Paper short abstract:

This presentation explores the story of Louis Riel and his Métis relationships in the Outaouais region. It is based on the written account of Violet Lalonde. This presentation will challenge ushered allusions that the Métis peoples in Québec have no culture or oral tradition left.

Paper long abstract:

This presentation explores the unfamiliar story of Louis Riel and his Métis relationships in the Outaouais region. It is based on the written account of Elder Violet Lalonde, herself a descendant of the enigmatic character of Marie-Louise Riel. It explores how Louis Riel's alleged aunt (a daughter of Jean-Baptiste Riel) took care of him in times of grave perils and vital needs. The analysis of Violet Lalonde's testimony, written down before she passes, opens up a marvellous historical window into the lifestyle of a strong independent Métis women, reputed to be a healer and midwife, helping old fur trader communities and new settlers alike by traveling in a birch bark canoe. When many simply assume that Riel fled to the United States after the first resistance in 1870, this contribution reveals an unprecedented glimpse of a regional Métis community that have in fact harboured and hidden Louis Riel after his dramatic escape from Manitoba. By honouring the oral tradition of Métis Elders of the Outaouais region who still remember this painful yet heroic episode of Riel's life, this presentation explores the question of how Métis kinship ties and cultural distinctiveness were experienced in this remote region of Québec, despite the distance separating them from intimate connections in Manitoba. Hopefully this presentation will help dissipate ushered allusions that the Métis peoples in Québec have no culture or oral tradition left.