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[also Second Riel Rebellion...]
Metis and Indians moved westward to settle in what is now Saskatchewan, where
they fought to retain title to their lands. Upon the appeal of the Metis, Riel
returned to lead them in open revolt, which he urged the Indians to join, and
set up a provisional government. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which had
been organized in 1873, and the Canadian army joined forces to squelch the
rebels; they surrounded Riel's headquarters at Batoche and decisively defeated
him on May 12, 1885. Riel was captured, tried, and hanged for treason, which
provoked an outburst of protest among the French-Canadians in Quebec and a
bitter controversy over sectarian schools in Manitoba and Quebec.
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