Birthday of Louis Riel

Louis Riel was a leader of the francophone Métis communities in Red River (now Winnipeg), Montana, and central Saskatchewan. In 1874, he described the Canadian Confederation as "a deceit". Although he had become an American citizen after exile from Red River, he was executed by the Canadian state in 1885 for his part in the resistance in what would become Saskatchewan. Today, Canadian politicians and official Métis organizations continue to cover-up and recuperate his legacy.