THUNDER BAY — A flag-raising at city hall for Louis Riel Day underlined a growing relationship between the city and the region’s Métis community, one soon to be formalized in a memorandum of understanding with the Métis Nation of Ontario.
On Wednesday, Louis Riel Day marked the anniversary of the Métis leader's execution in 1885 after being convicted of treason for leading the Northwest Rebellion.
“As a result, Métis people across Canada were labeled as traitors and for generations many felt the need to hide their Métis culture and heritage,” the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) says.
Wendy Houston, president of the MNO’s Thunder Bay and District Métis Council, called the day a chance to continue reevaluating Riel’s complicated legacy.
“Growing up, I was always told he was a traitor,” she said. “He wasn’t really looked upon [kindly] until not very long ago, when all of a sudden you started seeing all of the good and positive things. I started reading more and hearing more, and I’m like, this guy’s kind of a hero – he’s the reason I’m standing here.”
Newly-minted Mayor Ken Boshcoff, attending the flag-raising as his first major official duty, said Riel had played a “vital role” in Canadian history and recognized his “positive legacy” in defending Métis rights and founding the province of Manitoba. The mayor noted he had visited Riel’s gravesite, calling himself “a bit of a history buff.”
The day is also about celebrating the resurgence of Métis culture, Houston added, saying there are now around 1,500 verified MNO citizens across the Thunder Bay District.
An upcoming feast for Métis citizens is among a growing slate of events bringing the community together, she said.
Boshcoff called the planned memorandum of understanding with the MNO an example of how the city can implement its commitment to reconciliation in “more than just a philosophical way… with a greater depth of sincerity.”
“The fact we now have in the city a memorandum of understanding means we may be a couple of centuries slow to react, but we have,” he said. “From now on… I believe the attitude here is going to be much more positive and will continue to grow.”
The agreement would provide for information-sharing, opportunities for joint projects with the potential for "capacity funding," and a potential dispute-resolution process.
It’s set to be one of the first bilateral agreements between the MNO and a municipality.
A draft presented to city council in June states the city “acknowledges that future plans and projects… may impact the exercise of Métis Rights and Interests given that the City of Thunder Bay is located within the Traditional Territory” of the Métis, and commits to work with the MNO to mitigate those impacts.
Along with Fort William First Nation, the city recognizes the Métis Nation of Ontario and Red Sky Métis Independent Nation as "the official rights holders and traditional custodians of the lands comprising Thunder Bay."
