Prairie Fire: The 1885 Northwest Rebellion

This is a solid and well-written history about the Northwest Rebellion of 1885. The players here were the native Indian tribes (Cree, Blackfeet, etc), the Metis (mixed-breed white-native American), and whites. The Canadian government employed the same kind of heavy-handed policies towards the native Americans in what would become Manitoba that Washington usually showed towards the Indians in the US. The Metis were culturally much closer to the whites. Ottawa, again with a heavy hand, disregarded the long-held land claims of the Metis, and started giving away land the Metis felt was theirs. The rebellion was not long-lived: Ottawa dispatched troops with artillery and gatling guns over the not fully completed Canadian Pacific Railway. Most of the native tribes did not join the Metis. Louis Riel, who might be described as half-mad, half-visionary (the dividing line, with Riel and many others like him is often rather fuzzy) was the Metis leader, but lacked military skills. After his capture Ottawa, again showing a heavy hand, decided to hang Riel and helped make him a folk hero. The book has photographs, engravings, and maps, and the writing is good. My favorite parts both involve native Americans. One, named Miserable Man, participated in the rebellion and was hanged. I like that name! The other, named One Arrow, was accused of treason against the Queen. The charges, when translated into Cree, accused One Arrow of personally knocking the Queen's bonnet off and stabbing her in her behind with a knife: One Arrow vehemently denied doing any such things to the Queen. Fine history!