Member of the Northwest Métis Council, City Council Representatives and Dryden Police gather for Métis Flag Raising on Louis Riel Day. Staff Photo.
A day to honour the contributions of Louis Riel and progress on Métis rights in Canada.
The Northwest Métis Council, Members of Dryden City Council and Police gathered to honour Louis Riel Day at City Hall Tuesday.
“We celebrate his devotion to the Métis, if it wasn’t for Louis Riel really fighting for us back in those days we wouldn’t be doing this today,” stresses Janet Hipfner, President of the Northwest Métis Council.
November 16 is the anniversary of Riel’s execution in 1885 but Hipfner says it’s also a day to celebrate Métis culture and the continuing progress both locally and nationally.
“We’ve got an excellent group of council that are working towards our self government and for our region.”
Riel led Métis people in the Northwest Resistance against the Government for encroaching on Métis rights and way of life.
Following the resistance, Métis people across Canada were labeled traitors and for generations felt the need to hide their culture and heritage.
Despite this, many Métis people found a way to preserve their way-of-life and passed it on to current generations.
