Riel, Dumont, and the 1885 Rebellion

Introduction

This factual story shows that sometimes life can be stranger than fiction. More importantly, this story gives us insight into the human condition.

This tells about Riel’s dramatic life, a life that reminds us of a great Shakespearean tragedy. As well, we see Riel’s spiritual and religious nature, and this provides us with excellent food for thought because it reminds us of the unmeasurable and untouchable side of life.

Some people who have read about Dumont will see him as a great, courageous leader. While his heroism is present in this true story, the facts have been edited so the focus is more on Dumont the human being. In this way, I avoided giving the false impression that war is an exciting adventure.

When the characters make statements, you are reading the actual words that were spoken. At that time, they were recalled by the people involved and written down. The quotations therefore realistically reflect the nature of the people speaking. Also, additional information of interest is offered in the detailed notes which are in the file: Bibliography and Notes. The notes there correspond to the numbered references which have been added to the full account.

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