Muddied Water CBC Discover & Learn

Louis Riel used his poetry to sort through his thoughts. It’s one of the ways we begin to understand the complexity of the man -- one who has been called a variety of names including: rebel, hero, traitor and lunatic. He is also called the Founder of Manitoba. In this episode host Stephanie Cram explores the legacy of Louis Riel, 150 years after he ushered Manitoba into confederation. As we explore his story, we uncover a complicated history, one that has an impact on Métis identity today.

CREDITS: Stephanie Cram, Kim Kaschor, Samuel Rancourt, Janice Moeller, Bertram Schneider

First Nations people living in and around the Red River Settlement had a name for Métis people. Translated from Saulteaux, it is “the people that own themselves.” Métis people maintained much of their independence in the settlement because of their ability to organize and govern themselves. From the carts that made the journey possible to the hunt which provided sustenance to the community, this episode breaks down the organizational complexity of the buffalo hunt and explains how it remains a model for governance today.

CREDITS: Stephanie Cram. Kim Kaschor. Janice Moeller. Bertram Schneider.

Where are you from? The answer to that is an important part of understanding the identity of Métis people. Having a strip of land to call home is not just an issue of Indigenous rights but an important factor in one’s connection to community and culture. Frank Sais is from Rooster Town, a Métis community that once stood in what is now the southwest portion of Winnipeg...but was dissolved by the city in the 1960s. The story of Rooster Town is a window into how Métis people built community in Manitoba and how Canada’s broken promises continue to impact them today.

CREDITS: Stephanie Cram. Kim Kaschor. Janice Moeller. Bertram Schneider.

Métis people have a complicated relationship with the Church. For some, Catholicism is an important part of their identity; for others it is a reminder of the harm done by colonization, particularly when it comes to the role Christian churches played in residential schools and a state-sponsored attempt to assimilate Indigenous people. As we look at Canada’s attempts to control Manitoba after 1870, we see some of the ways Catholics -- French Canadian Catholics in particular -- worked alongside the Métis to assert their rights. We also see what makes the two groups different, and why many Métis people today are leaving behind their Catholic roots and seeking ceremony and the traditions held by First Nations elders.

Throughout history, Métis people have protected the land with their bodies and sometimes their lives, which is a source of inspiration for Jenna Vandal whose own family stories of resistance motivated her to block developers from taking over a stretch of traditional Métis land. The act of resistance is an important part of reclaiming and reviving the history and culture of Métis people, but it’s not always about might. In this episode we also explore the act of resistance through art.

CREDITS: Stephanie Cram. Kim Kaschor. Brooke Schreiber. Manitoba Museum archives. Justin Deeley. Gemma Peralta. Samuel Rancourt. Bryan Harder. Chris McPherson. Janice Moeller. Bertram Schneider.

Who are the Métis? It’s complicated. This podcast explores the history of Métis people in Manitoba, beginning with Louis Riel who was hero to some and traitor to others. Host Stephanie Cram unravels the intricate history of the Métis...and follows the thread from resistance to renaissance.