Louis Riel

I chose Louis Riel because he was like a Martin Luther King to his people. He was misunderstood. He just wanted the Canadian government to treat his people fairly. He was not violent or evil and he was willing to do anything for his people.

Louis Riel (Google Images)

Louis Riel was born October 22, 1844 in St. Boniface, Manitoba. In 1858 he went to college in Montreal. His people the Metis had been bullied by the government for years. Each year they lost more and more land. Louis Riel was tired of it.

In 1869 Louis Riel founded the Comite National des Métis to protect his people’s rights. He helped start the Red River Uprising for which he was exiled to the United States. Entreated by settlers, he eventually returned to set up a provisional government and, as the self-declared prophet of his people, became embroiled in the 1885 rebellion. When the Canadian government finally responded with military force, the rebellion was quickly crushed and Riel surrendered. His subsequent trial and execution aroused bitterness and debate. Alternately described as visionary and madman, victim and villain, he remained a controversial figure in death as in life.

With the perspective of time, Louis Riel has come to be seen as a combination of martyr and hero in the eyes of many Canadians. Because of his will to have his people treated equally.

Louis Riel (google images)

Louis Riel was an amazing person. He loved and cared about his people. They were cheated out of land and mistreated. When Louis Riel was hung, suddenly everyone relized how dedicated he was to his people, the Metis.