Unveiling Wolseley's History with the Metis

In 1870, Canada formed the Confederation with the goal of uniting various provinces under a single government. The Red River Rebellion, led by Louis Riel, was a direct response to the perceived threat to Métis rights, land, and culture as the Canadian government sought control of the Red River Settlement through the purchase of Rupert’s Land. After negotiations, Riel’s provisional government secured promises of rights and land for the Métis people under the Manitoba Act, leading to the creation of the province of Manitoba and the Métis' entry into Confederation. However, the Canadian government, led by Sir John A. Macdonald, viewed the unrest, especially after the execution of Thomas Scott (who had been arrested and tried by a Métis court), as a serious threat to their expansion plans. They sought a peaceful resolution to avoid further conflict.

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To handle the situation, the Canadian government appointed British Army Colonel Garnet Wolseley to lead the Red River Expeditionary Force (RREF). Wolseley, with extensive experience in the British army through operations around the world, displayed a clear colonial mindset, demonstrating bias against the Métis. In his own narratives, he often referred to the Métis as "ignorant half-breeds" or "the half-breed enemy," as cited in Tom Brodbeck’s Treaties, Lies and Promises: How the Métis and First Nations Shaped Canada (109-110). This language not only revealed his disdain for the Métis but also suggested the prejudice he likely instilled in his troops, who were already motivated by a desire for vengeance for Thomas Scott’s death.

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Though Wolseley’s official mission was to engage in peaceful negotiations, it became evident that his true intentions were far different. Both Riel and Wolseley understood that if Riel had been at Fort Garry when Wolseley’s troops arrived, peaceful negotiations would not have been possible. Riel, would have been swiftly captured and executed on the spot, as the Métis were severely outnumbered and underprepared to defend themselves. Both Riel and Wolseley acknowledged this in their respective writings, highlighting the inevitability of violence if Riel had been found.

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With Wolseley’s intention to capture Riel and the troops’ desire for vengeance against those involved in the execution of Thomas Scott—a man who had been tried and sentenced by the Métis provisional government—the Red River Expeditionary Force was not arriving as peacekeepers. Wolseley’s racism, combined with his troops’ hostility toward the Métis in support of Scott (who was himself an anti-Métis figure), fostered a toxic environment driven by hatred and revenge. This was made evident even before the soldiers reached Winnipeg. As noted in Lawrence Barkwell’s article “The Reign of Terror Against the Métis of Red River,” Colonel Wolseley violently arrested and imprisoned two men who were part of the Métis representatives and had voted in favor of Métis entry into Confederation. These men, who were peacefully walking home, were dragged to prison by Wolseley’s forces. One of the men, an elderly gentleman, suffered serious injuries from Wolseley’s soldiers during this arrest (3).

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A s Wolseley and his troops neared Fort Garry, they expected to confront the Métis forces, but instead were met with disappointment when neither Louis Riel nor any significant resistance was present. This frustration, combined with the hatred stoked by Wolseley’s rhetoric and the soldiers’ desire for retribution, inevitably led to what became known as the "Reign of Terror." Despite being legally present as peacekeepers, tasked with facilitating negotiations, Wolseley’s soldiers unleashed violent acts against the Métis people near Fort Garry. According to the Métis National Council’s article “Emergence and Evolution of the Métis Nation,” these violent acts included assaults, murders, rapes, and harassment of Métis landholders (8).

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Had Wolseley’s true intentions been to keep the peace—especially considering there was no violence directed toward him or his soldiers, and the rebellion itself had dissipated—he would have reprimanded the soldiers under his command for such actions. The fact that this pent-up anger was primarily directed toward the Métis people reveals Wolseley’s own racial prejudice and colonial mindset, which sought to erase the Métis presence and identity altogether.