The Metis community of Prince George will march on city hall this coming week, with the spirit of Louis Riel at the front of the procession.
The Honour Walk for Louis Riel will start at the Courthouse at 4 p.m. on Tuesday and promenade to the lawns of City Hall where the Metis flag will be raised and a proclamation read from the municipality, recognizing Metis Week in Prince George.
"It is the 125th anniversary of his (Riel's) death," said local Metis leader Patrick Pocha. "We will beat our drums as we walk down the street. He is a Father of Canada, he was a founder of the province of Manitoba, and he died for us. He was hung for treason, acting on behalf of the Metis people. The least we can do is keep his memory alive."
To be Metis is to be born a racial mix of European and Aboriginal lineage. This culture was recognized most distinctly in the Red River valley of what is now Manitoba, but it is now a cross-Canada social force.
The seat of the Metis movement continues to be the Red River area. "There is a great big monument to Louis Riel at St. Boniface," said Pocha, and many Metis make pilgrimages there to explore the roots of the culture and the history of the Red River Rebellion (1869) and the Northwest Rebellion (spring and summer, 1885), both of which featured Riel in a leading role. He was hanged for this in Regina on Nov. 16, 1885.
Saskatchewan and Manitoba are dotted with historic sites and tributes to Riel and the Metis cause. Pocha feels he is a living monument to Riel.
"My great-grandfather, Patrice Fleury, played a big part with Louis Riel. My grandparents' godparents were Louis Riel and his wife."
