"New Nation" The Metis
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The Metis people are third generation Canadian. Meaning they were born in Canada and both parents are Canadian born. Metis means “mixed" in French. The first Metis people were born in Eastern Canada in the 1600's and were the children of French Canadian Coureurs de Bois and voyageurs and Indigenous wives. The Metis were raised to appreciate both Native and European cultures they were essential to the survival of the fur trade and the men. The Metis were skilled hunters, traders, interpreters and voyagers. In time they became employees for the fur trade companies. The first major Metis communities were established along the Red River and Assiniboine Rivers of Manitoba.
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They built their homes on the river with long narrow lots extending back from the river in the French Canadian style. These Metis people had no legal entitlement to the land. They worked mainly for the fur traders hunting and selling them Pemmican. They lived this way for years undisturbed.
Then 1812 the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) who owned 7.7 million sq. miles of land (Ruperts Land) gave Lord Selkirk a land grant of 116,000 acres between the Red and Assiniboine River. This land became home to many Scottish immigrants known as The Selkirk Settlers. These new settlers had no idea that they were in the center of a conflict between the two main fur trading companies, HBC and NWC. The NWC was opposed the settlement around the Red River from the beginning as they thought this would threaten their trading routes. They also relied on trading posts for food provided by the Metis hunters. After 1812 more settlers arrived each fall, too late to plant, and these settlers were beginning to starve.
Now Miles Macdonald leader of the Selkirk settlers, passed a law preventing the Metis to export their pemmican. The NWC's agent, Duncan Cameron, said the these actions would lead to violence. Cuthbert Grant, leader of the Metis ignored this new law, thus causing more conflict between the groups. Cameron was able to convince the Metis to provide the NWC with pemmican and told them that they must assist him in driving out the settlers; that if they didn't they would be prevented from hunting which would lead to starvation. The Metis joined Cameron and soon the Red River settlement was under siege.
This conflict came to heads on June 19, 1816 at Seven Oaks. The Seven Oak Massacre is also known as the Pemmican War. This war broke out near the Red River trading post, and it only took a few short minutes as all of the settlers were either wounded or killed. Those who survived left their home, their lives, the very next day. The Canadian Commission said it was a private war. A war between two rivaling companies and they condemned both sides. Finally both fur trade companies were forced to join and in 1821 and a new company called The North-West Company was formed. Many of the trade forts run by the Metis were closed after the amalgamation. The Selkirk settlers began a new era.
The Metis finally gained some property rights, but at the expense of loosing their old way of life. Buffalo were disappearing and the Metis people had to go further west to hunt. By 1857 the fur trade company was loosing money and it had no way to defend itself from American invasion. In 1869 the HBC agreed to sell Ruperts Land to the new Dominion of Canada, which was formed in 1867 by uniting 4 British colonies: Canada East (Quebec), Canada West (Ontario), New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
The First Nations and the Metis were alarmed when they heard that the fur company was selling their land (the First Nations land) to the new government of Canada. They feared they would loose their rights. Nobody was consulting them about this take over by the government of Canada.
Then 1812 the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) who owned 7.7 million sq. miles of land (Ruperts Land) gave Lord Selkirk a land grant of 116,000 acres between the Red and Assiniboine River. This land became home to many Scottish immigrants known as The Selkirk Settlers. These new settlers had no idea that they were in the center of a conflict between the two main fur trading companies, HBC and NWC. The NWC was opposed the settlement around the Red River from the beginning as they thought this would threaten their trading routes. They also relied on trading posts for food provided by the Metis hunters. After 1812 more settlers arrived each fall, too late to plant, and these settlers were beginning to starve.
Now Miles Macdonald leader of the Selkirk settlers, passed a law preventing the Metis to export their pemmican. The NWC's agent, Duncan Cameron, said the these actions would lead to violence. Cuthbert Grant, leader of the Metis ignored this new law, thus causing more conflict between the groups. Cameron was able to convince the Metis to provide the NWC with pemmican and told them that they must assist him in driving out the settlers; that if they didn't they would be prevented from hunting which would lead to starvation. The Metis joined Cameron and soon the Red River settlement was under siege.
This conflict came to heads on June 19, 1816 at Seven Oaks. The Seven Oak Massacre is also known as the Pemmican War. This war broke out near the Red River trading post, and it only took a few short minutes as all of the settlers were either wounded or killed. Those who survived left their home, their lives, the very next day. The Canadian Commission said it was a private war. A war between two rivaling companies and they condemned both sides. Finally both fur trade companies were forced to join and in 1821 and a new company called The North-West Company was formed. Many of the trade forts run by the Metis were closed after the amalgamation. The Selkirk settlers began a new era.
The Metis finally gained some property rights, but at the expense of loosing their old way of life. Buffalo were disappearing and the Metis people had to go further west to hunt. By 1857 the fur trade company was loosing money and it had no way to defend itself from American invasion. In 1869 the HBC agreed to sell Ruperts Land to the new Dominion of Canada, which was formed in 1867 by uniting 4 British colonies: Canada East (Quebec), Canada West (Ontario), New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
The First Nations and the Metis were alarmed when they heard that the fur company was selling their land (the First Nations land) to the new government of Canada. They feared they would loose their rights. Nobody was consulting them about this take over by the government of Canada.
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The Metis flag is an infinity sign. The infinity sign has two meanings: it represents the joining of two distinct cultures and it represents the immortality of the Metis Nation. It is the oldest flag that originated in Canada.
The North West Rebellion
Louis wrote to Ottawa with a series of demands for Métis land rights. The provisional government, with himself as president, seized the parish church in the community of Batoche with an armed force of Métis followers. He was not successful and on March 26, 1885 they marched West with 300 Metis. They clashed just outside of Duck Lake which was about halfway between Metis headquarters at Batoche and the the North West Mounted Police from Fort Carlton. This battle lasted about 30 minutes with both side retreating. 12 of the 100 NWMP were killed, 6 of the Rebel force died and the Metis military commander was wounded.
Things did not settle down and on May 9, about 900 militia troops and artillery batteries attacked a force of less than 300 Métis, Cree, and Dakota fighters south of Batoche. The militia broke into two groups, the first approached the Metis by river on a steamer. This attack failed when the Métis lowered a ferry cable. This decapitated the smokestack of the steamer, which lead the boat to float downstream. The other group went by land. For two days the Métis resisted the land forces. Then on May 12, the militia became impatient and led a frontal attack on the weakened Native defenders. They had run out of ammunition and were firing nails and stones from their rifles. The village of Batoche was captured by the federal forces and the resistance was broken.
Defeated, Louis surrendered. He was charged with high treason and made a spectical of by the Government. In the end Louis Riel was charged as guilty and hung.
His legacy is still talked about and studied today and " symbolizes a nations continuing struggle to reconcile its linguistic, religious and racial differences."
Things did not settle down and on May 9, about 900 militia troops and artillery batteries attacked a force of less than 300 Métis, Cree, and Dakota fighters south of Batoche. The militia broke into two groups, the first approached the Metis by river on a steamer. This attack failed when the Métis lowered a ferry cable. This decapitated the smokestack of the steamer, which lead the boat to float downstream. The other group went by land. For two days the Métis resisted the land forces. Then on May 12, the militia became impatient and led a frontal attack on the weakened Native defenders. They had run out of ammunition and were firing nails and stones from their rifles. The village of Batoche was captured by the federal forces and the resistance was broken.
Defeated, Louis surrendered. He was charged with high treason and made a spectical of by the Government. In the end Louis Riel was charged as guilty and hung.
His legacy is still talked about and studied today and " symbolizes a nations continuing struggle to reconcile its linguistic, religious and racial differences."