The Portrayal of Louis Riel and Métis Resistance in the Print Media:
Louis Riel has been considered as simultaneously one of the most popular and most mysterious figures in Canadian history and culture. He has been portrayed in diverse ways: as a traitor to Confederation, a French-Canadian and Catholic Martyr, a hero, an anti hero, a bloodthirsty rebel, a liberator, a political maverick, an Aboriginal hero, a deluded mystic, an estrange intellectual, and a casualty of Western Canadian progress. In fact, the construction of Riel’s image has changed over time due to the fact that this construction less to do with him than about the creators of these images, their social realities and their specific political standing.
In order to look at the construction of the Red River Rebellion and in particular Louis Riel’s image or identity in the print media, we examined various letters and news papers such as the Globe and Mail, the British Colonist, New York Times, the Washington Post, and La Patrie from March to December 1885. These newspapers represent different versions of the story of the rebellion in Saskatchewan from the early1885 when Canadian troops under the command of Major Frederick Middleton crushed the Métis and their allies who were under the command of Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont until the execution of Riel in Nov. 16, 1885.
In March 30, 1885, the Washington Post’s article “ the Riel Rebellion” reflects newspaper’s sympathy towards rebellions by writing,
“The Least expensive way out of the difficulty would be a compliance on the part of the Government with the not unreasonable demands of the half-breeds along the Saskatchewan, that they be treated with the same consideration that was granted, as a result of the insurrection of 1870, to the half-breeds of Manitoba. The trouble all grows out of the transfer of the Northwest Territory from the Hudson’s Bay Company to the Canadian government, and the disturbance thereby of the proprietary in lands which the half-breed before enjoyed…”
The Globe Toronto (the Globe and Mail) on Monday, May 4, 1885 in the article,“ What a Missionary Did” uses an extract from a letter dated April 13, 1885 and writes,
“You can tell people that we owe our lives to the noble Christian courage of a Presbyterian Missionary, the Rev, Hugh McKay. (I wish I could write his name in golden letters). Riel send word to the Indians that the soldiers who where coming up and going trough broadview were sent to take the Indians prisoners and threat they must help him to drive out the whites, There is nothing an Indian fears like imprisonment, and the poor things were going to fight for their liberty…..
On the same date, the Globe has another article about a Parish Priest at Batoche killed by the Rebels: “Father Tourmand of Batoche had been accidentally killed by the Half-breeds a few days ago. The Frog Lake massacre is confirmed, but no particulars are given…”
In May 20, 1885, the Globe and Mail refers to the New York Times’ reaction to the rebellions:
“The Riel rebellion could have been avoided easily and honourably. The Half-breeds who are a people far above the Half-breeds on our side of the line- have been treated with injustice.” (The Globe and Mail; Wednesday May 20, 1885)
After Louis Riel’s defeat the Globe and Mail writes,
“ On the 11th of February Mr. Mackenzie proposed his resolution granting amnesty to all persons unlawfully concerned in the North-West troubles, excepting Riel, Lapine, and W. B? O’Donohus,….In doing so the reviewed history of the whole troubles, and quoted extensively form the documents and oral evidence laid before the select Committee by Archbishop Tache and others showing conclusively that a full and complete amnesty had been promised the insurgents by Sir John Macdonald and his colleagues….. Mr. Mackenzie said that Sir John Macdonald had sent $1000 to Riel to induce him to leave the country in December 18871. In February, 1872 the Ontario Legislature offered $5000 for the capture of Riel…”(Monday June 8, 1885).
In October, 1885, the New York Times in its current foreign topics section writes, “It is understood that the sentence of death passed on Louis Riel, the leader of the half breed rebellion in Canada, will be commuted life-long servitude.”
In November 15, 1885, New York Times publishes an article by the tile of “Louis Riel To Be Hanged: Excitement in the Dominion among French Canadian”. The article states, “French members of Parliament and French newspapers protest against the execution…”.
The Washington Post in November 1885 writes, “ Riel’s Fate is Settled. He is notified in his cell that he must hang.”
In some of the news Riel is portrayed as a Para-rational individual. There is a focus over his mental state. However, Riel rejects these claims and confesses that in spite of the fact that he was in a mental hospital for a short period, he does not suffer from any mental health during the 1885 uprising.
“Louis Riel Pays the Penalty of Treason-Felony”, this is the title of New York Times in Nov. 17, 1885. The article indicates that Riel’s execution creates intense excitement throughout Canada, and it continues with some of Riel’s speech before his execution.
“ The last act in the Riel rebellion occurred in the jail yard of the mounted police barracks at Regina this morning, when Riel suffered death for treason-Felony. Sunday morning he awoke very early, and declared to his guards that he had another vision from heaven, His guardian angel, he said had revealed to him that he would rise three days after his execution and share the Premiership of Canada with Sir John Macdonald.” The article continues with some of his account in the court, “I was ready to yield my life to my country 15 years and will be ready to-morrow…I desire you [the Governor] to send my body to be laid in St. Boniface. I also want to thank my kind friends in Quebec for their effort in my behalf, and they will now see I had a mission to perform…”
In November 17, 1885 La Patrie writes:
Les démonstrations: “Comme on devait s’y attendre, la nouvelle du crime de Régina, a soulevé dans notre population canadianne-francaise, un violent sentiment de douleur et de colere tout a la fois…” ( La Patrie, November 17, 1885) (Demonstrations: “As one expected, the news of the crime of Regina, in our French-Canadian population has raised a violent feeling of pain and of anger at the same time).
There are also various reactions regarding Riel’s execution throughout Canada:
Montreal - Nov. 16
The city council this afternoon adopted a resolution to adjourn “as a protest against the odious violation of the laws of justice and humanity in the execution of Riel”.
Ferment in Quebec, Nov. 16.
The excitement here is almost beyond all restraint. A flag was hoisted at half mast upon the ‘Canadian’ office, and some English speaking citizens, who felt aggrieved at this, came near being roughly handled. Flags decked with mourning emblems are also displayed, and many men have crape on their hats and around their sleeves.
Toronto, Nov. 16
By 9 o’clock this morning crowds began to gather about the various newspaper offices, eagerly waiting for news of Riel’s execution. Even then doubts were freely expressed that the execution would take place, and bets were made. One man wagered $200 even that the prisoner would not be hanged. When the news was received that Riel had expatiated his crimes on the scaffold the crowds after perusing the bulletin boards quietly dispersed. The excitement here over Riel quickly subsided after it became known that he had been executed. The courage displayed by Riel on the scaffold was admired, but no expression of pity could be heard at his fate.
Ottawa, Nov. 16
The news of Riel’s death was at first received quietly here. The Protestant Conservatives were considerably elated, however, over what they term their triumph. A large number of them waited on the Premier and Hon. Mackenzie Bowell, Minister of Customs, congratulating them on the carrying out of the sentence of the court. Among the French Canadians, who are in a large minority here, there is a deep feeling of displeasure.
Belleville, Nov. 16
There is no excitement over the hanging of Riel. Small knots of people gathered around the bulletin board, but the only opinion expressed was that of satisfaction that the sentence has been carried out.
Halifax, Nov. 16
The execution of Riel caused little excitement here, although Halifax sent a battalion to the front during the rebellion. (http://metis.tripod.com/News_East1.html)
Montreal, Nov. 17
Le Crime: “Le Crime est consommé. Sir John a enfin fait pendre Riel. Les Orangistes sont dans la joie et la province de Québec est dans la douleurs…”( La Patrie, November 17, 1885) (The Crime is consumed. Sir John finally hung Riel, the Orangemen are in joy and the province of Quebec is in pain.)
The Telegraph
The Telegraph was the other form of communication during the Riel rebellion period. Telegraphy made possible instant communication within the country as well as with other countries. In fact, articles of newspapers during the 1885 uprising reflect this rapid spread of news. For instance Riel’s court or execution news were appeared in the Canadian or American newspapers almost at the same day or one day after the events took place. The importance of telegraph can be inferred from the following news. The Globe and Mail May 3, 1885: “The wire Partially Repaired”;
“Winnipeg, May 3, the telegraph wires has been done since Friday midnight, The first break occurred between Qu’Appelle and Humboldt, When that was repaired yesterday it was found that there was interruption west of Humboldt… These frequent break causes the suspicion that the line is being tampered with, but noting certain is known.”
In protest against the Riel execution, French members of Parliament sent the following telegram to the Prime Minister:
“To Sir John Macdonald, G. C. B., Ottawa: Under the circumstances the execution of Louis Riel will be an act of cruelty, the responsibility of which we repudiate….”(New York Times, Nov. 15, 1885)
Winnipeg- Nov. 14
“There is great rejoicing here to-night, an official telegram having been received from Ottawa that the execution of Riel will certainly take place on Monday.” (New York Times, Nov. 15, 1885)
The telegraph constituted a further sophistication in the media displayed against the Métis. The telegraph decreased the response time of the army. General Fredrick Middleton in Winnipeg and Prime Minister Macdonald in Ottawa learned of the skirmish at Duck Lake within twenty-four hours of its having occurred. It also accelerated the rate at which people in the rest of Canada learned through the press of, interpreted, and passed judgment on the events happening in Batoche. The demand for news of Riel was high that J.w. Bengough of the Grip Printing and Publishing Company in Toronto launched the eighteen-issue Illustrated War News, later Canadian Pictorial and Illustrated War News, to profit from it.
In fact, the expansion of communication and transport made Riel and rebellion to mange the political meaning of their actions, and ultimately formed the course of reactions that Canada acquired in response to them (History of the Book in Canada, edited by: Yvan Lamonde, Patricia Lockhart Fleming and Fiona A. Black, 2005).
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Louis Riel: The Man, The myth, The Metis
Louis Riel: The Man, The Myth, The Métis
The importance of Louis Riel for the Métis Nation lives on in the annual Riel Day, commemorated on November 16th, the same date that he was hung. Louis “David” Riel was born at the Red River Settlement, Manitoba on October 22, 1844. He was educated in theology in Montreal, but then pursued law. In 1868, he returned to the Red River area, where he had spent his childhood.
At this critical point, there were tensions between the government’s agenda of settlement and the rights of the Métis. The government, in an effort to unite Canada and “settle the west” wanted to claim the Red River settlement for farming and make room for the influx of white settlers while the Métis people who had settled there previously wanted recognition as a nation and to keep their land. Riel, fluent in English and French, spoke on behalf of them and defended their claim to nationhood. After Riel spoke for the Métis people in Manitoba, there were many battles that ensued, both in the political and military sense. Riel then went into hiding until he was asked by Gabriel Dumont and others from the Red River Settlement to lead the Métis people in 1884. Battle at Batoche, fought from May 9 – May 12, 1885, was the last major battle Riel led against the Canadian military. After losing the battle, many Métis fled and Riel surrendered himself after a period of days into the hands of the government. He was charged with high treason and hung on November 16, 1885 in Regina, Saskatchewan. (http://www.metisresourcecentre.mb.ca/bios/l_riel.htm, accessed March 3, 2009). Although Riel died, the Métis people continue to live on, their vibrant language and music are communicative of their resilience and resistance.
Who are the Métis? Métis artist and scholar, Sherry Farrell Racette notes that the identity of the Métis would be best understood considering Homi Bhabha’s notion of hybridity. Racette proposes, “the notion of fluid cultural spaces which are simultaneously marginalized and dynamic has potential for a more accurate understanding of the evolution and persistence of Métis identity. The hybrid state as described by Bhabha is at once reflective and resistant of its constructive elements. Hybridity is unpredictable and unsettling, particularly to the colonial interest” (Racette 2001: 185). Métis identity then is a fluid entity that has evolved since its inception at the Red River Settlement.
With the advent of the fur trade, many French and English men immigrated to Canada. They married Aboriginal women, resulting in a new nation of people, influenced by both Aboriginal and European traditions. These people are the Métis; they have a unique language, heritage and identity. During the nineteenth century, the best-known geographic space that the Métis occupied was the Red River Settlement. French Métis largely depended on the buffalo hunt to sustain their nomadic lifestyle while the English “half-breeds” farmed the fertile lands. The French Métis valued their Catholic religion and the English looked to their Protestant or Anglican traditions.
Métis were influenced by Aboriginal and European cultures. Perhaps their language, Michif, best reflects this influence. Michif is a unique language that combines Cree and French. Verbs are Cree while nouns are Michif-French in origin (2001:177). Peter Baaker notes that the influence of the Ojibway or Anishnaabe is also present in the Métis language, due to intermarriage between French men and Ojibway women (2001: 178). Baaker states “When the mothers of the first generation speak a language different from the fathers, the new mixed languages of their descendants, if they are a considerable group, appear to combine the grammatical system of the mother’s language and the lexicon of the father’s”(2001: 179). Adopting from Aboriginal traditions, the Métis have used oral history as a mode of communicating, the telling of stories is very important in passing on values, myths and important life skills. For example, when Métis women gather to do beadwork, often they will share stories, fostering a sense of community amongst the women while passing on their wisdom.
Métis music and dance, like identity, has been influenced by a combination of Scottish, French and Aboriginal influences. Métis depend on oral tradition to pass on knowledge, so songs were not recorded on paper, but rather passed through humming and singing. Lynn Whidden notes the similarities between Métis and Aboriginal musical traditions, such as the use of the “one beat pulse” throughout a composition. The origin of the fiddle and the Red River Jig in Métis culture, argued by Whidden, can be traced in particular to the Desjarlais family, part of the Red River Settlement (2001: 169). The songs of the Métis draw on French, English, Cree and Michif traditions. (2001:174).
Artifacts, conceptions of space
In the first module, the sculpture of Louis Riel, artifact # A 2670, CMC, will be a visual for people to identify with the man and the myth. We would also like to include a piece of rope that hung Riel, artifact # 996.2.3 a-c, people may be interested in the historical aspect. A projection of a swinging noose that moves across the space may also add to the sense of sadness conveyed by the death of Riel, as well as a sense of “urgency.” The sound of the “Red River Jig” will also be playing in this first section to convey the vibrancy of Métis today. In addition, the voice of Louis Riel, either through a phone or projected into the space will be reading his plans to convey a sense of his vision for the Métis people. We could also have some example of Métis beadwork as an example of artistic production. The Métis were identified by Ted Brasser, former curator at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, as the “flower-beadwork people.”
The importance of Louis Riel for the Métis Nation lives on in the annual Riel Day, commemorated on November 16th, the same date that he was hung. Louis “David” Riel was born at the Red River Settlement, Manitoba on October 22, 1844. He was educated in theology in Montreal, but then pursued law. In 1868, he returned to the Red River area, where he had spent his childhood.
At this critical point, there were tensions between the government’s agenda of settlement and the rights of the Métis. The government, in an effort to unite Canada and “settle the west” wanted to claim the Red River settlement for farming and make room for the influx of white settlers while the Métis people who had settled there previously wanted recognition as a nation and to keep their land. Riel, fluent in English and French, spoke on behalf of them and defended their claim to nationhood. After Riel spoke for the Métis people in Manitoba, there were many battles that ensued, both in the political and military sense. Riel then went into hiding until he was asked by Gabriel Dumont and others from the Red River Settlement to lead the Métis people in 1884. Battle at Batoche, fought from May 9 – May 12, 1885, was the last major battle Riel led against the Canadian military. After losing the battle, many Métis fled and Riel surrendered himself after a period of days into the hands of the government. He was charged with high treason and hung on November 16, 1885 in Regina, Saskatchewan. (http://www.metisresourcecentre.mb.ca/bios/l_riel.htm, accessed March 3, 2009). Although Riel died, the Métis people continue to live on, their vibrant language and music are communicative of their resilience and resistance.
Who are the Métis? Métis artist and scholar, Sherry Farrell Racette notes that the identity of the Métis would be best understood considering Homi Bhabha’s notion of hybridity. Racette proposes, “the notion of fluid cultural spaces which are simultaneously marginalized and dynamic has potential for a more accurate understanding of the evolution and persistence of Métis identity. The hybrid state as described by Bhabha is at once reflective and resistant of its constructive elements. Hybridity is unpredictable and unsettling, particularly to the colonial interest” (Racette 2001: 185). Métis identity then is a fluid entity that has evolved since its inception at the Red River Settlement.
With the advent of the fur trade, many French and English men immigrated to Canada. They married Aboriginal women, resulting in a new nation of people, influenced by both Aboriginal and European traditions. These people are the Métis; they have a unique language, heritage and identity. During the nineteenth century, the best-known geographic space that the Métis occupied was the Red River Settlement. French Métis largely depended on the buffalo hunt to sustain their nomadic lifestyle while the English “half-breeds” farmed the fertile lands. The French Métis valued their Catholic religion and the English looked to their Protestant or Anglican traditions.
Métis were influenced by Aboriginal and European cultures. Perhaps their language, Michif, best reflects this influence. Michif is a unique language that combines Cree and French. Verbs are Cree while nouns are Michif-French in origin (2001:177). Peter Baaker notes that the influence of the Ojibway or Anishnaabe is also present in the Métis language, due to intermarriage between French men and Ojibway women (2001: 178). Baaker states “When the mothers of the first generation speak a language different from the fathers, the new mixed languages of their descendants, if they are a considerable group, appear to combine the grammatical system of the mother’s language and the lexicon of the father’s”(2001: 179). Adopting from Aboriginal traditions, the Métis have used oral history as a mode of communicating, the telling of stories is very important in passing on values, myths and important life skills. For example, when Métis women gather to do beadwork, often they will share stories, fostering a sense of community amongst the women while passing on their wisdom.
Métis music and dance, like identity, has been influenced by a combination of Scottish, French and Aboriginal influences. Métis depend on oral tradition to pass on knowledge, so songs were not recorded on paper, but rather passed through humming and singing. Lynn Whidden notes the similarities between Métis and Aboriginal musical traditions, such as the use of the “one beat pulse” throughout a composition. The origin of the fiddle and the Red River Jig in Métis culture, argued by Whidden, can be traced in particular to the Desjarlais family, part of the Red River Settlement (2001: 169). The songs of the Métis draw on French, English, Cree and Michif traditions. (2001:174).
Artifacts, conceptions of space
In the first module, the sculpture of Louis Riel, artifact # A 2670, CMC, will be a visual for people to identify with the man and the myth. We would also like to include a piece of rope that hung Riel, artifact # 996.2.3 a-c, people may be interested in the historical aspect. A projection of a swinging noose that moves across the space may also add to the sense of sadness conveyed by the death of Riel, as well as a sense of “urgency.” The sound of the “Red River Jig” will also be playing in this first section to convey the vibrancy of Métis today. In addition, the voice of Louis Riel, either through a phone or projected into the space will be reading his plans to convey a sense of his vision for the Métis people. We could also have some example of Métis beadwork as an example of artistic production. The Métis were identified by Ted Brasser, former curator at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, as the “flower-beadwork people.”
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Communications Museums Around the World
Hey All,
I've been doing some sleuthing in regards to other post museums on the web. Most, it seems, celebrate the technological achievements of their various locales, or, when social/cultural history comes into play, have very little web content (such as the one in St Petersburg). Most also seem geared at children (and the Macao museum's photos are almost inclusively of children interacting with its exhibitions). So, thus far, museography (if that is a word) has nothing readily available (I haven't looked to secondary lit on these establishments yet). Will keep looking.
Pete
I've been doing some sleuthing in regards to other post museums on the web. Most, it seems, celebrate the technological achievements of their various locales, or, when social/cultural history comes into play, have very little web content (such as the one in St Petersburg). Most also seem geared at children (and the Macao museum's photos are almost inclusively of children interacting with its exhibitions). So, thus far, museography (if that is a word) has nothing readily available (I haven't looked to secondary lit on these establishments yet). Will keep looking.
Pete
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