North-West Rebellion opens with the Battle of Duck Lake (1885)

The Battle of Duck Lake occurred on 26 March 1885 as an infantry skirmish between Canadian North-West Mounted Police forces and the Métis militia of Louis Riel's Provisional Government of Saskatchewan. This engagement marked the opening of the North-West Rebellion, following Riel's return from exile and the establishment of his provisional government earlier that month.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Louis Riel, a Métis political leader, returned from United States exile in 1884 after being asked by Métis delegations to appeal to the government. On March 8, 1885, Riel and prominent Métis at Batoche passed a Revolutionary Bill of Rights. On March 19, 1885, Riel self-affirmed the existence of the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan, setting the stage for armed conflict with government forces.

Commemoration. In 2008, Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Christine Tell stated in Duck Lake that the 125th commemoration in 2010 was an opportunity to tell the story of the prairie Métis and First Nations peoples' struggle with Government forces. This struggle is viewed as having shaped Canada today.

Sources

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