BC Métis Federation sent a letter today to ask for support to exonerate Louis Riel as Monday marks the 135th anniversary of the wrongful hanging:
Dear Premier Horgan,
I am writing in my capacity as the elected President for the BC Métis Federation which represents approximately 3500 Métis people throughout British Columbia.
Each year we have been commemorating the wrongful execution of one of our most important historic leaders for the Métis people, that being Louis Riel’s death in Regina on November 16th, 1885.
We have held numerous events, lectures and requested the Provincial Government as well as municipal governments throughout BC to raise the Métis flag as a symbol of this historical event for the last number of years. This has had moderate success.
We are now on the eve of Louis Riel’s 135 anniversary and we are demanding that action is immediately taken to exonerate Louis Riel as part of a national coalition with growing support from across Canada. For example, earlier this week the National Assembly in Quebec passed this motion:
That the National Assembly commemorate the hanging of Louis Riel which took place 135 years ago, on November 16, 1885; May she remember that the hanging of Louis Riel created a national rally of solidarity with the Métis people;
That the National Assembly ask the federal government to exonerate Louis Riel as soon as possible.
Your government has demonstrated leadership on several Indigenous issues in our Province but reconciliation for the Metis people and full inclusion of duly elected Métis organizations has remained elusive to your Métis engagement policies. However, despite these challenges support for this issue provides tangible reconciliation efforts in our view. Therefore, we are requesting that your government support a motion to call on the Federal Government to exonerate Louis Riel.
