Northwest Rebellion Part 1

Question 1

What did the Government of Canada promise the Metis in Manitoba Act of 1870 that they never received?

Answer 1

• Promise to set aside land for 7000 descendants of the Red River Metis
• By 1884, there was still no land grants from the Government

Question 2

Where did the Metis go that were frustrated by waiting for over 10 years for the Government to keep its promise?

Answer 2

They left Manitoba, and moved to the District of Saskatchewan

Question 3

What census data shows how many Metis people moved away from Manitoba by 1886?

Answer 3

In 16 years (1870-1886) the Metis population dropped from 83% of Manitoba to just 7%.

Question 4

Who was Gabriel Dumont and why did he go to Montana in 1884?

Answer 4

• A Metis leader from Saskatchewan who was helping lead the Metis against the Federal government, but knew Riel was better at the legal and written part.
• Dumont was a warrior and hunter. His leadership style was to fight, not to write legal documents

Question 5

When Louis Riel returns to Canada, he is even more religious than before in terms of what he believes. What is his first response to solving the issue for the Metis against the Canadian Government?

Answer 5

He wrote a petition to the Federal Government in 1884 to get the Government to settle the land claims that the Metis had been denied

Question 6

When a petition is ignored by the Canadian Government, what is the next step taken by he and Gabriel Dumont? What roles did they have in the new organization?

Answer 6

• Once Riel and Dumont saw how the Federal Government ignored the Metis Petitions they decided more drastic measures were needed
• They organized an army of 300 men and took an Oath of Revolution
• Riel set up a government like he did at Red River, placing himself as
  president and Dumont as leader of the Militia

Question 7

Explain what happened at the Battle of Duck Lake. This is the first battle of the Northwest Rebellion.

Answer 7

• Dumont and his Metis men robbed a store at Duck Lake to get supplies
• The next day British Troops came to find them about the robbery
• Dumont had the Metis hide, while his brother and a First Nation elder went
  to discuss the situation with the Troops
• Gunfire started between the 2 sides and there were many casualties before
  the British troops retreated
• This was the first battle of the Northwest Rebellion