Imagine that the land you have been living on for years has been taken away. The government promises to help you technically and financially, but nothing is done to help. You and your family are starving and dying. This is what the government did to the Metis & First Peoples in the late 1800's. Louis Riel was a man who led two rebellions in Canada to help the lives of the Metis and the First Peoples, so they can have the rights that they deserve. How should Riel be viewed in Canadian history? Riel should be viewed as a HERO to the Canadian people because he fought for the rights of those who were being treated unfairly due to the government.
             First of all, Louis Riel was the leader of the Metis people and he helped them get rights so they could live! The Metis were very upset towards the government. Their land was surveyed into square blocks and their long; narrow river-lot farms were being ignored. They wanted people to respect their culture (mainly the language and the religion). Louis Riel became their leader because he was well educated, he was born in the Red River Settlement, and he was a very persuasive speaker who spoke both English and French. On December 8, 1869, Riel helped set up a provisional government that replaced the National Committee. This government (with Riel) wrote up a List of Rights asking for what they wanted. Some of the rights were to, have set land aside for schools, roads, and public buildings, and have Winnipeg connected by rail to the nearest railway line. Also, to have the treaties signed between the federal government and the Native people in the area. On July 15, 1870, the!
             area around the Red River Settlement became one province (Manitoba) and the land was for the Metis to live on. A surveyor by the name of Thomas Scott was part of a group that did not care about the Metis, and even had permission to drive the Metis away. Thomas Scott went to jail when the Metis took
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