BREAKING NEWS—After Manitoba entered Canada as a province, Canada sent troops to Red River to secure the territory. The move has helped settle some of the anger in Ontario over the death of Thomas Scott. History Happens has learned that Canada has granted amnesty to all members of the provisional government at Red River, except those it holds responsible for Scott’s death. This includes Métis leader, Louis Riel.
Mr. Riel has forced us into this deal by showing his willingness to use violence. In my opinion, the Manitoba Act gives French Catholics too much power. Canada is a British dominion, after all. The west needs the firm stamp of British institutions and the English language.
Here’s the only good thing about the Manitoba Act: the new province is the size of a postage stamp!
An Ontario voter
We are pleased that the Manitoba Act acknowledges the French language and our Canadien culture, and we commend M. Riel for standing up to defend our culture as Francophone, Catholic people. The Francophones of western Canada will take their place beside the Canadiens of Québec and the Acadians of the Maritimes.
Un Canadien de l'ouest
We are disappointed that we had to create a crisis before Canada would even consider our rights. We have some concerns, now the crisis is over, that Canada may not honour its commitments.
The Manitoba Act promises us land, but instead of land, the government has given us “scrip” that we can exchange for land. The rules for exchanging scrip are complicated, and many of us have lost our homes.
Some of the new settlers coming from Ontario, and some of the troops Mr. Macdonald has sent, treat us like enemies. One of our people, Elzéar Goulet, has been murdered, but no one has been arrested for it.
Many Métis people have decided to leave Red River, which has become an unwelcoming and even dangerous place.
A former citizen of Red River
The Manitoba Act solves nothing for the First Nations peoples who live in the territory Canada now claims. We also have rights. Canada also needs to negotiate with us.
One voice among many
Seems like you’ve weathered the crisis, for now. The people of Red River have negotiated an agreement with Canada, and now Canada has sent troops to occupy the area. If the territory had fallen into our hands, we would have taken it, but we don’t really want to fight you for it. Canada has used a carrot and a stick to gain control of the northwest—first the carrot of negotiation and now the stick of military might.
American