MPP Kathleen Wynne, President of the Métis Nation of Ontario Margaret Froh, and Louis Riel’s great-grand niece Jean Teillet are just a few of the speakers who attended the Louis Riel Day ceremony at Queen’s Park on Nov. 16, 2018. (RSJ/Madi Wong)
by Harry Faulkner
Prominent faces of Canadian politics and leaders of the Métis community gathered friday morning outside Queens Park to remember Louis Riel, and keep his story alive.
After a ceremonial flag raising of the Métis Nation flag, traditional Métis fiddle and guitar music laid way for a number of speakers to follow.
Notable speakers included former Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, and the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Carolyn Bennett.
Louis Riel is regarded by many as a legendary activist and outlaw for the Métis community. Among many of his notable accomplishments is his work in establishing the province of Manitoba.
“We are here today to celebrate a hero, who had a really rough time”, said Wynne. “Louis Riel was challenged over and over and over again by people who didn’t want him to succeed”.
“Reconciliation is not about words on a page, reconciliation is about the tough work of coming to agreement on issues that are hard to come to agreement on” said Wynne.
Riel and an armed insurgency fought the Dominion of Canada to preserve their french language and Métis nationality against a rise in english speaking settlers. This led Riel and his army to eventually take over Winnipeg and establish a provisional government to gain terms of union with Canada.
(RSJ/Alex Ramsay)
Paul Robitaille, the youth representative for the Métis Nation of Ontario Thunder Bay Council said that he will never stop working to preserve the Métis nationality in an impassioned speech.
“As a Métis youth, I will continue Riel’s fight to preserve our nationality” said Robitaille. “I will continue the fight to preserve our identity.”
Although the main reason for gathering outside Queens Park was to celebrate Louis Riel Day, however, those that spoke spent most of their time addressing the work that needs to be done and what government needs to do to better strengthen the relationship with the Métis Nation.
Riel would eventually be elected to federal parliament for Provencher, however he was never allowed to assume his seat in parliament before being expelled from the house a year later.
Tim Pile, the secretary treasurer for the Métis Nation of Ontario was the MC for the event.
Following the event, Pile commented on the state of activism surrounding the Métis community.
“Reconciliation is a large part of the activism that takes place within the Métis community”, he said. “We want to see a government to government relationship, that is really what we are working towards”.
Wondering about activism in Indigenous communities? Madi Wong has a video showcasing advocacy art in communities that promote culture, educate people on history, and fight for rights #LouisRielDay pic.twitter.com/YIgOtX55eG
— Alya (@alyya13) November 16, 2018
Louis Riel Day is celebrated every year on November 16th to mark the day that he was hanged for treason after rising a second armed insurgency against the government.
The President of the Youth Council for the Métis Nation, Mitch Case, was asked to also give his thoughts on the state of activism within the Métis community.
“Activism has always been apart of who we are. My family has a long history stretching back 200 years of participating in activism and fighting for the Métis” said Case.
“Particularly from our young people who are picking up the fight, the cause of the Métis people is alive and well.”
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