The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations; the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs; and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services, issued the following statement today on Louis Riel Day:
"Today we honour the life and legacy of Louis Riel on the 137th anniversary of his execution. Known as the Father of Manitoba for his role in founding the province and bringing it into the confederacy, Louis Riel was a proud advocate for Métis and minority francophone rights in Canada and played a leading role in both the Red River and Northwest Resistance.
On this day, we also recognize Métis individuals and communities who continue Riel's work to protect Métis rights and culture. In July, Minister Miller was honoured to attend the 50th anniversary of Back to Batoche Days and announced that $124.5 million from Budget 2022 will go towards supporting the Métis Nation Housing Strategy. Housing investments from Budget 2022 have also been announced to support the Métis Settlements General Council in Alberta and the Northwest Territories Métis Nation.
As part of Back to Batoche Days, Minister Vandal also announced that Parks Canada is transferring approximately 690 hectares of land situated on the west side of the Batoche National Historic Site to the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan along with a commitment to collaborate on the management of the National Historic Site.
The federal government has also allocated funding to the Manitoba Métis Federation for community-led initiatives supporting the healing process of those affected by the Métis children who never returned home from residential and day schools. These initiatives reflect Riel's advocacy for Métis rights and self-governance. Canada continues to work in partnership with Métis leaders, organizations, and communities to improve the quality of life and support self-determination.
On October 13, 1872, Louis Riel was elected into the House of Commons, although he was prevented from taking his seat. He was elected to the Commons a total of three times. To commemorate the anniversary of his first election and honour his legacy, we joined Members of Parliament last month at the reception hosted by the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan and the Speaker of the House of Commons.
