{"id":71441,"date":"2020-11-20T14:55:29","date_gmt":"2020-11-20T19:55:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/?post_type=cu_story&p=71441"},"modified":"2025-10-17T16:47:55","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T20:47:55","slug":"louis-riel-day-elder-tony-belcourt","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/story\/louis-riel-day-elder-tony-belcourt\/","title":{"rendered":"Carleton Marks Louis Riel Day with Talk by Elder Tony Belcourt"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Carleton Marks Louis Riel Day with Talk by Elder Tony Belcourt\n <\/h1>\n \n <\/header>\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/path>\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\n <\/div>\n\n \n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

Carleton University\u2019s Centre for Indigenous Initiatives<\/a> (CII) marked Louis Riel Day on Nov. 16, 2020 with an online session led by M\u00e9tis Elder Tony Belcourt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belcourt is a knowledge keeper and longtime M\u00e9tis rights advocate who spoke on the important contributions and history of M\u00e9tis people in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two-hour gathering began with Belcourt speaking about his experiences growing up in a M\u00e9tis-French community near Edmonton, followed by the history of Louis Riel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Theresa
Theresa Hendricks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Theresa Hendricks, a M\u00e9tis person and CII\u2019s Indigenous Special Projects and Administrative Coordinator, said listening to Belcourt was an honour.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cLearning about M\u00e9tis history through someone with a wealth of knowledge on the subject is an experience many Canadians would benefit from,\u201d said Hendricks.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cThis kind of knowledge is not widely known.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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History Behind Louis Riel Day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Louis Riel Day is a significant one in the M\u00e9tis community as it commemorates Riel\u2019s life, M\u00e9tis culture, language, heritage and homeland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Louis
Louis Riel (Photo: I. Bennetto & Co.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Oliver Thorne, a Carleton master\u2019s student in Indigenous and Canadian Studies<\/a>, said the session showed him how the narrative about Riel has shifted with time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOriginally, Louis was looked at by the state, specifically by Prime Minister John A. McDonald, (as) a thorn in their side. But now, that narrative has shifted to an original proponent of multiculturalism and diversity in Canada,\u201d said Thorne, who believes this national narrative should be critically analyzed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1800s, Riel was an advocate for M\u00e9tis and minority rights, such as preservation of French language and Indigenous rights to land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riel was elected as a Member of Parliament. However, he never sat in the House of Commons due to being prosecuted as a traitor to the government, explained Belcourt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After years of fighting for Indigenous and French rights, Riel was hung in 1885.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Growing up M\u00e9tis in the 1940s to 1960s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Belcourt narrated how his father lived off the land, from hunting to fishing to trapping\u2014as many M\u00e9tis did, too\u2014and how winter presented a struggle for numerous members of the community due to lack of food sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t realize how poor we were,\u201d said Belcourt.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cSometimes we would go into the store and I would see all these vegetables and foods like banana and wonder what they would taste like.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

He then referred to the historical relevance of the church and its conceptualization of Indigenous people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belcourt explained how M\u00e9tis and First Nations people were only allowed to go to mass during the week, while French folks would go during the weekend, usually on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn Indian day\u2014as they called it\u2014the priest sent a message that we were all sinners and awful people,\u201d said Belcourt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One day, when Belcourt was 22 years old, he ventured into Sunday mass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was curious and went on French day. The atmosphere was different. The priest would say: \u2018Oh, you wonderful children of God.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis shows how much there was a difference between how people saw us and how people saw (other) people,\u201d said Belcourt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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