Louis Riel is Dead!

On or about the 16th of November 1885. It's a cold winter night the moon full enough to see shapes with clarity, Charles Sauve a young Metis and Louis Lavele arrive in Regina Saskatchewan, They have been sent on a secret mission by the Metis Council in Winnipeg Manitoba, to retrieve the sacred remains of the Metis Prophet - Louis Riel, for burial at St. Bonifac Cathedral of St Vital. As the two men quietly and stealthily disembark from the train they can hear the drunken celebration of the men responsible for the hanging of Riel with the occasional bravado of a gun being fired into the air. All of it saying "We got him! That ruthless blood thirsty half breed is gone, dead, his neck broken! Which is what will happen to the rest of them if they don't make scarce!"

Charles and Louis each carry a pistol for protection if discovered by the riotus group. The zeal of the macabre celebration is almost palpable in the air and the two men tread all the more carefully, quietly, darting from one hiding place to the next till they finally arrive at the church where Riel's remains have been hidden. The hungry crowd would make an example of Riel by dragging his corps through the streets of Regina and the taking of suveners from his body (cloths, hair, teeth, fingers?). The hatred drummed up by the John A. Macdonald administration was very effective in bringing the pot to a rapid boil, and it still hadn't cooled down, even after the killing of the Metis Chief. 

All is darkness as the two men approach the church. A quiet knock and the men are given entry through a darkened doorway in a effort to conceal any occupation and activity that could draw the attention and alarm the hostilities of the crowd. The men are led down a hallway to stairs that leed to the church basement below, a parish priest and an officer of the military occupation forces are present and stand guard over the coffin Riel. There is a deep saddens in the air, beyond the pitiful scene that they are all a party to. The officer on duty must have been one of those soldiers sent against Riel who sympathized with the Metis cause. Some were heard to have said "What are we doing to these people?! They are our people!", With respectful acknowledgment of the two Metis men and their mission his movements became grave, slow, careful, respectful and dignified as he facilities what needs to be done; The viewing of Riel's body by the two men tasked with the retrieval. They horror at the sight of a body disfigured by the hangman's noose an image that will never leave the memories of the any of the men present.

The coffin was then nailed shut and quietly transported through a basement door and loaded onto a small horse drawn wagon. The wagon, a farmer's purposed for gathering wood was chosen to avert detection by those milling about drunk or otherwise. Riel's coffin was then well hidden by cut firewood stacked atop and beside.

Charles was extra careful to keep his face covered for fear that his dark Indian/Metis featured complection would draw attention. The trip from the Church to the waiting Rail Road Car was thankfully un challenged by anyone. Once Riel's Coffin was loaded onto rail car the sliding car door was closed and the train pulled slowly away from the Regina rail head towards the long trip back to Winnipeg. 

A lamp was lit to allow the men to better situate them selves for the long trip home. The silence the men both held was an indication of the heaviness they both shared in the presence of the Riel coffin. They knew the charge of safely escorting the remains of Louis Riel home for burial would be dangerous and they both felt the sadness of the loss of the Metis spiritual leader, but neither of them were prepared for this feeling. The Rail car had become a tomb and they the guardians of the spirit on it's way to it's final resting place. There was no conversation or any effort to pass the time, only a deep and full silence which they both agreed to respect and uphold. 

Eventually the light was dimed and the two men fell into a deep sleep. At some point in the night Charles was awakened by a soft wind sound, there seemed to a be a dim light coming from the other end of the long rail car near Riel's coffin. Charles stood and walked toward the light. But as he approuched the end of the rail car where the Riel coffin should have been there was only more length to the rail car. The light was still present but only the sides of the car were illumined leading him further into his exploration down the length of the car.

Eventually the sides of the car gave way to an expanse that revealed on open plain like those found in Northern Saskatchewan. Directly in front of his feet he found the source of the light he had been following, he knelt to better appreciate a single beautiful flower growing from the earth on a single stem. it seemed to glow from within and reminded him of all the beautiful Metis beadwork he had ever seen growing up. He wondered if this single flower was the source, the inspiration of all that beauty. 

Abruptly he heard the howel of a wolf, then another and yet another. Charles stood and could see the low shadowy figures move across the dark landscape. They were moving away from him towards a wooded area off in the distance. Oddly, Charles felt no apprehension or fear and decided to move with them towards the wood.

As they approached the wooded destination, Charles marveled at the number of wolves assembled in the wood and hidden from the military men in Red Coat uniforms in gathered in a meadow to camp and take sustenance for the night. All the wolves had finally arrived and their numbers were in the hundreds, They all stood or sat around a seated central figure wearing buckskins, it was Louis Riel. He was listening to one of the wolves., one who was clearly a leader and well respected by all the other wolves. He was saying "now is the time. We can easily overrun them, chase them from the country and then cut their supply lines and thwart all future attempts to occupy our land".

Louis Riel listened carefully noding his head with patience and understanding and then he finally spoke... "My good Uncle and to all of you who, with courage, follow and trust his leadership. Yes we could take their lives here and now. We could chase the remnants of their forces from our lands and even hold it for a time. But my brothers I have been to their cities. I have even visited the president of the United States, and I tell you, their numbers are infinite and their weapons are terrible to behold. This force that has been sent to suppress us though formidable is only an expidetionary force.

If we fight them in our traditional way and win we will be seen as savages and then the government will use our tactics as justification and cause to unleash hell on our homes.

With that Louis Riel rose up to standing and held a glowing silver cross overhead he said, "we will fight them on the open field of battle and from the battlement walls around our homes. They are the aggressors and the world will know of the injustices committed against us here and of the bravery and honor of the Metis people, and in this way we will be victorious".

The lead wolf rose to speak "I know only one way to fight, but you are our Prophet, and you see in ways that we can not. Therefore we will follow you in this righteous stand against the evil forces assembled before us. 

With that the wolves each took their leave and slowly disappeared into the night.

***Tell two more stories of the Metis last seans at the Batoche battle, the effort of the women to hold Riel's arms up to form a cross during the multiple days of the battle, Then Riel's dream in the woods after the loss at Batoche where Riel sees the future of his being hanged for treason but that due to the righteous way that the Metis have fought they are victorious. Riel's example illustrates a Metis way of life worth fighting for.

Early the next morning the abrupt jolt of the train as it pulls to a stop in the Winnipeg rail station awakens a bewildered Charles Sauve from his dream. He quietly sobs for what has been revealed to him, and rubs his eyes as tears role down his checks. The interior of the car is still dimly lit and all is quite except for the soud of someone busy unlockating the rail car door. As the door is slid aside the light of a cold November Winnipeg morning streams in. There is a large somber crowd silently awaiting the arrival of Louis Riel.

Charles walks to the door and standing on the threshold he remembers the beauty, the courage and the sacred destiny of the Metis people as revealed by Riel's words and ultimate sacrifice on the galoas. With eyes ablaze with renewed faith and spirit Charles proudly announces to the waiting crowd - LONG LIVE LOUIS RIEL!