Name: ______________________________________________ _Date:______________________

LM 5.8

Analysis: Louis Riels Summation to the Jury

This activity is designed to give you the opportunity to be the judge and jury at Louis Riels trial. Part o Riels summation is on page !"#. $ere is the complete te%t o that summation given on &uly '() !""*. +t is important to note that Riel ,as not allo,ed to give his statement until after the verdict ,as announced. Read Riels remarks, then respond to the questions. When I came to the North West in July, 1884, I found the Indians suffering. I found the half-breeds eating the rotten pork of the udson !ay "ompany and getting sick and #eak e$ery day. %lthough a half-breed, and ha$ing no pretensions to help the Whites, I also paid attention to them. I sa# they #ere depri$ed of responsible go$ernment. I sa# they #ere depri$ed of their public liberties. I ha$e directed my attention to help the Indians, to help the half-breeds and to help the Whites to the best of my ability. We ha$e made petitions, I ha$e made petitions #ith others to the "anadian go$ernment asking to relie$e the condition of this country. We ha$e taken time& #e ha$e tried to unite all classes, e$en if I may speak, all parties. 'he only things I #ould like to call your attention to before you retire are( 1st 'hat the ouse of "ommons, )enate and *inisters of the +ominion, #ho make la#s for this land and go$ern it, are no representation #hate$er of the people of the North West. ,nd 'hat the North West "ouncil generated by the -ederal .o$ernment has the great defect of its parent. /rd 'he number of members elected for the "ouncil by the people make it only a sham representati$e 0egislature and no representati$e go$ernment at all. !ritish ci$ili1ation #hich rules today the #orld, and the !ritish constitution, ha$e defined such go$ernment as this is #hich rules the North-West 'erritories as irresponsible go$ernment, #hich plainly means that there is no responsibility, and by all the science #hich has been sho#n here yesterday you are compelled to admit that if there is no responsibility, it is insane. 23iel is referring to "ro#n #itnesses #ho testified that he #as insane.4 .ood sense combined #ith scientific theories lead to the same conclusion. !y the testimony laid before you during my trial #itnesses on both sides made it certain that petition after petition had been sent to the federal go$ernment, and so irresponsible is that go$ernment to the North West that in the course of se$eral years besides doing nothing to satisfy the people of this great land, it has e$en hardly been able to ans#er once or gi$e a single response. 'hat fact #ould indicate an absolute lack of responsibility, and therefore insanity complicated #ith paralysis. -continued.

Name: ______________________________________________ _Date:______________________

If you take the plea of the defence that I am not responsible for my acts, ac5uit me completely since I ha$e been 5uarreling #ith an insane and irresponsible .o$ernment. If you pronounce in fa$our of the "ro#n, #hich contends that I am responsible, ac5uit me all the same. 6ou are perfectly 7ustified in declaring that ha$ing my reason and sound mind, I ha$e acted reasonably and in self-defence, #hile the .o$ernment, my accuser, being irresponsible, conse5uently cannot ha$e but acted #rong, and if high treason there is, it must be on its side and not on my part. 'he agitation of the North-West territories #ould ha$e been constitutional, and #ould certainly be constitutional today, if, in my opinion, #e had not been attacked. 8erhaps the "ro#n has not been able to find out the particulars, that #e #ere attacked, but as #e #ere on the scene, it #as easy to understand. When #e sent petitions to the .o$ernment, they used to ans#er us by sending police. 1. Analy e this primary sour!e do!ument: a. /hat is Riels purpose in ma0ing this speech1

b. /hat is Riels tone1 /hy1

c. $o, reliable is the in ormation presented1

g. /hat conclusions can you ma0e about the government) 2etis) and 3irst Nations based on Riels speech1

". #our turn to $e Jud%e and Jury: +n your opinion) is Louis Riel guilty1 Provide ' reasons or your position. 4e prepared to de end your position5