The Riel deal
Louis Riel -- Hero? Murderer? Religious nut with delusions of grandeur? I'm sure folks at the time said, "History will be the judge." Well, history still hasn't sorted it out -- though it did see fit to very nearly put him in the top ten of the CBC's The Greatest Canadian. Below Don Cherry, but above Mike Myers.
He helped found Manitoba, negotiated its entry into Canadian Confederation, led the Métis, helmed a rebellion or two, and was eventually executed for treason. He also boasted one of the greatest coifs in the history of our country. Damn right dude deserves a statue!
Chester Brown's graphic novel version of Riel's jam-packed life, Louis Riel, is a must-read. It makes Canadian politics so damn exciting and poetic and beautiful and tragic that you'll reconsider all your assumptions about the universe.
The statue in the watercolour sketch up there overlooks the Assiniboine just behind the Legislature. As I was finishing up, a Francophone pulling stunts on his BMX bike saw what I was doing and said, "You should add the noose around his neck." Guess some people are still touchy when it comes to the guy.
posted by Jeremy Boxen at 5:28 PM
5 Comments:
Jeremy, I just wanted to let you know that we are reading and enjoying your blog. I wish I had a funny comment, but you'll just have to settle for praise.
By the way. "S" is Simone.
Glad you're there!
I know all about Louis Riel because some thoughtful person gave me that beautiful Chester Brown picture book about him! ;) Lovely watercolour, Bear!
Everything I ever learned, I learned from comic books. And movies. And the internet. Comic books, movies, the internet... and a little bit of TV.
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