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BATOCHE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE—The church
of St. Antoine de Padoue, at Batoche, is a sad remind-
er of the Northwest Rebellion'of 100 years ago.
(Tourism Canada Poto)
Saskatchewan marks Riel centenary
By Paul Cipywnyk
The last battle on Cana-
dian soil was fought in the
North-West Rebellion of 1885
in the present province of
Saskatchewan.
In 1985, Canadians and
visitors to Canada will join in
a nation-wide celebration of
Canada's heritage, com-
memorating the centennial
of Canada's National Parks.
The major Parks Canada
Prairie Region centennial
project is at Batoche Nation-
al Historic Park, where 100
years ago a group of Metis
and Indians•led by Louis Riel
made their last stand against
the Canadian government.
Louis Riel, a Metis of
French and Indian descent,
was born in 1844 in St. Boni-
face, now part of Winnipeg,
Manitoba. Better educated
than most early westerners,
he was chosen to lead the
protest over the sale 'of the
Hudson's Bay Company ter-
ritory, which included most
of Canada west of Ontario, to
the Canadian government.
Riel established a provi-
sional government to protect
the interests of the Metis who
felt their language, religion
and semi -nomadic way of
life were threatened by
Prime Minister Sir John A.
Macdonald's government. •
The province of Manitoba
was created in 1870 with
guarantees for the native
population, but Riel fled to
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the United States after the
execution of an English
"traitor" to his cause.
Many Metis lost their land
to eastern speculators and
moved farther west and
north, settling an area be-,
tween the North and South
Saskatchewan rivers.
They were soon followed
by the railroad, and by gov-
ernment surveyors eager to
subdivide the land and pro-
mote settlement. In 1884, a
delegation rode 965 km to
Montana and asked. Riel to
lead,, his people again.
Riel sent a petition from
Batoche to Ottawa repre-
senting the interests of the
local Whites, -Indians and
Metis.
Ignby Macdonald,
Riel establishedored another,.p'ro-
visional government. His at-
tempts to organize Indian
bands who were starving be-
cause of the extinction of the.
buffalo,. and government
neglect, frightened white
settlements.
The North West Mounted
Police (NWMP—now RC-
MP) reinforced Prince Al-
bert, the closest large white
centre to Batoche. Riel's
brilliant general, Gabriel -
Dumont, wanted' to strike
immediately but Riel re -
.fused to attack.
On March 26, 1885, NWMP
Superint'endant Cr,pzier,
commander of Fort Carlton,
32 km west of Batoche,
marched, a colum of 100
police and volunteers toward
Duck Lake, 11 km from
Batoche.
He was met by 'a 'Metis
force and they talked under a
white flag. Someone fired a
shot. and Dumont's brother
Isadore was among the first
killed. Within '40 minutes
Crozier lost 12 men and had
.11 wounded. The Metis, ac-
customed to,prairie warfare,
lost four.
Justified or not, the Duck
Lake "massacre" outraged
Canadians. Hundreds of vol-
unteers from Halifax to
Winnipeg mobilized to sup--
press
up-press the rebels. General
Middleton arrived in Winni-
peg on March 27, and by
April 10 was marching on
• Batoche.
In the northwest, Chief
Poundmaker's Cree be-
sieged Battleford, and hot-
headed warriors from Chief
Big Bear's band massacred
nine whites at Frog Lake.
Big..-. Bea's, -warriors,
ignoring the r pacifist chief,
besieged Fort Pitt and took
prisoners: The.. NWIVIP . de-
tachment . under Inspector
Francis Dickens (novelist
Charles Dickens' son)
escaped to Fort Battleford.
Middleton advanced on
Batoche, using the fledgeling
community of Saskatoon
�v( then population ' 70) as a
supply and hospital base.
Dumont was eager to at-
tack, knowing that guerrilla
tactics were the only way to
survive, but Riel held him in
check. Riel was acting
strangely. He seemed to be-
lieve he wasa new_messiah.
and that his people would be
safe at Batoche.
Dumont •ambushed Mid-
dleton at Fish Creek just
south of Batoche. The army
had over 50 casualties to 29
for the Mets and their In-
dian allies.
Middleton had a great ad-
vantage in manpower and
supplies, and was backed up
by a new invention the
forerunner of the machine
gun — the Catling gun.
The Metis at Batoche
fought for four days and
were overrun after they
were reduced to loading
their muskets with gravel
and nails.
Riel surrendered on May
15, and Dumont slipped away
to the United States
Poundmaker was attacked
at Cut Knife Hill and barely
restrained his warriors from
routing a column under
Colonel Otter. Moving south
too late to join Riel, Pound -
maker surrendered to Mid-
dleton at Battleford.
Big Bear's starving band
fought at Frenchman's Butte
and Steele Narrows. They
released their prisoners un-
harmed and surrendered.
Big Bear gave himself up to
the NWMP on July2.
Riel was tried and found
guilty of treason in Regina
on Aug. 1. Hanged on Nov.
16,. 1885, at the Regina
NWMP barracks, he lay in
state at his mother's house in
St. Vital, now a suburb of
Winnipeg, for two days
before being buried at the St.
Boniface Cathedral 'on Dec.
2. •
Dumont tour".ned with
Buffalo. Bill Cody's Wild
West Show as a marksman
and returned to Batoche inl
1890. He died in 1906 and was
buried in the ground hehad
fought for .at Batoche, over=
looking his beloved
Saskatchewan River.
. Where it took General-
Middleton
eneralMiddleton weeks to cross the
prairie, . modern travellers
find Saskatchewan and
Manitoba traced with high-
ways and easily accessible
by..air, train and bus. ,The
hospitality, accommodations
and night life would amaze
soldier or warrior alike.
Saskatoon, "City of
Bridges", is an ideal base
from which to tour rebellion
sites. A modern, bustling
community of 155,000 strad-
dling the South Saskat-
chewan River, it is served by
majorr airlines, rail,bus, and
'is at the crossroads of major
highways.
Saskatoon attractions in-
clude the Western Develop-
ment Museum, the
Ukrainian Museum of Cana-
da, the Mendel Art Gallery
and the University of Sask-
atchewan,
The historic sites of Fort
Carlton, 'Duck °Lake and
Batoche are within an hour's
drive on the way to Prince
Albert, 141 km north of
Saskatoon.
• Fort' Carlton is rebuilt. It
contains displays and had,
demonstrations of early
trading life. The Duck Lake
Historical -..Museum has -arti-
facts from rebellion and
early settlement days.
The highlight of 1985 is
Batoche National Historic
Park. The church of Saint-
Antoine-de-Padoue which
overlooks the battlefields
has been restored and will be
officially reopened this sum-
mer. Visitors can see bullet
scars on the rectory next
door, visit the museum and
see old trenches and the
cemetery.
Parks Canada, along with
native and Metis groups, is
planning tours and events to
commemorate the centenary
of the battle. The Batoche
site is expanding in a major
restoration and development
project. For information
contact Parks Canada
Prairie Region, 391 York
Ave., Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3C OP4, (204) 949-2110.
Prince Albert (population
30,000) is the jumping off
point, to Saskatchewan's
famous northern• fishing
areas. It is 60 km south of
Prince Albert National Park
which boasts fishing, canoe-
ing, boating, golf, tennis,
riding, hiking and camping.
Crossroads—May 1, 1985—Page 9
The park's Waskesiu resort
is one of the most popular
vacation spots in the Cana-
dian West.
West of Prince Albert, or
138 km north-west of
Saskatoon is North Battle -
ford, with a population of
18,500. Battleford National
Historic Park and the West-
ern Development Museum
are major attractions, while
the provincial historic parks
of Frenchman's Butte, Fort
Pitt, Steele Narrows and Cut
Knife Hill -are farther west
and north.
Camping, fishing and
recreation areas nearby are
Battlefords Provincial Park
40 km north of the city and
Meadow Lake Provincial
Park 185 km (115 miles)
n-rth.
North Battleford is cele-
brating a7 "Centenary of
Peace" in 1985 to com-
memorate the rebellion. Call
the North Battleford
Chamber of Commerce at
'(306) 445-6226 for informa-
tion.
Saskatchewan's capital is
Regina, a city of 160,000, 250
km south-east of Saskatoon.
Here the trial of Louis Riel is
recreated some 30 times
during the summer in a one
and three-quarter 'hour pro -
Auction duction at historic Govern-
ment House. The. exciting
play, condensed from actual
court records, is in its 19th
season. For tickets contact
the Regina Chamber of Com-
merce, 2145 Albert St.,
Regina, Saskatchewan.
The RCMP Academy and
Museum in Regina has a
treasury of artifacts relating
to the history of the force and
the rebellion. Here you can
see the crucifix Riel held as
he took his last steps to the
gallows.
Regina is on the Trans -Ca-
nada Highway and is served
by four airlines, rail and bus.
Other points of interest are
the Legisative Building,
Museum of Natural History
and the University of
Regina.
Riel was born and buried
in St. Boniface, now part of
Winnipeg, 580 km east of
Regina on the TransCanada.
His mother's house where
his body lay . in state still
stands, now a National
Historic Site, on land that
was in the Riel family from
1864 to 1968.
Riel rests at the St.
Boniface Cathedral and the
St. Boniface Museum con-
tains scenes of early western.
life and Riel mementos.
Winnipeg, "Gateway to the
West", is a metropolis of
nearly 600,000 people. Major
tourists sites are Lower Fort
Garry . National Historic
Park where the fur trade life
"of the 1800s is recreated, the
Winnipeg Art Gallery, the
Museum of Man and Nature
and the Manitoba Legisla-
tive Building.
For more information on
facilities and events, contact
Sask Travel, 3211 Albert St.,
Regina, Saskatchewan S4S
5W6 and Travel Manitoba,
Department 1020, Lelgisla-
tive . Building, Winnipeg,
Manitoba R3C OV8.
SIX
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