NEW LIGHT ON LOUIS RIEL

Man who betrayed Riel still
remembered as fraifor by Metis

IS is the second of a series

from a letter on Louis Riel
written by J. B. Brady of Stanley
Mission, Sask., whose grand-
father fought with Riel.

T WAS following Duck Lake

that the first break between
Riel and the clergy emerged.
Originally, the clergy had been
effusive in expressing their sup-
port for the Metis cause. They
fervently believed that in Riel
and the French Metis they had
a political pressure group sub-
servient to their will.

The French language element,
in this period found their main
strength among the French Met-
is, ardent free traders with a
local tradition of resistance to
monopoly. It is true that although
the Metis were illiterate their
leaders knew what they wanted,
as the relative documents of the
period amply prove.

This trend had earlier crystal-
ized in the Sayer Incident under
the leadership of Louis I’Irlande
and marked a historic turning
point in Western history.

There appeared a concrete na-
tionalist feeling inspired by the
eonfused resistance of a semi-
nomadic people against the en-

‘ eroachments of civilization but
vitiated by the ambitions of the
French Catholic hierarchy for a
political, cultural and _ clerical
hegemony over the developing
Western prairies consonant in its
outline with the corporatism of
latter day Italian fascism.

It is undeniable that the clergy
fully supported the Metis in their
political demands on Ottawa. The

Bill of Rights adopted by the
Metis significantly betrays the
clerical influence, particularly
with respect to inclusive educa-

-

Louis Riel, the 68th annivers-
ary of whose death will be com-
memorated on November 16, lies
buried in the grounds of St. Boni-
face Cathedral, Winnipeg.

tional privileges and other econ-
omic concessions for the clergy.

In the earlier rising in Mani-
toba, the French-Canadians were
nominally sympathetic to Riel
and considerable advantages had
accrued to them thereby. The
French party however, had bas-

OPEN FORUM

Not quite correct

T. A. BARNARD, Nanaimo,
B.c.: In your issue of October
23, Dyson Carter has an article
in which he says in part: “Per-
haps our most exciting experi-
ences were in Soviet Armenia.
We were the first Canadians to
visit that land.”

This is not quite correct as
the writer was there in 1936,
was three days in Erevan, the
capital, and was the guest there
of the university professors. We
also visited, among other places,
Lake Levan, one of the highest
lakes in the world, and saw plans
of their proposed tremendous
hydro developments.

We went from Armenia to
Baku and from there to Tash-
kent and other places.

Always a red bogey

JACK OGBORNE, Nelson, B.C.:
Once more the world is being
treated to a first class lesson on
the theory and practice of “de-
mocracy” under capitalism. This
time it is British Guiana.

Born out of the misery and suf-
fering of the Guianese (whose
burdens have become unbearable
under the callous, inhuman treat-
ment of the British ruling class)
was the People’s Progressive
party. The PPP received power-
ful support from the Guianese
because of its steadfastness and
loyalty to the people, so well
epitomised in its program and
parliamentary action.

: Enjoying the confidence and
_ trust of the people, the PPP was

. elected to a majority position in

parliament, where it introduced
_ legislation curtailing some of the
ugliness of British exploitation

and for improvement of the lot
of an unhappy people.

Sir Winston Churchill, quick
to respond to the interests of his
class, deployed a battle cruiser
and two frigates of troops to
British Guiana. What for? Was
it to protect the PPP in its demo-
cratic endeavors? Oh no. The
Colonial Office (British head jail-
er organization of the colonial
people) has strutted out the rea-
son for warships and troops —
“A Red plot by the leaders of
the PPP under orders from Mos-
cow!”

- Yes, there must always be a
red bogey — otherwise there is
no plot. That goes whether it
be of local or international color.
(Tom Alsbury, president of Van-
couver Trades and Labor Coun-
cil, has made a similar discovery
of a “Red plot” in connection
with the Fishermen’s Union).

And now take a glance at the
attitude adopted by President
Eisenhower, John Foster Dulles
and their friends, who shower
praise upon the British for “their
decisive and forceful action in
dealing with the Guiana situa-
tion.”

Sounds rather puzzling to us
people who are forever being re-
minded about the “great demo-
cratic way of life” of our Ameri-
can neighbor. The radio tubes
tremble to.almost the bursting
point with speeches, singing and
dramatics extolling the high qual-
ity of U.S. tolerance and human-
itarianism. .. .

According to the Americans, it
is only the Reds who advocate
force and violence, whilst our
highly civilized and cultured way
of life advocates the ballot box
procedure — only the boxes are
loaded with atom and hydrogen
bombs and bacteria germs!

ed their efforts within strict legal
and constitutional bounds.

With the influx of the Ontario
element had come the advance
wave of pecuniary adventurism,
the land grabbers and exploiters
of every hue and degree herald-
ing the full blown panoply of
monopoly capitalism. The seden-
tary Red River, French and the
nomadic Metis were -caught in
this vicious maelstrom.

While the French - Canadians
protested and appealed for re-
dress of their rights, actual or
implied, under the Quebec and
British North America acts, hard
headed Anglo-Saxon realists of
the type of Schultz, Coldwell and
Buckingham were carrying into
effect the ruthless spoilation of
the earlier settlers and the de-
basement of the native popula-
tion. While the French orated
the English acted.

Due to the militancy of the
Red River Metis the French-Can-
adians and Roman Catholic hier-
archy had achieved certain con-
crete advantages which were not
seriously disputed until the
Greenway administration depriv-
ed them of these solemnly guar-
anteed rights. The hierarchy had
supported the Metis agitation in
Saskatchewan in all its main de-
mands. ~

Riel’s arrival in 1884 had been
acclaimed by all sections of the
populace, including among them
the approbation of the clergy.

Undoubtedly, the hierarchy felt.

that a policy of moderate pres-
sure by Riel would bring further
benefits. Consequently they en-
couraged the Metis to seek a re-
vindication of their ancient rights
in the North West Territories.

The intransigence of Ottawa
and the failure of the white set-
tlers to take up arms convinced
them of the futility of insurrec-
tion and the necessity of avoiding
political association by implica-
tion. This led to their betrayal of
the Metis in the best Machiavel-
lian manner and their realign-
ment with the forces of status
quo repression.

It was this conscious though
belated realization of the clerical
role which led Riel and his coun-
cil to repudiate the clergy.

The behavior of Father Vegre-
ville is illuminating in this re-
spect. During the siege of Bat-
oche he had full liberty of move-
ment. Despite their refusal of
religious ministration to the reb-
els, the clergy were not molested.

During the night of May 11-12
which preceded the final day of
battle, Father Vegreville entered
General Middleton’s camp _be-
fore dawn and delivered a full
report on the condition of the be-
seiged, noting particularly their
dwindling ammunition supply
and suggested an all-out immedi-
ate attack. Acting on this intel-
ligence Batoche was stormed.

Following the collapse of the
rebellion he was hurriedly re-
moved from the Saskatchewan
mission field. To this day he is
remembered as a traitor by the
Saskatchewan Metis.

NEXT WEEK: Riel’s concept
of a nation in the Northwest as
“a haven for the world’s oppress-
ed peoples.”

SS

“They should be here somewhere:

OPERATION PEACEMEAL

THEY SHOULD
BE HERE
SOMEWHERE:

Red-baiter caught red-handed A,

Tho mental bankruptcy of ted-baiting daily pres> © at 107°
revealed by the cartoons reproduced above. The cartoon week?
inally appeared in a British publication, Reveille for the i )
September 25-27, this year. Six weeks later the ¢@”
appeared in the Vancouver News-Herald of November 4 ©
former cartoonist for the Vancouver Daily Province an
ist for the Toronto Globe and Mail, obviously lifted the
political cartoon by Paton, added his own red-baiting
it to his political purposes and had it syndicated to *
News-Herald and other papers as his own original Wy

Guiana police seize poem

wee poems of resistance written by Martin Carters i
chairman of the British Guiana Peace Committee,
being published by his wife, have been seized b
police. fe
The poems, which criticised the sending of tr00P dye
were seized by the police as they came off the Lethe
poem said:

Although you came in thousands from the pt “
Although you walk like locusts in the streets set,
Although you point your gun straight at ™Y ©

It clench my fist above my head,

| sing my song of freedom.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — NOVEMBER 13,