Louis Riel Day 2006
Presentation

On Thursday November 16th, 2006 -- Louis Riel Day -- Métis Nation of Ontario President Tony Belcourt spoke the following words at the Queen's Park Legislature Building and presented Anishnabek Nation Grand Council Chief John Beaucage with a plaque to commemorate the eight First Nations men hanged with Louis Riel in 1885.

As we know, Riel was hanged on this day in 1885. What is not also known, very widely or spoken of, is that a few days later on November the 27th, Eight First Nations men were also hanged, they were given swift trials, they didn’t have interpreters, they didn’t have lawyers on their behalf… a special gallows was built so that all eight of them would drop at the same time. It was this huge spectacle, where people were brought together, Indian people were brought there too to Battleford to watch this ugly spectacle. I mentioned that because our people, First Nations and Metis, have lived side by side, intermarried, supported each other and also supported each other in times of war. First Nations people were having a tough time on the prairie at this time of resistance. And many of them weren’t even involved, but, because the government wanted to teach them a lesson and they wanted to force them onto the reserves that they did not want to go on. Many of them were charged, Big Bear, Pound maker, charged, thrown in Stony Mountain penitentiary. But these six men were hanged.

And so, in recognition of that, the fact that we have this wonderful nation to nation relationship with the Anishnabek Nation, I want to make a presentation to Grand Council Chief John Beaucage.

This plaque reads:

“In Remembrance,

In memory of the Cree, Saulteux, Lakota, and Dakota people, who suffered, were unjustly imprisoned or died during the time when things went wrong, including during and after events in 1885 also known as the Métis Northwest Resistance. In honouring, in particular, the following eight men who were hanged together on the morning of Nov 27, 1885 in Battleford Saskatchewan.

Miserable man Bad Arrow Round the Sky Wandering Spirit Iron Body Little Bear Itka Man Without Blood

Is presented to Anishnabek Grand Council Chief John Beaucage, in commemoration of the historic nation to nation relationship between the Anishnabek Nation and the Métis Nation, Louis Riel Day, November 16th, 2006."

Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope that I’ve inspired you to want to learn more about Riel, I hope you will get his writings, read them, get a very… our side of the story, our reflection, of history. And let’s hope that one day in this great province of ours, the true history of the Métis Nation and our contributions to the building of Canada will be told and taught in our schools. Thank you very much.