EDITORIAL: Honouring Louis Riel honours Manitoba’s past

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/02/2023 (810 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As we head into our February long weekend, it becomes clear once again that more education is needed on the man whose name we celebrate.

Louis Riel Day occurs on Monday, Feb. 20, and although it’s been happening since 2008, many remain ignorant about why it’s important.

We see it this time of year, as people refer to it as “Family Day”, sometimes due to ignorance and other times to racist viewpoints that were once taught in schools.

It’s fair to assume everybody older than 45 was taught in schools that Riel was a traitor, and that he was executed for this reason.

Textbooks didn’t refer to him as a Manitoba hero, but an enemy of Canada.

Those who refer to the day as Family Day could simply be ignorant.

After all, while we celebrate Louis Riel Day, Alberta, B.C., New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan celebrate Family Day. Incidentally, Nova Scotia celebrates Nova Scotia Heritage Day and Prince Edward Island celebrates Islander Day.

We are blessed to have a holiday to celebrate this man.

The Manitoba government offers the following description on their website.

“As the Metis leader of the Red River Resistance of 1869-70, he was instrumental in drafting the List of Rights that formed the basis of the Manitoba Act, passed by the Parliament of Canada in the spring of 1870, which brought the new province of Manitoba into Confederation,” the website states. “Louis Riel was the driving force behind Manitoba becoming Canada’s fifth province. His dream of a province that embraces all cultures is still shared by Manitobans today.”

A Manitoba Heritage Council commemorative plaque placed on the south Legislative grounds in 1996 gets into more detail.

Born in the Red River settlement and educated at St Boniface and Montreal, Riel was a passionate defender of the Metis, advocated guarantees for their land, language and political rights.

He was elected three times to the House of Commons, which twice expelled him for his role in the Red River Resistance.

Forced into exile in 1875, he lived in hiding in Manitoba and Quebec before moving the U.S. He was invited back by people in the North-West Territories to lead them in petitioning Canada to recognize their land and rights as Indigenous people. This became known as the North-West Rebellion.

In 1885, Riel was charged with high treason by the Canadian government and was convicted and hanged in Regina on Nov. 16, 1885. His body was returned to Manitoba by the Metis and buried at the St Boniface Basilica.

It’s puzzling that his reputation continues to be unknown or ignored by part of our population.

After all this is nothing new.

In 1992, the Parliament of Canada and the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba formally recognized Riel’s contribution to the development of the Canadian Confederation and his role as founder of Manitoba.

That’s more than 30 years ago, when Bill Ray Cyrus rocked the charts with “Achy Breaky Heart”, and Boyz II Men had the number one year end single with “End of the Road”. Brian Mulroney was prime minister while Gary Filmon was premier of Manitoba.

Yes, that was a long time ago, clearly long enough ago for us all to get educated.

This reluctance to refer to the day by its name is based on ignorance and racism and nothing else. It’s a way of shouting out to the world that not only are you missing crucial knowledge about our province’s history, you’re also proud to remain that way.

It is interesting though that the name of the holiday wasn’t predestined to be Louis Riel Day.

In 2008 Manitoba schools were invited to name our province’s newest holiday and 114 responded with suggestions.

Eleven schools suggested Louis Riel Day including Dominion City’s own Roseau Valley School.

The other suggestions covered a wide range including Family Day, Children’s Day, Family Heritage Day, Friendship Day, Kanata Day, Manitoba Monday, Polar Bear Day, Funday Monday, Spirit Day, Prairie Pride Day and so many more.

Louis Riel knew his importance to Manitoba, even if many were not inclined to recognize it at the time.

“I know that through the grace of God I am the founder of Manitoba,” he said in July 1885.

He also predicted that one day others would realize this, though it’s not clear if he thought that day was still nearly 100 years away.

“I am more convinced everyday that without a single exception I did right,” he is quoted as saying by the Manitoba Metis Federation. “And I have always believed that, as I have acted honestly, the time will come when the people of Canada will see and acknowledge it.”

That time has come in Manitoba, and whatever we decide to do with our Monday holiday, we should all agree that the man it’s named for is possibly the most important in Manitoba’s history.