Execution==
Boulton wrote in his memoirs that, as the date of his execution approached, Riel regretted his opposition to the defence of insanity and vainly attempted to provide evidence that he was not sane.<ref name=littmann>{{cite journal |first=S.K.|last=Littmann|year=1978|title=A Pathography of Louis Riel |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/070674377802300706 |journal= Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal|volume= 23|issue=7|pages=449–462|doi=10.1177/070674377802300706|pmid=361196}}</ref><ref name=Boulton-1886-411>{{harvnb|Boulton|1886|loc=[http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/1347/431.html p. 411]}}</ref> Requests for a retrial, petitions for a commuted sentence, and an appeal to the [[Judicial Committee of the Privy Council]] in Britain were denied.<ref name=Thomas-1982/> John A. Macdonald, who was instrumental in upholding Riel's sentence, is reported to have said "He shall hang though every dog in Quebec bark in his favour" (although the veracity of this quote is uncertain).<ref>{{harvnb|Gwyn|2011|p=469}}</ref>

Before his execution, Riel received Father André as his spiritual advisor. He was also given writing materials and allowed to correspond with friends and relatives.<ref>{{cite web|first=W.O.|last=Mitchell|date=15 February 1952|title=The Riddle of Louis Riel: Conclusion|work=Maclean's|url=https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1952/2/15/the-riddle-of-louis-riel|archive-date=20 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920091923/https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1952/2/15/the-riddle-of-louis-riel|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was [[hanging|hanged]] for treason on 16  November 1885 at the North-West Mounted Police barracks in Regina.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Library and Archives Canada|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/politics-government/canadian-confederation/Pages/louis-riel.aspx |title=Louis Riel (October 22, 1844 – November 16, 1885)|accessdate=7 March 2021}}</ref>

[[Image:LouisRielTombstone.jpg|right|thumb|Riel's tombstone at the St. Boniface Cathedral in Winnipeg]]
Boulton writes of Riel's final moments:

<blockquote> Père André, after explaining to Riel that the end was at hand, asked him if he was at peace with men. Riel answered ''"Yes."'' The next question was, "Do you forgive all your enemies?" "Yes." Riel then asked him if he might speak. Father André advised him not to do so. He then received the kiss of peace from both the priests, and Father André exclaimed in French, "{{lang|fr|Alors, allez au ciel!}}" meaning "So, go to heaven!"<ref>{{harvnb|Boulton|1886|loc=[http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/1347/433.html p. 413]}}</ref>

&nbsp;... [Riel's] last words were to say good-bye to Dr. Jukes and thank him for his kindness, and just before the white cap was pulled over his face he said, "{{lang|fr|Remerciez Madame Forget.}}" meaning "Thank Mrs. Forget".<ref name=Boulton-1886-414>{{harvnb|Boulton|1886|loc=[http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/1347/434.html p. 414]}}</ref>

The cap was pulled down, and while he was praying the trap was pulled. Death was not instantaneous. Riel's pulse ceased four minutes after the trap-door fell and during that time the rope around his neck slowly strangled and choked him to death. The body was to have been interred inside the gallows' enclosure, and the grave was commenced, but an order came from the Lieutenant-Governor to hand the body over to Sheriff Chapleau which was accordingly done that night.<ref name=Boulton-1886-414/></blockquote>

Following the execution, Riel's body was returned to his mother's home in [[St. Vital, Manitoba|St. Vital]], where it lay in state. On 12 December 1886, his remains were interred in the churchyard of the [[Saint-Boniface Cathedral]] following the celebration of a [[requiem mass]].<ref name=shsba/>

The trial and execution of Riel caused a bitter and prolonged reaction which convulsed Canadian politics for decades. The execution was both supported and opposed by the provinces. For example, conservative Ontario strongly supported Riel's execution, but Quebec was vehemently opposed to it. Francophones were upset Riel was hanged because they thought his execution was a symbol of Anglophone dominance of Canada. The Orange Irish Protestant element in Ontario had demanded the execution as the punishment for Riel's treason and his execution of Thomas Scott in 1870. In Quebec, the politician [[Honoré Mercier]] rose to power by mobilizing the opposition in 1886.<ref name=Stanley-2013/><ref>{{harvnb|Stewart|2002|page=156}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1= Read |first1= Geoff |last2=Webb |first2= Todd | title='The Catholic Mahdi of the North West': Louis Riel and the Metis Resistance in Transatlantic and Imperial Context |journal= Canadian Historical Review |year=2012 |volume= 93 | issue=2 |pages= 171–195 |doi=10.3138/chr.93.2.171}}</ref>

==Historiography==
[[File:Louis Riel stamp Canada 1970.jpg|thumb|upright|1970 Canada stamp depicting Louis Riel]]
Historians have debated the Riel case so often and so passionately that he is the most written-about person in Canadian history.<ref>{{harvnb|Hamon|2019|p=14}}</ref> Interpretations have varied dramatically over time. The first amateur English language histories hailed the triumph of civilization, represented by English-speaking Protestants, over savagery represented by the half-breed Métis who were Catholic and spoke French. Riel was portrayed as an insane traitor and an obstacle to the expansion of Canada to the West.<ref>{{harvnb|Francis|Jones|Smith|2009|pages=306–307}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Sprague|1988|page= 1}}</ref>

By the mid-20th century academic historians had dropped the theme of savagery versus civilization, deemphasized the Métis, and focused on Riel, presenting his execution as a major cause of the bitter division in Canada along ethnocultural and geographical lines of religion and language. [[W. L. Morton]] says of the execution that it "convulsed the course of national politics for the next decade": it was well received in Ontario, particularly among [[Orange Order in Canada|Orangemen]], but francophone Quebec defended Riel as "the symbol, indeed as a hero of his race".<ref>{{harvnb|Morton|1963|page=371}}</ref> Morton concluded that some of Riel's positions were defensible, but that "they did not present a program of practical substance which the government might have granted without betrayal of its responsibilities".<ref>{{harvnb|Morton|1963|page=369}}</ref> J. M. Bumsted in 2000 said that for Manitoba historian James Jackson, the shooting of Scott—"perhaps the result of Riel's incipient madness—was the great blemish on Riel's achievement, depriving him of his proper role as the father of Manitoba."<ref>{{harvnb|Bumsted|2000|page=17}}</ref>
The Catholic clergy had originally supported the Métis, but reversed themselves when they realized that Riel was leading a heretical movement. They made sure that he was not honored as a martyr.<ref>{{harvnb|Perin|1990|page= 259}}</ref> However the clergy lost their influence during the [[Quiet Revolution]], and activists in Quebec found in Riel the perfect hero, with the image now of a freedom fighter who stood up for his people against an oppressive government in the face of widespread racist bigotry. He was made a folk hero by Métis, French Canadian and other Canadian minorities. Activists who espoused violence embraced his image; in the 1960s, the Quebec terrorist group, the [[Front de libération du Québec]] adopted the name "Louis Riel" for one of its [[terrorist cell]]s.<ref>{{harvnb|Saywell|1973|page=94}}</ref>

Across Canada there emerged a new interpretation of reality in his rebellion, holding that the Métis had major unresolved grievances; that the government was indeed unresponsive; that Riel had chosen violence only as a last resort; and he was given a questionable trial, then executed by a vengeful government.<ref name=Flanagan-2000-x>{{harvnb|Flanagan|2000|page=x}}</ref> John Foster said in 1985 that "the interpretive drift of the last half-century ... has witnessed increasingly shrill though frequently uncritical condemnations of Canadian government culpability and equally uncritical identification with the "victimization" of the "innocent" Métis".<ref>{{Cite journal |first=John E. |last=Foster   |title=Review of Riel and the Rebellion 1885 Reconsidered By Thomas Flanagan |journal=Great Plains Quarterly |year=1985 |volume=5 |issue=4 |pages=259–260 |url=http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/greatplainsquarterly/1835 }}</ref> However, political scientist [[Tom Flanagan (political scientist)|Thomas Flanagan]] reversed his views after editing Riel's writings: he argued that "the Métis grievances were at least partly of their own making", that Riel's violent approach was unnecessary given the government's response to his initial "constitutional agitation", and "that he received a surprisingly fair trial".<ref name=Flanagan-2000-x/>

An article by Doug Owram appearing in the ''[[Canadian Historical Review]]'' in 1982 found that Riel had become "a Canadian folk hero", even "mythical", in English Canada, corresponding with the designation of Batoche as a national historic site and the compilation of his writings.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Owram|first=Douglas|title=The Myth of Louis Riel|journal=The Canadian Historical Review|volume= 63 |issue= 3|year= 1982|pages= 315–336|doi=10.3138/CHR-063-03-01}}</ref> That compilation consisted of three volumes of letters, diaries, and other prose writings; a fourth volume of his poetry; and a fifth volume which contained reference materials.<ref>{{harvnb|Stanley|Huel|Martel|Flanagan|Campbell|1985}}</ref> Edited by [[George Stanley]], Raymond Huel, Gilles Martel, Thomas Flanagan and Glen Campbell, this work "ma[de] it possible to think comprehensively about Riel's life and his achievements", but was also criticized for some of its editorial decisions.<ref>{{harvnb|Hamon|2019|p=15}}</ref> In a 2010 speech, [[Beverley McLachlin]], then [[Chief Justice of Canada]], summed up Riel as being a rebel by the standards of the time but a patriot "viewed through our modern lens".<ref>{{cite journal|title=Louis Riel: Patriot Rebel|last=McLachlin|first=Beverley|url=https://www.canlii.org/w/canlii/2011CanLIIDocs238.pdf|journal=Manitoba Law Journal|year=2011|volume=35|issue=1|pages=1–13}}</ref>

==Legacy==
The Saskatchewan Métis' requested land grants were all provided by the government by the end of 1887,<ref>{{harvnb|Flanagan|2000|p=82}}</ref> and the government resurveyed the Métis river lots in accordance with their wishes.<ref>{{harvnb|Flanagan|2000|p=60}}</ref> However, much of the land was soon bought by speculators who later turned huge profits from it.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/metis-scrip-in-canada|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|title=Métis Scrip in Canada|last=Robinson|first=Amanda|date=6 November 2018}}</ref> Riel's worst fears were realized—following the failed rebellion, the French language and Roman Catholic religion faced increasing marginalization in both Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as exemplified by the controversy surrounding the [[Manitoba Schools Question]].<ref>{{harvnb|Godbout|2020|pp=151–154}}</ref> The Métis themselves were increasingly forced to live in shantytowns on undesirable land.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://digital.scaa.sk.ca/ourlegacy/exhibit_aftermath|title=1885 – Aftermath|website=Our Legacy|accessdate=4 April 2021}}</ref> Saskatchewan did not become a province until 1905.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/saskatchewan-and-confederation|title=Saskatchewan and Confederation|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|last=Tattrie|first=Jon|date=3 February 2015}}</ref>

Riel's execution and Macdonald's refusal to commute his sentence caused lasting discord in Quebec. Honoré Mercier exploited the discontent to reconstitute the [[Parti National]]. This party, which promoted [[Quebec nationalism]], won a majority in the [[1886 Quebec election]].<ref>{{harvnb|Godbout|2020|p=152}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/parti-national|title=Parti national|date=19 February 2014|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia}}</ref> The [[1887 Canadian federal election|federal election of 1887]] likewise saw significant gains by the federal Liberals. This led to the victory of the Liberal party under [[Wilfrid Laurier]] in the [[1896 Canadian federal election|federal election of 1896]], which in turn set the stage for the domination of Canadian federal politics (particularly in Quebec) by the Liberal party in the 20th century.<ref>{{harvnb|Godbout|2020|p=153}}</ref><ref name=Thomas-1982/>

Since the 1980s, numerous federal politicians have introduced [[private member's bill]]s seeking to pardon Riel or recognize him as a [[Father of Confederation]].{{sfn|Reid|2008|p=4}} In 1992, the House of Commons passed a resolution recognizing "the unique and historic role of Louis Riel as a founder of Manitoba and his contribution in the development of Confederation".<ref name=Flanagan-2000-179>{{harvnb|Flanagan|2000|page=179}}</ref>{{sfn|Reid|2008|p=4}} The CBC's ''[[The Greatest Canadian|Greatest Canadian]]'' project ranked Riel as the 11th "Greatest Canadian" on the basis of a public vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/and-the-greatest-canadian-of-all-time-is|publisher=CBC|title=And the Greatest Canadian of all time is...|accessdate=6 April 2021}}</ref>

On 19 February 2024, Riel was formally recognized as Manitoba's first premier by virtue of ''The Louis Riel Act''.<ref>{{cite news | last=Buffie | first=Nicole | date=19 February 2024 | title=Riel Formally Recognized as First Premier | url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/02/19/riel-formally-recognized-as-first-premier | work=Winnipeg Free Press}}</ref>

===Commemorations===
{{multiple image
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 | caption2 = "Tortured" Louis Riel statue at the [[Université de Saint-Boniface]]
}}
In 2007, Manitoba's provincial government voted to recognize [[Louis Riel Day]] as a provincial holiday, observed on the third Monday of February.{{sfn|Reid|2008|p=5}}<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Government of Manitoba|url=https://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/standards/doc,gen-holidays-after-april-30-07,factsheet.html |title=Louis Riel Day holiday (3rd Mon. in Feb.)|accessdate=6 March 2021}}</ref>

Two statues of Riel are located in Winnipeg. One of these statues, the work of architect [[Étienne Gaboury]] and sculptor [[Marcien Lemay]], depicts Riel as a naked and tortured figure. It was unveiled in 1971 and stood in the grounds of the [[Manitoba Legislative Building]] for 23 years. After much outcry (especially from the Métis community) that the statue was an undignified misrepresentation, the statue was removed and placed at the [[Université de Saint-Boniface]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.winnipegarchitecture.ca/louis-riel-statue/|title=Louis Riel Statue|publisher=Winnipeg Architecture Foundation|accessdate=4 April 2021}}</ref><ref name=bower>{{cite journal |last = Bower |first =Shannon |title ="Practical Results": The Riel Statue Controversy at the Manitoba Legislative Building | journal=Manitoba History |volume=42 |issue=Autumn / Winter 2001–2002 |year=2001 |url=http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/42/rielstatue.shtml  }}</ref> It was replaced with a [[Louis Riel (sculpture)|statue of Riel]] designed by [[Miguel Joyal]] depicting Riel as a dignified statesman. The unveiling ceremony was on 12 May 1996, in Winnipeg.<ref name="proceeedings">{{cite book|year=1996| title=Hansard Debates for Friday, November 22, 1996 | chapter=Private Members' Business regarding An Act to Revoke the Conviction of Louis David Riel – Bill C297| publisher =House Publications Parliament of Canada | chapter-url =https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/35-2/house/sitting-105/hansard#105PB1E.html }}</ref><ref name=bower/> A statue of Riel on the grounds of the [[Saskatchewan Legislative Building]] in Regina was installed and later removed for similar reasons.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Beatty |first=Greg |title=Kim Morgan: Antsee|journal= Espace Sculpture |date=Winter 2003–2004 |issue=66 |page=42 |url=https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/espace/2003-n66-espace1049207/9041ac.pdf}}</ref>

In numerous communities across Canada, Riel is commemorated in the names of streets, schools, neighbourhoods, and other buildings. Examples in Winnipeg include the landmark [[Esplanade Riel]] pedestrian bridge linking old Saint-Boniface with [[Downtown Winnipeg]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://corridorcanada.ca/resource/pont-esplanade-louis-riel-a-winnipeg/?lang=en|website=Le Corridor|title=Winnipeg's Esplanade Riel: A magnificent bridge connecting people and cultures|accessdate=4 April 2021}}</ref> and the [[Louis Riel School Division]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lrsd.net/News/Pages/Our-history---a-look-back.aspx|publisher=Louis Riel School Division|title=Our history: a look back|date=18 August 2014|archivedate=15 December 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215083628/https://www.lrsd.net/News/Pages/Our-history---a-look-back.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> The student centre at the [[University of Saskatchewan]] in Saskatoon is named after Riel, as is the [[Louis Riel Trail]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=University of Saskatchewan|url=http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/uofs_events/articles/1980.php |title=Place Riel opens|accessdate=4 April 2021}}</ref> There are schools named after Riel in four major Canadian cities: [[Calgary]], [[Montreal]], [[Ottawa]] and Winnipeg.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://school.cbe.ab.ca/school/louisriel/Pages/default.aspx|title=Louis Riel School|publisher=Calgary Board of Education|accessdate=6 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://louis-riel.cssdm.gouv.qc.ca/|title=École secondaire Louis-Riel|publisher=Ministère de l'Éducation et de l'Enseignement supérieur|accessdate=21 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = École secondaire publique Louis-Riel | url = http://www.louis-riel.cepeo.on.ca/ |publisher=Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario|accessdate=6 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://clr.dsfm.mb.ca/notre-histoire/|accessdate=24 June 2021|publisher=Division scolaire franco-manitobaine|title=Notre histoire|archive-date=24 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624233451/https://clr.dsfm.mb.ca/notre-histoire/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Portrayals of Riel's role in the Red River Resistance include the 1979 [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] television film ''Riel''<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/01/threeviewsofriel.shtml|journal=Manitoba History|issue=1|year=1981|last1=Walz|first1=Eugene|last2=Payment|first2=Diane|last3=Laroque|first3=Emma|title=Review: Three Views of Riel}}</ref> and Canadian [[cartoonist]] [[Chester Brown]]'s acclaimed 2003 [[graphic novel]] ''[[Louis Riel (comics)|Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography]]''.<ref>{{harvnb|Bell|2006|p=166}}</ref> An opera about Riel entitled ''[[Louis Riel (opera)|Louis Riel]]'' was commissioned for [[Canadian Centennial|Canada's centennial]] celebrations in 1967; it was written by [[Harry Somers]], with an English and French [[libretto]] by [[Mavor Moore]] and [[Jacques Languirand]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/louis-riel-emc|title=Louis Riel (opera)|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|last1=King|first1=Betty|last2=Winters|first2=Kenneth|date=20 April 2017}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Canada|Biographies}}
* [[History of Manitoba]]
* [[List of Canadians#First Nations leaders|List of Canadian First Nations leaders]]
* [[Métis National Council]]
* [[The Canadian Crown and Aboriginal peoples]]

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|20em}}

==References==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book|first=Dimitry |last=Anastakis|title=Death in the Peaceable Kingdom: Canadian History since 1867 through Murder, Execution, Assassination, and Suicide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YpsjCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA27|year=2015|publisher=University of Toronto Press|isbn=978-1442606364}}
* {{cite book|last=Basson|first=Lauren L.|title=White enough to be American?|year=2008|publisher=University of North Carolina Press|isbn=978-0-8078-5837-0}}
* {{cite book |last = Bell |first = John |author-link = John Bell (historian) |title = Invaders from the North: How Canada Conquered the Comic Book Universe |publisher  = [[Dundurn Press]] |year = 2006 |isbn = 978-1-55002-659-7 |url = https://archive.org/details/invadersfromnort0000bell}}
* {{Cite book |first=Charles Arkoll |last=Boulton |year=1886 |title=Reminiscences of the North-West Rebellions|url=http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/1347.html |publisher=Grip Printing & Publishing Co }}
* {{Cite book  |last=Boulton |first=Charles Arkoll  |editor-last=Robertson |editor-first=Heather | title =I Fought Riel | publisher =James Lorimer & Company | year =1985  |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zdE5PVWEarEC | isbn = 0-88862-935-4 }} 
* {{Cite book |last=Bumsted |first= J. M. |title=The Peoples of Canada: A Post-Confederation History |year=1992 |publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19-540914-0}}
* {{cite book|first=J. M. |last=Bumsted |title=Thomas Scott's Body: And Other Essays on Early Manitoba History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dGPa9ywV9ZIC&pg=PA17|year=2000|publisher=University of Manitoba Press |isbn=978-0887553875 }}
* {{Cite book | last=Flanagan |first=Thomas |title=Riel and the Rebellion: 1885 Reconsidered |edition=2nd |publisher=University of Toronto Press |isbn = 0802082823 |year=2000 }}
* {{cite book|editor1-first=R. Douglas |editor1-last=Francis |editor2-first=Richard |editor2-last=Jones|editor3-first=Donald B. |editor3-last=Smith|title=Journeys: A History of Canada|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GbbZRIOKclsC&pg=PA306|year=2009|publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-0176442446 }}
* {{cite book|last=Godbout|first= Jean-François|title= Lost on Division: Party Unity in the Canadian Parliament|publisher= University of Toronto Press|year= 2020|isbn=978-1487535421}}
* {{Cite book |first=Richard J. |last=Gwyn |title=Nation Maker: Sir John A. Macdonald: His Life, Our Times |year=2011 |volume=2 |series=Life and Times of Sir John A. Macdonald Series |publisher=Random House Canada |isbn=978-0307356444}}
* {{cite book|last=Hamon|first=Max|year=2019|title=The Audacity of His Enterprise: Louis Riel and the Métis Nation That Canada Never Was, 1840–1875|publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press|isbn=978-0773559370}}
* {{cite book | last=Huel | first=R.J.A. | title=Archbishop A.-A. Taché of St. Boniface: The "Good Fight" and the Illusive Vision | publisher=University of Alberta Press | series=Missionary Oblates Mary Immaculate | year=2003 | isbn=978-0-88864-406-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N8WJM9-kexMC&pg=PA117}}
* {{cite book|first=James Rodger |last=Miller|title=Reflections on Native-newcomer Relations: Selected Essays |url=https://archive.org/details/reflectionsonnat0000mill|url-access=registration|year=2004 |edition=2nd |publisher=University of Toronto Press |isbn=0-8020-8669-1}}
* {{cite book|first=William Lewis |last=Morton |author-link=W. L. Morton |title=The Kingdom of Canada: A General History from Earliest Times |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4z0XAAAAIAAJ|year=1963 |publisher=McClelland and Stewart }}
* {{cite book | last=Reid |first=Jennifer |author-link=Jennifer Reid| date=2008 | title=Louis Riel and the Creation of Modern Canada: Mythic Discourse and the Postcolonial State | publisher=University of Manitoba Press | isbn=978-0-8263-4415-1 | oclc=1037748071 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hgJwXcKKK4oC}}
* {{Cite book |first=Roberto |last=Perin |title=Rome in Canada: The Vatican and Canadian Affairs in the Late Victorian Age |year=1990 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |jstor=10.3138/j.ctt2tv08x |isbn=978-0802067623 }}
* {{cite book|last=Salhany|first=Roger|year=2020|title=A Rush to Judgment: The Unfair Trial of Louis Riel|publisher=Dundurn|isbn=978-1459746107}}
* {{Cite book |editor-first=John T. |editor-last=Saywell |title=Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs: 1971|year=1973 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |doi=10.3138/9781442671850 |isbn=978-1442671850}}
* {{Cite book |last=Sprague| first= D.N. |title=Canada and the Métis, 1869–1885 |year=1988 |publisher=Wilfrid Laurier University Press |isbn= 0-88920-958-8}}
* {{Cite book | title = Louis Riel| first= George |last=Stanley | year = 1963 | publisher = McGraw-Hill Ryerson | isbn = 0-07-092961-0 }}
* {{Cite book |origyear = 1964|last=Stanley |first=George F.G. |title=Louis Riel: Patriot or Rebel? |publisher=Canadian Historical Association |series=The Canadian Historical Association Booklets, 2 |year=1979 |url= https://cha-shc.ca/_uploads/5c38a89b5640d.pdf |edition=8th |isbn =0-88798-003-1 }}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Stanley |editor1-first=George |editor2-last=Huel |editor2-first=Raymond |editor3-last=Martel |editor3-first=Gilles |editor4-last=Flanagan |editor4-first=Thomas |editor5-last=Campbell |editor5-first=Glen |year= 1985 |title=The Collected Writings of Louis Riel/Les Ecrits Complets de Louis Riel|publisher= University of Alberta Press|isbn=0-88864-091-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ntkFn3f3OC8C&dq=Evelina+Martin+dite+Barnab%C3%A9&pg=RA1-PA264}}
* {{cite book|first=Roderick |last=Stewart|title=Wilfrid Laurier|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=plolT8d2TWYC&pg=PA156|year=2002|publisher=Dundurn|isbn=978-1770707559}}
* {{cite book|title=Cowboy Cavalry: The Story of the Rocky Mountain Rangers|first=Gordon Errett |last=Tolton|publisher=Heritage House Publishing|year=2011|isbn=978-1926936024}}
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last1=  Barkwell |first1=Lawrence J. | first2= Leah |last2=Dorion |first3=Darren |last3=Prefontaine |title= Metis Legacy: A Historiography and Annotated Bibliography |publisher= Pemmican Publications Inc. / Gabriel Dumont Institute |year= 2001 |isbn= 1-894717-03-1 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite book |last= Braz |first= Albert |title=The False Traitor: Louis Riel in Canadian Culture |publisher=University of Toronto Press |year= 2003|ref=none}}
* {{Cite book | title = Louis 'David' Riel: prophet of the new world | author = Flanagan, Thomas | year = 1979 | publisher = University of Toronto Press | isbn = 0-88780-118-8 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/louisdavidrielpr0000flan_z1t9 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite book| title = Riel and the Rebellion | first= Thomas |last=Flanagan | year = 1983 | publisher = Western Producer Prairie Books | isbn = 0-88833-108-8 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite book | title = Louis Riel | last= Flanagan |first=Thomas | year = 1992 | publisher = Canadian Historical Association | isbn = 0-88798-180-1 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/louisriel0000flan |ref=none}}
* {{Cite book |last= Hansen |first= Hans |title=Riel's Defence: Perspectives on His Speeches | year=2014 |publisher = McGill-Queen's University Press |edition=1st |isbn=978-0773543362 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite book| title = Strange Empire: A Narrative of the Northwest (Louis Riel and the Metis People) | first =Howard Joseph |last=Kinsey | year = 1952 | publisher = William Morrow & Co | isbn = 0-87351-298-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0873512987 |ref=none}}
* {{Cite journal |last= Knox |first= Olive |title=The Question of Louis Riel's Insanity |journal=MHS Transactions | volume=3 | issue=6 |date= 1949–1950 |url=http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/transactions/3/rielinsanity.shtml |ref=none}}
* {{Cite book | title = Riel: a life of revolution| first = Maggie |last=Siggins | year = 1994 | publisher = HarperCollins | isbn = 0-00-215792-6 |ref=none}}
* {{cite journal|last=Stanley |first= G. F. G. |year=1964 |title=Louis Riel |journal=Revue d'histoire de l'Amérique française |volume= 18 |issue=1 |pages=14–26 |doi= 10.7202/302338ar |doi-access=free |ref=none}}
* {{Cite journal |last= Woodcock |first= George |title=Louis Riel: Defender of the Past |journal=History Today |date=Mar 1959 |volume= 9 |issue=3 |pages= 198–207 |ref=none}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links|author=yes|commonscat=yes|q=yes|wikt=no|n=no|b=no|v=no}}
* {{OL author}}
* {{Gutenberg author|49802}}
* {{Internet Archive author|sopt=t}}
* [http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/politics/parties-leaders/rethinking-riel/rethinking-riel.html CBC Digital Archives: Rethinking Riel]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110609153626/http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=10646&sl=e Heritage Minutes: Historica Minutes (History by the Minute): Louis Riel]
* [http://library2.usask.ca/northwest/background/riel.htm Louis Riel – University of Saskatchewan library]

{{Louis Riel}}
{{Authority control|suppress=P1015<!--bibsys-->,P950<!--bne-->,P691<!--nkc-->,P1315<!--nla-->,P1006<!--nta-->,P7293<!--plwabn-->,P906<!--selibr-->}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Riel, Louis}}
[[Category:Louis Riel| ]]
[[Category:1844 births]]
[[Category:1885 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century executions of American people]]
[[Category:19th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:Burials at Saint Boniface Cathedral]]
[[Category:Canadian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Canadian folklore]]
[[Category:Canadian Métis people]]
[[Category:Canadian revolutionaries]]
[[Category:Canadian Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Executed Canadian people]]
[[Category:Executed politicians]]
[[Category:Executed revolutionaries]]
[[Category:Independent MPs in the Canadian House of Commons]]
[[Category:Indigenous Members of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Manitoba]]
[[Category:Métis history]]
[[Category:Métis politicians]]
[[Category:People executed by Canada by hanging]]
[[Category:People executed for treason against Canada]]
[[Category:People of the North-West Rebellion]]
[[Category:People of the Red River Rebellion]]
[[Category:Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)]]
[[Category:Petit Séminaire de Montréal alumni]]
[[Category:Prophets]]
[[Category:Pre-Confederation Saskatchewan people]]
[[Category:Refugees in the United States]]
[[Category:Riel family (Canada)|Louis Riel]]
[[Category:Expelled members of the Parliament of Canada]]