Alexander Macdonell of Greenfield (20 November 1782 – 23 February 1835) was a Canadian businessman and politician. He was the fourth son of Alexander Macdonell of Greenfield and Janet Macdonell of Aberchalder (a sister of John Macdonell of Aberchalder and Sir Hugh MacDonell of Aberchalder). He was also the cousin and brother-in-law of Miles MacDonell, the first governor of the

Red River Colony The Red River Colony (or Selkirk Settlement), also known as Assiniboia, was a colonization project set up in 1811 by Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, on of land in British North America. This land was granted to Douglas by the Hudson's Bay ...

. Alexander worked as a fur trader and became a partner of the

North West Company The North West Company was a Fur trade in Canada, Canadian fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in the regions that later became Western Canada a ...

becoming very interested in the rights of the

Métis The Métis ( , , , ) are a mixed-race Indigenous people whose historical homelands include Canada's three Prairie Provinces extending into parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the northwest United States. They ha ...

(so called "Half Breeds") with whom he worked as well as having 4 métis children. He was the first to refer to the Métis as becoming a nation when he wrote to Duncan Cameron that “The New Nation under their leaders are coming forward to clear their native soil of intruders and assassins”. Additionally Alexander played a role in the development of Métis identity by "giving them shape and direction". Alongside Cameron he was also instrumental in Cuthbert Grant initially being appointed as one of the "captains of the Métis", and eventually “Captain-General of all the Half-Breeds.” According to writer George Woodcock, prior to 1814 there was nothing to suggest that Grant saw the Métis as a nation, or gave any thought to their cause, or even identified himself with them. During the Pemmican War Alexander dispatched Cuthbert Grant and 25 Métis to plunder the Hudson's Bay Company's Brandon House. It is a common story that Macdonell gave the Métis flag to the Métis in 1815. However, this is based on a reading of one account, provided by James Sutherland, in which he stated “it is said” that the North West Company gave the Métis peoples the Métis flag as a gift for their actions against the

in Spring 1815, but made no mention of Macdonell as the source of the flag. However, there is no corroborating evidence and it is potentially contradicted by contemporary eyewitness accounts from Colin Robertson, Lieutenant General Sir John Coape Sherbrooke, and Macdonell himself that do not describe a flag being given among the gifts given to the Métis by the North West Company before the flag was first recorded by Sutherland as being flown in October 1815. All other historical contemporary accounts of the flag do not include details of where the flag originated. Moreover, Métis oral tradition tells that the Métis developed the infinity flag for themselves, and called the flag ''Li Paviiyoon di Michif'' in the

Michif Michif (also Mitchif, Mechif, Michif-Cree, Métif, Métchif, French Cree) is one of the languages of the Métis people of Canada and the United States, who are the descendants of First Nations (mainly Cree, Nakota, and Ojibwe) and fur trade wo ...

language. In 1819 a book titled ''A Narrative of the Transactions in the Red River Country from the commencement of the operations of the Earl of Selkirk till the summer of 1816'' was published in

London, United Kingdom London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

under his name. In 1821, following the forced merger of the North West Company with the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...

, Alexander returned to

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...

, becoming a political figure. He served in the 8th Parliament of Upper Canada and 9th Parliament of Upper Canada in the riding of

Glengarry The Glengarry bonnet is a traditional Scots cap made of thick-milled woollen material, decorated with a toorie on top, frequently a rosette cockade on the left side, and ribbons hanging behind. It is normally worn as part of Scottish military ...

and in the 12th Parliament in the riding of Prescott. Another Alexander Macdonell also served in the riding of Glengarry during several parliaments, including the 6th Parliament; he succeeded Alexander MacDonell of Greenfield's brother,

John MacDonell Lieutenant Colonel John Macdonell of Greenfield (19 April 1785 – 14 October 1812) was an aide-de-camp to British Major General Sir Isaac Brock during the War of 1812, dying in the Battle of Queenston Heights. Life He was born on 19 Apr ...

. In 1822 Alexander became the

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...

of the

Ottawa District The Ottawa District was a historic district in Upper Canada which existed until 1849. It was created in 1816 by splitting the counties of Prescott and Russell from the Eastern District. The district town was L'Orignal. In 1838 Gloucester ...

, a position he held until his death in 1835. Through his daughter Margaret he is a great-great-grandfather of Métis Elder George R. D. Goulet.

References

External links

“Manitoba Historical Society”"Lords of the North""A Narrative of the Transactions in the Red River Country from the commencement of the operations of the Earl of Selkirk till the summer of 1816"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonell, Alexander Alexander Macdonell 1782 births 1835 deaths Members of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada Canadian fur traders Scottish emigrants to Canada North West Company people People from Cornwall, Ontario