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Prime Minister Mark Carney laid a wreath at Louis Riel's grave to mark the 140th anniversary of the execution of the Red River Métis leader at a ceremony in Winnipeg on Sunday morning.
This is the first time a sitting prime minister has attended the annual commemoration ceremony, according to Manitoba Métis Federation Housing Minister Will Goodon.
MMF President David Chartrand, head of the Red River Métis National Government, said it was “something very significant” that Carney was there to mourn at St. Boniface Cathedral Cemetery along with dignitaries from the MMF and federal, provincial and municipal authorities.
“Louis Riel would be very honored and touched if the prime minister would come and pay tribute and respect to one of the greatest leaders this country has ever had,” Chartrand said.
Riel “said, 'One day this country will recognize me for the good I have done.' This day has come because you came here in person,” Chartrand said from the podium, speaking directly to Carney.
Louis Riel was considered complex and controversial figure in Canadian history. He led two Métis resistances in what is now Manitoba and Saskatchewan, defending Métis rights and culture.
At 41, he was hanged for treason on November 16, 1885 in Regina.
Riel is now celebrated for having paved the way for Manitoba's entry into the Canadian Confederation. He was declared the founder of the province in 1992 and named the first honorary prime minister in 2023.
In his address at Riel's grave at St. Boniface Church on Sunday, Carney called The Métis people are a “founding figure” in the history of Manitoba and Canada as a whole.
“Forty years after his execution divided a young nation, Louis Riel's legacy is helping to unite a maturing Canada, a Canada determined to come to terms with our history and learn from it,” Carney said.
The Prime Minister said his government would work to “honor the legacy of Louis Riel” by working in partnership on reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
Premier Wab Kinew, who first introduced legislation to recognize Riel as Manitoba's honorary first premier when he was Opposition Leader, said he was proud to see Carney at Sunday's ceremony.
“The reason why it's so important to salute a sitting prime minister is because during Riel's time, the Prime Minister of Canada called for Riel's execution. Here we are, seven generations later, with the Prime Minister of Canada here to pay respect and honor the memory of Louis Riel,” Kineu said.
“This shows us that Riel's work is not finished, his legacy lives on in our time,” he said.
