Louis Riel devoted his life to the Métis cause. A fiery activist, he chose the side of the underdog and struggled against injustice as he saw it. Today, he is the subject of books, plays, poems, statues, and an opera, and his complete collected writings have been published in French and English. Many Canadians who know little about history or the Métis cause have heard of him.
There are a thousand “what ifs” in Louis’s story. What if he had not allowed the execution of Thomas Scott? With his talents, and without the fanatical persecution of Ontario’s Orange Protestants, he would surely have made a career in Canadian politics and held an honoured place as the “Father of Manitoba.” What if Lieutenant-Governor Archibald had reached Red River before Wolseley and his troops? There would have been a dignified handing-over ceremony with a feu de joie, and with the new lieutenant-governor in charge, Riel might never have had to flee at all.