| Louis
Riel the Métis
Part one: land of the Métis
Rupert's Land
start in northern Quebec
go across northern Ontario
then slide down diagonally
to southern Alberta
five million square kilometers
...
Rupert's Land
ruled by England's
Hudson's Bay Company
for two hundred years
land to be given by England
to the new
Dominion of Canada
which has been created
by the British North America Act
of July 1st 1867
a new nation
of three million people
...
before the Rupert's Land transfer of 1870
the Métis
had settled the Red River area of Rupert's Land
Canadian government bureaucrats of the day
unofficially referred to them as
those fucking french half-breed bastards
we'll get rid of them
they are in the majority now
but not for long
we'll drown them in new settlers from Ontario
we'll start now
to send in the surveyors to map their land
that way we'll be ready for the day
when Canada is officially given Rupert's Land
then in come the settlers
out go those bastard french half-breed Métis
...
Part two: a peoples first struggle
the advance teams of surveyors
meet strong resistance from the Métis
they know the survey of their land
is the first planned step
of their destruction
the Métis responded
as an intelligent organized group
and this took Canada's bureaucrats by surprise
as government officials
were heard to say
...
what do you mean
those fucking Métis
have formed a provisional government
...
Louis Riel talked them into it
they want to negotiate directly with London
they have published a list of rights
and believe
they will have more say
over how they are governed
if
they become a province of Canada
our Prime Minister
wants a peaceful solution
...
the new provisional government
lead by the well educated
Louis Riel
acting in its legal law making capacity
preceded to bring to trial by judge and jury
one Thomas Scott: rabble rouser
a vociferous ant-french anti-Métis
bigot
spends his time promoting hatred and suspicion
between French and English settlers
and constantly plots to overthrow
the provisional government
he is also a devoted member of
the Irish Orange Lodge of Ontario
known for their ultra-conservative attitude
towards the french and native peoples
...
In spite of strong pressure from his blood lusting
Irish Orange Lodge supporters
the jury found him guilty as charged
and the judge imposed
the normal death sentence of the period.
Under normal judicial conditions
the provisional government
would have been receptive
to the well thought out appeals
submitted by the moderate
thinking settlers
and provisional government advisors
but
because of Thomas Scott's
vociferous antagonization of his jailers
pleas from the moderates,
for the repeal of his death sentence
fell upon ears that he had insulted
and made into enemies by his evil disposition
which in the end precipitated his execution
..
The passage of time
would prove this execution to be
of disastrous consequence
for the Métis people and members
of their provisional government.
For they had inadvertently
activated the fanatical Ontario hatred
of the french
of the Métis
of the Indians
they could now focus their hatred
through the execution of Thomas Scott
and they would from their dark hearts
pursue their need for blood lust revenge
into the decades to come
...
history records the peaceful creation
of the new province of Manitoba
carved after the Rupert's Land transfer
at the suggestion
of the Métis provisional government
by the government of Canada
who having granted to the Métis
many of their requested rights
as negotiated
by their provisional government
which upon joining Canada
was peacefully dissolved
with a promise of amnesty
and a further promise
that on their agreement
not to participate in governing
the new Provence of Manitoba
the Canadian government
agreed to provide the necessary
protection against the blood lust revenge
festering in the dark hearts
of many Ontario voters still expressing
anger over the execution of the rabble rouser
Thomas Scott
...
over the next fifteen years
the Métis learned
how Canada kept its word
Louis Riel and members of the dissolved
provisional government
were driven from their new province
by blood lusting Ontario voters
to live in political exile in the United
States
in the new province of Manitoba
the Canadian Military
quietly
threatened beat and killed the Métis
their promised land was taken
with the help
of government bureaucrats
and given to land speculators
and profiteers who then
starved the Métis into poverty
drove them from their homes
destroyed their family structure
until: as promised
they became a beaten minority
drowned in starvation and hated by the new
English speaking immigrants
from Ontario
the Canadian government
stood idly by: frozen with fear
that the anti-Métis sentiment in Ontario
coupled with the Irish Fenian
threat of invasion would lead to
an uncontrollable insurrection
...
all this occurred
during that period in Canada's history
when human rights were unknown
and equal treatment under the law
was also unknown
...
Part three: a peoples second struggle
fifteen years
after their joining Canada
many of the Métis
had been pushed into a corner of
the north west territories
there they stood
to face another losing battle
to be once more beaten and lied to
by the Canadian government
Louis Riel was asked to end
his political exile in the United States
come north and speak to his people
he came and he spoke
he spoke: a non violent message
for he was aware that force
would result in the Canadian government
completely destroying his people
in compliance with the desire
of so many Ontario voters
but: he was now back in Canada
Ontario fanatical supporters
of Thomas Scott
vowing blood revenge for his death
knowing they had intimidated
the Canadian government
into not issuing the official pardon for Louis
Riel
and knowing the Canadian government
would not stop them
and with evil in their hearts
they obsessively plotted and conspired
to capture and publically execute Louis
Riel
that hated french half-breed upstart
...
the Métis people
feeling helpless isolated and alone
wanting to live in peace
joined with white settlers and petitioned
the Canadian government
requesting settlement
of neglected land and economic issues
in their corner of the North West Territories
...
after months of inaction
on the part of the Canadian government
and eighteen years after confederation
fifteen years after reforms promised
by the government of Canada
were never realized
the Métis
formed their second provisional government
in the year 1885
but this time declared themselves independent
from Canada
...
they were quickly joined by Indians
who had themselves suffered neglect
and starvation on
the new reserves
into which they had been herded
through treaties of rights
that were subsequently ignored
by the government of Canada
they immediately joined into
the new provisional government army
gaining their first victory
over the Canadian Forces
at Duck Lake
...
the Canadian government promised
immediate support for many of the
provisional government's
list of rights
an action that both legitimizes
and recognizes the integrity of their grievances
but an action that came too long after a history
of inaction
the inaction that escalated the struggle for
rights
into the confrontational stage
...
but years of neglect
at the hands of the Canadian government
a government that spoke with a forked tongue
of promises that concealed an uncontrolled
and growing
anti-Métis anti-Indian sentiment
expressed through treaty rights neglect
finally resulted in bands of starving
embittered Cree Indians attacking settlements
at Frog Lake and Battleford
the provisional forces
were quickly drawn into the conflict
...
the Canadian Forces
sent to eradicate this
second provisional government
continued to suffer defeat after defeat
...
it was only a matter of time
before the Canadian government
with its resources and population
could mobilize an army
that would defeat
the provisional government
and their Cree supporters
eventually
the hangman's noose
will eliminate the leaders
effectively ending all future complaints
...
part four: victory in defeat
Louis Riel
you have been tried and found guilty
of treason
and shall hang by the neck
until dead
...
it is the strong recommendation
of this jury
that Louis Riel
in recognition of his moral stand
against the deplorable treatment
by the Canadian government
on the Métis people
and their supporters
be shown mercy
through the traditional
right of the government
to repeal his death sentence
...
history records that
no mercy was shown
by the Canadian government
too frozen with fear of the anti-Riel
blood seeking Ontario faction
therefore
on November 16th 1885
in the city of Regina
after fifteen years of
ignored promises
ignored treaties
threats - beatings - starvation
and murder of my people
I Louis Riel
calmly walk up the steps
of the Canadian government's scaffold
and stand with the hangman's noose
round my neck
say good-by to friends
pray that God
forgive my enemies
and give my people
liberty - fraternity - and equality
the trap door upon which I stand
"may now open"
I drop
into momentary pain
that seems an eternity
...
part five: birth of the dark side
the young Canada
shamefully catering
to evil blood lust
has killed a noble son
...
the young nation of Canada
will
try to erase
try to hide
try to forget
try to escape
the act that bore its dark side
but in the end
and at some future time
will recognize
Louis Riel
as a Father of Confederation
but
unlike other Fathers of Canada's Confederation
known for their allegiance
to law and order
peace and good government
with compromise
contrast them with
Louis Riel
Canada's first freedom fighter
and Canada's father
of
liberty - fraternity - equality
and
in the 20th century
father to those powerless
starving Canadians
peacefully marching for their rights
and on orders
from a subsequent Canadian government
were
gunned down in the streets of Regina
their blood
joined with the long dried
19th century
blood of Louis Real the Métis
runs down streets
and into the sewers
of Regina
on Canada day
1935
...
Louis Riel the Métis
pushed into a neglected corner
of Canadian history
returns from his historical exile
to inspire Canadians
as they march
into the new millennium
...
Keith O'Connor
Ottawa Canada
2002 Jan 8
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