Prime Minister Ready to Rethink Riel’s Place in History
Prime Minister Paul Martin and Metis National Council Vice President Audrey Poitras at a press conference wrapping up the Canada-Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable.
Prime Minister Paul Martin says it’s time to rethink Louis Riel’s place in Canadian history. His remarks came at the end of a one-day summit in Ottawa with more than 70 aboriginal leaders from across the country, including a Métis delegation led by Métis National Council Vice-President, Audrey Poitras.
In her opening statement to the Prime Minister’s Aboriginal Roundtable, Vice-President, Audrey Poitras said of the renewed relationship building process between Canada and the Métis Nation, “A priority within these negotiations will be to address the Canadian state sanctioned injustice against Louis Riel. This stain on Canada’s history must finally be dealt with. However, a quick fix pardon or exoneration is unacceptable. The truth must finally come out in order to truly being the process of reconciliation between our people and Canada.”
There’s great interest in the Liberal Caucus “to have a tangible recognition of Louis Riel’s contributions to the Métis Nation and to Canada as a whole” Mr. Martin said at a press conference wrapping up the summit.
The minister in charge of Métis issues, Denis Coderre, said “Riel is an integral part of the heritage of Canada. For some, he remains a controversial figure. For others, the first fighter of Métis right within Confederation”.
However he is viewed, no one can deny “the strength of his convictions and the deep pride” Riel stirs in the Métis. We have to address that situation,” he added.
Coderre said he will be meeting with the Métis National Council to work out the details. The MNC says a pardon for Riel is not acceptable because he was never guilty in the first place.
Riel and other Métis forced Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A MacDonald, to accept Manitoba as a full-fledged province. Riel was politically destroyed in a rigged trial for righteously defending Métis land from federal encroachment.
The Métis hero was hanged in 1885 for his role in the Northwest Rebellion. |
