Riel House is a National Historic Site commemorating the life 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 ...

politician and activist

Louis Riel Louis Riel (; ; 22 October 1844 – 16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political leader of the Métis in Canada, Métis people. He led two resistance movements against the Government of ...

, and also the daily life of Métis families in the Red River Settlement. The house is situated in the historic St. Vital parish of

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

, in Manitoba, Canada. From 1865, the residence belonged to Riel's mother, Julie Riel (Lagimodière), and housed his brothers and their families. Louis Riel lived along with them from his return to Red River in 1868, through the

Red River Resistance The Red River Rebellion (), also known as the Red River Resistance, Red River uprising, or First Riel Rebellion, was the sequence of events that led up to the 1869 establishment of a provisional government by Métis leader Louis Riel and his f ...

, until his exile in 1870. It is also where his body lay in state for two days in December 1885, after his sentencing and execution for murder and treason, before being buried in St. Boniface. The house remained within the possession of Riel descendants until 1968, when it was acquired by the Winnipeg Historical Society. The house was restored to its 1886 condition and converted into a museum. It was designated a National Historic Site in 1976 and a Federal Heritage Building in 2000. It is owned and administered by

Parks Canada Parks Canada ()Parks Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Parks Canada Agency (). is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 37 National Parks, three National Marine Co ...

, but since 2013, the Louis Riel Institute (an associate of the Manitoba Métis Federation) has provided interpretation and programming.

References

External links

Riel House National Historic Site of Canada

About Riel House

The Woman’s Sphere: Domestic Life at Riel House and Dalnavert
{{Manitoba parks Historic house museums in Manitoba National Historic Sites in Manitoba Museums in Winnipeg Houses completed in 1865 1865 establishments in the British Empire St. Vital, Winnipeg Métis in Manitoba Manitoba Métis Federation