Louis Riel was a well-known leader of the Red River Resistance, exiled from Canada for 5 years in 1875. In 1884, Gabriel Dumont, a Metis buffalo hunter led a group to the United States in attempt to persuade Riel to come back to Canada. Due to the buffalo decline and many new government polices, the Metis were desperate and looked to Riel for leadership as they had in the Red River Resistance. The group was able to convince Riel to return and he spent his first summer back in Canada meeting with Metis and First Nations leaders. Riel sent a petition to Ottawa in December which became known as a strengthened Bill of Rights.
In the Feburary of 1885, Metis people heard that a police force was coming to arrest Riel and all others involved in the Bill of Rights, this report was false, but the North-West resistance had already begun. In March of 1885, Riel lead a group of Metis into Batoche and declared a provisional government, vowing to use force to defend their lands if they must. This caused a rift with the community. Anglophone Metis, the Roman Catholic Church, and Cree leaders Mistahimaskwa and Pitikwahanapiwiyin did not want to use force to deal with the Government.
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