3983 years ago- The Cree and the Assiniboine lived along the south Saskatchewan river in peace.
1600's- The first Metis were born in the Red River region.
1670- The Hudson's Bay company was founded in Canada.
1812-The Red River colony was formed.
1850- The Hudsons Bay company's rule was under attack from Britain, Canada, and the United States.
1860's- The Hudson's Bay company agreed to surrender their monopoly over Rupert's land and the North-West, including the Red River colony.
1869-Louis Riel emerged as a Metis spokesman who was the leader of an armed group who prevented Willian McDougall from entering the Red River Colony.
December 1869-The local Hudson's bay company officials stayed neutral, but the Metis opposition caused the Canadian government took control of the territory.
December 1869-This action by the Canadian Government encouraged the rebels who had seized Fort Gary,(the main Hudson's bay trading post),to hold it until the Canadian Government agreed to negotiate.
Later that December, 1869- Louis Riel held an elected convention for the representative rebel colonists, where Riel gained the support of the Francophone and some of the Anglophone Metis.This gathering of people later became Riel's provisional government.
January 1869-Riel gained the support of the rest of the Anglophone Metis with a second convention, where they agreed to form a representative Provisional overnment
1869-For the rest of the winter, the armed conflict continued, but Riel was in control until he made his biggest blunder: exciting Thomas Scott. Thomas Scott was part of a group of English speaking people from Ontario who didn't like what Riel's Provisional Government was saying. He and a few others were caught and held prisoner by the Metis in Fort Gary.
1869-When Thomas Scott was executed, many people wished he had not been killed. The Canadian Government was still willing to negotiate with Louis Riel but they refused to give him unconditional amnesty.
Spring, 1870-Though the Canadian Government recognized the "rights" of the people of the Red River colony at the negotiations that took place that spring.
May, 1870-On May 12 the Canadian government created a small province called Manitoba and it was created by something called the Manitoba act.
1870-The Metis were moved to Manitoba, but the provinces territory was vastly limited compared to the North-West, which would soon be taken over by the Canadian Government. In Manitoba public land was federally controlled. Land was promised for the Metis people and 607,000 hectares were saved for their children. The Metis did not flourish in their new land.
1870-Louis Riel asked Ottawa for amnesty and they refused to grant it to him. After that, he and his closest followers fled to the United States.
August, 1870-Louis Riel fled just before British and Canadian troops arrived.
1870-The Metis stated to slowly move out of Manitoba in to Saskatchewan and they created a sanctuary at a place along the South Saskatchewan river. They called this place Batoche.
1870 to 1884- The Metis people lived peacefully in Batoche because they had everything they needed.
June 4, 1884- Four Metis people, (Gabriel Dumont, Moïse Ouellette, Michel Dumas and James Isbister), came to Montana and paid Louis Riel a visit. They asked him to lead the Metis once again. They told him about Batoche. Then they told him that the Metis had resumed their traditional way of life, which was now being threatened by the many new settlers and immigrants. Their borders were disappearing and their rights were no longer being respected.
July, 1884- Louis Riel came back to Canada, because his dream was coming true:his people needed him. He made his decision quickly and journeyed back to Batoche with his wife and two children, (Sara Riel-his wife, Marie-Angélique Riel-his daughter and Jean-Louis Riel-his son).
July, 1884-On July 8th, six days after his return, he addressed his people. Riel had a moderate plan that had to do with the First Nations, the white settlers and his own people, the Metis. All three of these groups took to him easily.
July, 1884-Riel's plan was for the three groups to stay independent but they would form a central committee to send specific demands to be sent to Ottawa. They decided to send petitions to Ottawa in hope that the government would listen. Some of Louis Riel's followers would have of preferred to take bolder action because the Metis and the First Nations were starving and the European settlers were anxious to get the land issue solved.
December, 1884-After a few community meetings, Riel and his followers sent a petition to the government in Ottawa, demanding that the settlers were given a title to the lands that they occupied and then it also demanded that the Saskatchewan districts, the Assiniboia and the Alberta, be granted with provincial status.
December, 1884-Even though Louis Riel was welcomed by the Metis, he was dis-liked by the Catholic Church. They feared his power and they were suspicious of his religious beliefs. Father Andre and the Catholic church tried to oust Louis Riel as the Metis leader but they couldn't remove Riel from his people.
February, 1885-The government replied to the petition that the Metis and the First Nations had sent the previous year. In their reply they appointed a commission to investigate the Metis rights.
February, 1885-The proposals from the Government made the Metis who were hoping for a faster solution very angry and since nothing had been accomplished yet, Louis Riel asked them if they still wanted him as their leader. Their priests had abandoned them so they kept Louis Riel as their leader and their prophet.
Winter, 1885-The tension mounted because the First Nations became starving and fell victim to diseases, while the Indian agents had nothing in to help them. They realized that their situation was a similar one to that of the Metis, so naturally they turned to Louis Riel.
March, 1885- Loui Riel re-established his provisional government on March 19th and took the local church as his headquarters.
March, 1885- Louis Riel chose Pierre Parenteau as his First President and Gabriel Dumont as his adjutant-general. After awhile, Riel realized that the new form of the provisional government was weakening his authority and soon, his only support was the French speaking Metis and the First Nations once again.
March, 1885-Louis Riel decided that his best option was to capture Fort Carlton, but he wanted to do it without violence. He sent Charles Nolin and Ambroise Lèpine to demand they surrender the fort to Riel and the Metis.
March, 1885- Riel was not able to finish his negotiations because fighting broke out at Duck lake on the 26th of March. The Battle of Duck lake made the Metis and First Nations realize that the Canadian troops were not impossible to beat and the Canadian troops surrendered after 40 minuets. Louis Riel had to prevent Gabriel Dumont from going and killing all the retreating soldiers.
April, 1885-At Frog lake, Wandering Spirit and his tribe killed an Indian agent (Thomas Quinn), and two priests (Father Fafard and Father Marchand) on March 2nd. The Frog lake massacre led the Canadian Government to finally intervene. Sir John A. MacDonald did two things, One: He drastically increased the money that was going to the First Nations food, so they would be satisfied and Two: He got a military force of 5,000 men under the command of General Fredrick Middleton to be dispatched to the central disturbance in Saskatchewan.
April, 1885-Due to the brand new C.P.R (Canadian Pacific Railway), General Middleton's troops were in Winnipeg 10 days after the Battle of Frog lake. From there, three columns of soldiers were dispatched to Saskatchewan.
April, 1885-Gabriel Dumont and 350 other Metis were left to defend Batoche. They planned to use the First Nations form of combat, (where they take the enemy by surprise and to catch them unaware), but Riel disapproved of their plan. He wanted to avoid violence as long as possible and he was still hopeful that he could continue and succeed with his negotiations from earlier that year.
April, 1885-Riel's opposition to Dumont's plan led to General Middleton's forces getting to Batoche without hassle. Dumont decided to set a trap in Fish Creek. On April 24th Louis Riel, Gabriel Dumont and 200 other Metis set out for Fish Creek.
Riel suddenly decided that he wanted the 200 Metis to return to Batoche and defend it. At that very moment a messenger came to them and said that there were North West Mounted Police approaching Batoche.
Riel and 50 Metis returned to Batoche.
Riel was having many doubts about his decisions and he was getting many frantic messages that General Middleton's troops were in the borders of Batoche. In a desprate state, Riel contacted Chief Poundmaker and Chief Big Bear as a last resort though Riel knew they would not make it in time.
April to May 1885-General Middleton was wary after Fish Creek so he let his troops rest for two weeks, planning to attack on May 7th. The Canadian troops were accompanied by a steamer ship that would attack from the South Saskatchewan river. The Metis people sunk the steamer, but the Canadian troops were too strong for them to defeat.
May, 1885-On May 12, the Metis were defeated, and Louis Riel, wanting to keep his family safe, he hid in the forest and prayed. General Middleton found him and demanded surrender. Louis Riel did not resist and he willingly admitted defeat, but he asked for the freedom of his people and council and he said that he was only surrendering to keep the Metis legacy going.
May, 1885-After his surrender, Louis Riel was taken to Regina. Before Gabriel Dumont knew that Riel had surrendered, he tried to recapture Batoche, but he unsuccessful. When he was told that Louis Riel had surrendered, he ran away to the United States with Michal Dumas.
May to July, 1885-Cheif Poundmaker and his people surrendered on May 23rd to the Canadian troops, but Chief Big Bear was still putting up a fight. On May 26th, he and his tribe went in to battle with Colonel Strange's troops and he finally surrendered on July 2nd. The Rebellion was over.
July, 1885- Louis Riel was charged of high treason on July 6th and his trial began on July 20th. Riel pleaded with the court and his lawyer argued that Riel was not crazy and that he was not responsible for his actions. Near the end of the trial Riel was allowed to speak. Riel prayed for a moment, then he began to explain why he had done the things he had done. He also admitted that he had been admitted to a mental hospital and he also mentioned that the doctors had told him he was cured.
November, 1885-Louis Riel's execution was delayed several times, but he was officially executed on November 18th 1885.
2018-Batoche is now an interactive Historical Site you can visit and learn about the Metis people and their history.
1923-Batoche was declared a National Historic Site.
Information source:http://shsb.mb.ca/en/node/1381