Louis Riel’s Handcuffs- Saskatchewan, Canada
These handcuffs were used to restrain Louis Riel, Métis resistance fighter and founder of the Canadian province of Manitoba, prior to his execution in 1885.
Louis Riel was born in 1844 in Red River Colony, now modern-day southern Manitoba. His parents were part of a community of European and First Nation descent (hence métis, French for mixed). When Red River was declared to be part of Canada in 1869, the Métis declared their own provisional government and took control of Fort Garry. Riel, as their leader, demanded that Manitoba become a province, and on terms favorable to the Métis.
Although the rebellion was politically successful, Canadian nationalists demanded revenge for Thomas Scott, whose execution Riel had ordered. Riel fled to the United States, and he was elected three times to the Canadian House of Commons while in exile. He was never able to claim his seat. Riel returned to Canada in 1885 to assist in another struggle for Métis rights, the North-West Rebellion. After a controversial trial in Regina, Saskatchewan, he was sentenced to death for high treason. On the day of the execution—November 16, 1885—Louis Riel wore the pictured handcuffs to the gallows.
After Riel’s execution, the handcuffs were part of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada collection. From there they transferred to the Canadian Provost Corps Association Museum, then to the Canadian War Museum, and are now on display at the Museum of Canadian History. Discussions regarding returning the handcuffs to the Métis people are ongoing.
